Page 157 of On Merit Alone
Her head popped back a fraction and her eyes moved to search mine, the smallest crease between her eyebrows. “Are you saying?—”
I kissed her again, quicker this time. Now wasn’t the time to be talking about this. “C’mon. Let’s get you ready, Six. You’re going to make us late.”
I said this, but I waited for her cue first. While I didn’t want to have this conversation now when we were headed to a work event, of all things, I damn sure could and would if that’s what she needed.
She just nodded her head and started back into her room. Then suddenly she doubled back, “Did you sayyellowdress earlier?”
I laughed, pushing her along with a steady hand on her back. “Oh,nowshe listens. Keep walking. And take a seat.”
Chapter Forty-One
Merit
I thoughtnothing of Ira’s order to sit and sank onto the bed with a sigh. In my head, I ran over the copious cues and etiquette I always had to remember while going to these things.
I wasn’t the formal event type of girl. I had never been, though I just recently discovered that I was a girl’s night out girl. I hated the formality, the attention, and the general stuffiness, but mostly, I hated feeling so alone. Like I had no one to talk to in a huge room of people. It was depressing most of the time. I knew it would be marginally better with Ira around now, but he would probably have to make a whole job out of chatting people up. He was a popular guy.
“What’s that look for?” I heard the man in question murmur.
I sighed without looking at him. “I think I miss you.”
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” he said. My heart panged at the tenderness in his tone.
I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the emotion that was building there. Ever since the way he’d kissed me last time in his locker room I’d felt this overwhelming feeling of something I wanted so badly to just let out. But I didn’t understand it, and he’dbeen busy this past week so I wasn’t able to talk to him about it. But the words and feelings were starting to build up in my throat, clawing at my weak flesh to let them out.
That’s probably why my eyes stung. Carefully, I took calming breaths to steady my emotions. “Yeah, but I haven’t seen you in a while. And you’re going to be busy mingling tonight. I miss you preemptively.”
“Six,” Ira said carefully.
“Yes?”
“Those better not be tears I hear. I only have the one suit with me, but if you start that crying, I’m coming up there to rumple it all up,” he said.
I laughed and quickly patted my eyes with the heels of my hands. “No tears. That would mess up my makeup. Duh.”
“Duh,” he said, but his voice was solemn. When I opened my eyes, he was facing me, his face vulnerable and open. Gentle fingers skated the side of my face, pulling away wet. He dusted them between his other hand and said, “Had a couple runaways.”
“Pesky things,” I sniffled, the overwhelming emotion welling up inside me settling back down but not going away. It had been on standby since Ira’s raw display of emotion with Rob and I didn’t think it would be leaving until it got what it wanted.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
I nodded. “Fine, just?—”
My words cut off at the flash of sunshine strewn across my bed beside me. Laid right there next to my hand was a long, silky slip dress in the prettiest canary yellow. Above the dress was a new pair of simple gold earrings that looked like a long, dangly chain. Beside them were pale pink heels the color of flavored lemonade.
So cute.
Where’d they come from?
In front of me, Ira was crumbling up a wad of wrapping paper and shopping bags. I blinked at him. “What’s this stuff?”
He blinked back at me, surveying my expression. His went wary. “I asked the lady at the shop and she said she wassureyou’d like the pink and yellow together. I was skeptical.”
I watched as he held up his hands like he had nothing to do with it. A laugh dropped from my mouth as I shook my head. “No, I. Why is it here? All in my size too!”
“Oh,” he said, dropping his hands. “You like it, then?”
“I do,” I said, a smile ghosting my lips as I looked at the pastel colors. He’d done really well. But… that same welling of emotions swarmed me again without warning. It was so overwhelming, I felt like I’d been hit. “But what’s it for?”
