Page 20 of You Are My Every Reason

“Now, I’m thinking the shorts, and I saw you eyeing these boots.” Willa picks up the short black ankle boots that have a cute buckle on the side of them. “I have a hair clip that matches the buckle too.”

“All right,” I agree, letting her do her thing.

I slip into the shorts before pulling the boots on. They’re comfortable and don’t hurt when I walk in them. Willa pulls me out of the closet to her vanity, where she gets to work. It doesn't take her long. She plays with my hair for a bit before putting the clip in and doing a touch of makeup.

The clip does match the boots. I can't help but smile when I see myself in the mirror. I know it was Willa who got me ready, but it feels like I'm more myself than I ever have been before. This is especially true when I'm wearing Rich's hoodie.

"You like?" Willa asks.

"I love it."

"Oh, looking good," Teddy says this as she walks into Willa's room.

“Thanks.” I notice she has a white shirt in her hand. It hits me that I really don’t want to take off Rich’s sweater.

“Now, I know you love the sweater,” Teddy starts. Am I really that easy to read? Then again, I’m always wearing one of his hoodies. I don’t care whether it’s hot or not. “But I did a little stitch work and crafted the fabric so that it’s not drowning you.” She holds up the shirt that is plain white, then turns it around to show Rich’s last name across it.

“That’s his.” I step forward and take it.

“Yep, I stitched the side so it bunches cutely at the bottom. This way you can see you have shorts on. The hoodie hides them.”

“Oh shit,” Willa laughs. “You’re so right. Rich would not have been a fan of her in the sweater and people thinking there is nothing underneath. At home it’s fine, but out…” She shakes her head. “These men are possessive.”

“You really think it would upset him?”

“He wouldn’t be upset with you. He’d just take it out on someone else.” My stomach twists. If Rich got pissed at me, he’d take it out on someone else.

“As in whoever is checking you out and hitting on you,” Teddy fills in for me. “That’s who would get his wrath. Like Willa said. The men are possessive around here, and those fights are like a nightclub at times with people looking to hook up.”

That is the last thing I want to think about. The idea of Rich hooking up with people makes me want to throw up. It twists my stomach in a different kind of way.

I take the shirt from Teddy and change into it. This will let everyone know I’m with Rich. I don’t want to be hit on, and I don’t want to meet someone that Rich has been with either. That’s not going to stop me from going. Maybe it should, but with all this talk of hookups, I want to go more. To see for myself what goes on in places like this. I’ve never experienced any of it, and although it scares me, it also excites me some too.

I know Rich told me he’s not that type of man, and I want to believe everything he’s shown me, but I have been burned so many times before. Especially by the man I’m supposed to trust the most in my life: my dad.

“It fits perfectly,” Willa says with a happy sigh.

“I thought I had it right.” Teddy checks around the bottom part of the shirt. “You fall a touch between Willa’s and my size, so it was easy.”

“For now.” Willa taps Teddy’s stomach.

“You’re one to talk.” Teddy rolls her eyes playfully.

“Ladies,” I hear West say as he knocks on the partially open door. “Are you ready?”

“Let me grab my shoes.” Willa darts back into her closet before we all head out together with West driving us.

“We have to get you a phone,” Willa tells me, clicking away on hers.

“Rich lets me use his.” I play with it occasionally. I don't have anyone that I would text or call, and social media is a world I don't understand, but TikTok does make me laugh. It has a lot of funny clips, and it’s a good distraction.

“He already ordered one,” West informs us. “I think when he left the house today, he realized that she needed one. It will be here tomorrow.”

"I'm sure he's going crazy being separated from you."

“You think?” I ask Willa.

“Oh, I know, but let's go sleuthing and see if anyone has posted.” Willa clicks away on her phone. She tilts it toward me, making it clear she’s okay with me watching over her shoulder. “Oh my God.” She starts to laugh. “Someone is talking about how Rich is prowling around the warehouse.”

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