Page 24 of Girl, We Go Together
His lips curved into that slow, dangerous grin that always threw me off balance. That grin he likely wore right before being balls deep in my goodies. He rubbed the back of his neck and then spoke casually.
“Listen… this weekend, I’m throwing my moms a birthday party dinner. It’s a family thing, and I want you to come.”
The spatula froze in my hand.Family? Already?I turned toward him with my heartbeat stuttering.
“You sure?”
He shrugged like it was nothing, but his eyes locked on mine, steady and serious.
“Yeah, I’m sure. If I didn’t want you there, I wouldn’t have asked. You’ve been holding me down, Cay. My moms need to see that.”
OJ piped up from the table. He had the syrup and a fork in his hand. He was waiting for his plate of food.
“Yeah, come! Grandma’s gonna like you.”
Heat rushed to my face. I laughed it off, but inside, my nerves tangled with something warmer. With something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I slid the last pancake onto a plate and set it on the table. My voice was soft when I finally answered.
“Alright. I’ll come.”
Agreeing to be around his family had fixed a morning that I thought started off on the wrong foot. Orion gave me that look again, the one that made me feel seen, and for the first time in forever, I felt like maybe I belonged somewhere.
Agreeing to go to this dinner party with Orion had me on the fritz for the past couple of days. I had him go to my place and bring a couple of dresses and shoes that could possibly be suitable for the event. I wasn’t too sure how I would do in heels just yet, but I wanted to give it a try. My hair was in flexi rods, and I was forming a light coat of sweat on my nose, trying to take out what I wanted to wear.
A couple of days ago, Orion brought down a standing fan from his room. So, I hit the switch on it to try to cool my body temperature down while I got ready. Wrapped in a towel with my makeup done, I stared down at the three dresses that were laid out across the made bed. I couldn’t choose. More importantly, I didn’t know which shoes would go with it, and if I could even wear them.
“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath.
I wanted to wear whatever option made me look slimmer, so I grabbed the ice blue silk gown and then stepped into it. Ilooked in the full-length mirror for a while, debating whether this was the option I wanted to go with. A soft knock tapped against the bedroom door just as I was smoothing lotion into my arms.
“Cay,” Orion’s voice carried through, low and calm.
“Yeah?” I called back, my stomach knotting with nerves.
His mother’s birthday dinner was only a few hours away, and I’d already changed outfits twice, trying to find the right look. The door eased open, and there he was, framed in the doorway with a sleek black box in his hand. He stepped in with the faintest smirk tugging at his lips, looking so damn good in his all-black suit. He rushed over to help me zip up the back of my dress before speaking.
“I got something for you.”
My brows lifted. “What’s that?”
He set the box on the bed and slid it toward me. “Open it.”
I hesitated, then lifted the lid. Nestled inside were the most delicate pair of heels I’d ever seen. He had great damn taste, and I smiled as the silver Rene Caovilla sandal heels shimmered under the light like they had been dusted with starlight. My breath caught in my chest.
“Orion…” I trailed off as my fingertips brushed the crystal straps, “these… these are crazy expensive.”
He leaned against the dresser, arms folded, watching me like he was trying to read every flicker of doubt across my face.
“You’re worth it.”
I glanced down at the shoes again, at how dainty they looked compared to me.
“I don’t know if I can even pull these off.”
He pushed off the dresser and came closer, tilting my chin up with his knuckle so I had no choice but to look at him.
“Stop playing. You're gonna walk in there tonight and shut it down. My moms is gonna see exactly why I brought you.”
“You always know what to say, huh?”
