Page 105 of Forever Cursed

Chrissy leads me up the stairs to the third floor. We walk down the hall in silence, but I already feel the tension between us fading. I rest my hand on her lower back as she unlocks her door, soaking in the sensation of having her by my side again. It hasn’t been long since we last saw each other, but with the tension, it wasn’t right. Now, I feel us clicking back into place.

She opens her door, and the room is lit with a warm light she must have left on before leaving today. When I step inside, she closes the door and I take my shoes off.

“So, what do you think?” she asks, and I take in the sight.

Her room is as I imagined it would be, maybe just a tad cleaner. Her bed is pushed into the corner, and it has a white cotton comforter and matching white pillows with a couple of light pink ones for accent. Fairy lights are strung along the wall with multiple pictures of her and her friends. A plant sits in the corner, and it looks well watered and alive. I’d be willing to bet good money that it’s fake. The entire space smells like freshstrawberries with a hint of vanilla bean. I immediately feel at home.

“It’s very you,” I say.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I love it.”

The rest of Chrissy’s tension melts away as her expression lightens and her shoulders drop. I offer her my bag and smile widely when she grabs it with nothing but excitement. She places the bag on her bed and starts to go through it.

“You want to do face masks with me?” she asks in disbelief. “Andwatch a princess movie?”

“Duh,” I chuckle.

“This is great, thank you!” Chrissy leaps in my arms and wraps her legs around my waist, hugging me like her life depends on it.

“I’m sorry for everything. For how I reacted, for not trusting you.”

She nods against my shoulder and kisses my cheek. “I’m sorry too. Let’s work on us and forget all about that dickhead.”

I snicker when she pulls back to look at me. “Deal.”

With our face masks in hand, Chrissy strolls into her bathroom, and I follow her. She props herself up on the bathroom counter and tears open the first package. I stand in front of her, looking at the colorful sticky notes on the mirror.

“Everything okay?” I nod toward the mirror, and she looks over her shoulder.

“Oh, those are self-affirmations.”

“Do you say these a lot?” My eyes land on the note that says, “Your hair is beautiful.” And my heart snaps in two.

“Most mornings. I used to get teased in school. Mom made these for me, and we recited them every morning.”

I twirl one of her curls around my finger. “Do you still believe you’re not beautiful?”

She’s silent for a moment, but her response is louder than any words can be. “Sometimes.”

With a soft smile, I kiss her forehead. “You are far more beautiful than you’ll ever believe. I’ll remind you every day.”

With a smile of her own, she holds out her finger, which is dipped in the gray clay face mask.

“Do I get to do you afterward?” I smirk when I realize what I said.

“Yes,” she laughs. “Where would the fun be in that if I did it myself?”

I position myself between her legs, and she begins to paint my face with the mask. It’s cool to the touch, with the smell of witch hazel and something I can’t quite identify.

Chrissy is having the time of her life, like I handed a toddler finger paints for the first time. She lathers on the clay, making sure not a speck of skin is untouched.

When she’s done, she admires me like a painting, and when she’s satisfied, she hands me the next package and ties her hair back. “My turn.”

I take the package and open it with a soft smile.

Looking at Chrissy, I dip my finger in the mask. “Ready, princess?”

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