Page 15 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
I eagle-eye her as she walks across the tan carpet. “Do not get that red nail polish on my white couch.”
“I won’t. That’s why I’m walking like this,” she says. “You know you’re a lot more like her than you think you are.”
Now she’s trying to bait me—and it’s working. “Not cool.”
“Kidding!” She flashes a wide grin, squinting her eyes.
I pull a throw blanket off the back of the sofa and wrap it around me. “That’s a low blow.”
Falling onto the couch with a heavy breath, she props her feet on the coffee table. “How did you and Max end the night? Are you going to see him again?”
I curl my lip up. “He’s hot, but lacks depth.”
“So, that’s a yes then.” She bounces her knees up and down.
I run my tongue along the front of my teeth, thinking about the example I’m showing my little sister. She’s already sleeping around. And not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing—women need to feel as empowered as men regarding what they want.
I have no shame regarding the number of flings I’ve had. At one point, I had a fuck buddy in three different states. River in Dallas has always been my favorite. But am I showing her that there’s no more to relationships than a quick hook-up?
I nod my head. “Yeah.”
“I knew it.” She snickers. I throw a pillow at her for that comment.
I confidently tell my sister that I’ll be seeing Max again, but I can’t shake my thoughts of Carter. I haven’t stopped thinking about him since we parted ways in the parking lot.
I pick at the fringe on the edge of the pillow. “I ran into one of my dad's friends tonight.”
“Oh—”
“He’s known my dad since their time serving in the Navy.”
Her eyes are as big as saucers. “He’s a fighter pilot?”
“He was.” I fold my legs underneath me on the couch. “He’s a pilot for my airline now. I guess my dad’s airline wasn’t hiring, so he was able to get him in with ours.”
Zoe presses her lips together, giving me her undivided attention.
“His name is Carter,” I begin.
“And?”
“I ran into him. He was picking up takeout,” I continue.
Her eyebrows snap together. “So? What’s the big deal? You ran into a coworker. Did you say hi?”
My story now feels boring. But itfeelslike something. “Yeah, I did. And he said hi back.”
She has a puzzled look on her face. “Oh. Okay, cool.”
I start talking even though she doesn’t ask for more details. “He started working for the airline a little less than a year ago.” I lower my eyes. “There’s something about the way he always looks at me. It’s like he’s admiring a piece of art.” Which is exactly what he said when he made that comment about Max checking out other women.
“That’s a little self-absorbed of you.”
I ignore her sarcasm and continue, “He has this energy, um, confidence, maybe? I don’t know what it is, but my body electrifies whenever I’m around him.” I’m talking out loud for my benefit at this point.
Zoe leans forward, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “Go on.”
“I was walking out with Max when I literally bumped into him. When he saw me, he smiled, but then when he saw Max standing next to me, his expression changed.”
