Page 36 of Make Me Whole
I chewed on the inside of my cheek before letting out a sheepish, "About that—" Rambling as fast as I could, I told him about my plan to spend the day with Talia and Jessie.
"So, you're standing me up for my little sister?" He lifted his big hand and splayed it across his chest in the general area where his heart was supposed to be. "Ouch."
I was unable to stop the laugh that bubbled up and filled the air. "It's not like that…well, actually it is."
He took another step forward and draped his arms over the top railing. "It's all good, because tomorrow I get you all to myself for the entire day."
Oh man. The way he'd said it had my entire body humming and my skin riddled with goosebumps. My mouth suddenly felt dry and to alleviate it, I snaked my tongue along my lip. Bradley's eyes immediately dropped and followed the action.
I was hot all over, and it had nothing to do with the sun beating down on me.
"I should go." I took two steps backward. "Talia is waiting." More backward walking. When his lips lifted into that sexy smile that featured in my dreams on most nights, my steps almost faltered.
"Have fun, Hailey."
Returning his smile, I spun around and made my way back to a waiting Talia. How I managed to make it all the way without looking over my shoulder, even once, was beyond me.
"Let the fun begin." Talia slid behind the steering wheel of her army-green Jeep and motioned for me to get into the passenger side. Once I pulled the safety belt across my body, she turned the key and the engine roared to life.
A few minutes later, we exited the big wrought-iron gates and turned onto the main road. Talia reached for the radio and soon the melody of an upbeat country song filled the air.
"It's probably none of my business, but I was a bit worried when you rushed off so suddenly the other night."
Embarrassment had my cheeks heating up in a split second. Gosh, after I went to bed the only thing that'd occupied my mind had been Bradley. So much so, that I'd completely forgotten how I'd stormed off.
"The song brought up some painful memories," I answered honestly
A humming sound blew over her lips while she nodded tentatively. "I wanted to check on you, but Bradley had insisted he do it."
That little fluttering of hope made itself known again. "Yeah, he was kind enough to walk me back to the house."
"So, the two of you seem to be getting along quite well." She gave me a quick glance before focusing on the road again.
If I were being honest, her remark made me feel uncomfortable, and I didn't really understand why. Shifting my attention to the rolling landscape beyond the window, I mumbled, "I guess."
There were a few seconds of silence before her voice sounded again. "He's a little rough around the edges, but Bradley is good people." Before I could comment on her statement–not that I had a clue what to say anyway–she started singing along withKeith Urban.
Five songs later, we pulled into a parking lot of a small shopping center. The shop right in front of us had a few dresses on display. A bookstore and a beauty salon sat on either side of the clothing store.
"Ooh, I see Jessie," Talia suddenly exclaimed. "Come on." We hopped out of the car and made our way to Jessie waiting on the sidewalk. As soon as we reached her, she pulled Talia in for a hug and then stunned me when she embraced me too.
She pulled back and after giving both my shoulders a quick squeeze, she took a step out of my personal space. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"You are?" Pretty sure I sounded like an idiot. Not rolling my eyes at myself became almost impossible. Almost.
"Well, yeah." Planting her hands on her hips, she exclaimed, "Time to shop till we drop." Not waiting for a response from either me or Talia, she marched into the clothing store.
I'll be the first to admit there was nothing wrong with a bit of retail therapy, but these girls took it to a whole other level. An hour and a half into this shopping trip, and the girls had tried on just about everything in the store.
"This one!" Talia triumphantly held a white lacy dress in the air. "Hailey, you have to try it on."
Drawing my brows together, I looked at the scrap of material in her hands. "I don't know."
"But I do." Jessie appeared next to Talia holding a long rectangle box in her hands. "That dress was made for you. You'll see."
The incredulous snort that sounded from the back of my throat earned me a laugh from both women. Being the mature lady I was, I rolled my eyes dramatically before snatching the garment from Talia's grip and heading into the changing room.
Once inside the locked cubicle, I started peeling my clothes off until all that was left was my underwear. My heart made a little dip as I approached the full-length mirror. For the first time in a long while, I studied myself from head to toe. Twisting sideways, my gaze zeroed in on the scars that marred my skin.
