Page 68 of Dark Surrender

Rushing to see if Dark came back so we can talk, I peek through the peephole to find a mop of blonde curls I’d recognize anywhere. With a girlish squeal, I rip open the front door to find Cell, who throws her arms around my neck, and we stumble into the living room, laughing as she squeezes me too damn tight.

“Iris!” she screeches in my ear, about making me deaf.

A soft, feminine chuckle fills the air around us, and I peer over Cell’s shoulder to see who must be Kali. She’s just as Cell described—long brown hair, soothing energy, draped in crystals. Waving hello, she pulls a black crystal from the pocket of her flowy linen pants and sets it on the floor just inside the front door.

“Black Tourmaline to block negative energy and purify,” she explains as Cell releases me to spin in the center of the living room.

There’s a massive frown on her face. “Where’s the furniture? The color?”

“There isn’t any yet.”

“We just finished the floors a few days ago,” Kali explains to Cell before turning her attention to me. “I wasn’t sure what you might need, so I packed a bunch of stuff I thought you might want. It’s in my car. You can keep whatever and toss the rest. Or donate it. Whatever works for you.”

“Thank you.” I beam at her generosity and attempt to move the hair out of my face, a nervous habit, but I brush the side of my bald head instead and freeze.

I don’t have a wig on.

I. Don’t. Have. A. Wig. On.

My insides lock down tight as I clasp my hands together to keep the freakout at bay.

No wig, no wig, no freaking wig… and they’re looking…Right at me.

Sure, Cell knows about my alopecia. She’s just never seen me without my hair.

Kali smiles gently. “No problem,” she replies, looking at my weird eyes. Sure, she doesn’t appear to be judging me, but I’m judging me. I’m in cotton shorts and a tank top. This is the woman Dark loved. The woman he has kids with. Well, one of them.

“Iris, are you alright?” Cell asks, reading my hot mess of emotions loud and clear.

I force a smile. “Yep. Great.”

Kali tucks her hands into her pockets. “I’m sorry we showed up unannounced.”

I wave her off. “No. It’s fine.”

“Iris.” Cell’s tone calls me on my bullshit as she pokes me in the shoulder. “Out with it.”

“I’m bald!” The words just burst out of me, echoing in the white room. I expect them to laugh, or make this a thousand times worse, but Cell rolls her eyes much like Dee would and shoves me hard in the shoulder.

“You’re acting like this because you don’t have a wig on?”

“Yes.”

“Iris.”

“What?”

“You look like a supermodel. Nobody gives a shit if you have no hair.”

I gasp in outrage. That is not true. “Cell.”

“What? Be for real right now. Oh. Look at me, Iris. Bald and beautiful.” Cell flaps her arms and dances around the room.

I snort. “Shut up.”

Finishing her silly moves, Cell’s expression sobers when she looks at me. “You are not defined by your hair. Okay? We aren’t going to judge you without it. Okay?”

I bob my head like one of those dolls. “Um. Okay.”