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Ari: Don’t be fooled though. Edna has a stiff right hook and carries.
Me: Okay…that’s good to know.
Ari: And if you’re wondering if I bought into the plane so that you too can travel with a pack of grandmas...the answer is yes.
Me: Are you serious right now?
Ari: As serious as Edna’s homemade cookies. Can you snag one for me, btw?
Me: I’m still getting over the fact that you and Lincoln are crazy. And also possibly genius. Only…I can’t afford a private plane to keep your admirers away from you…
Ari: My body is your temple, sunshine. I promise to stab anyone that touches what’s yours.
Ari: Now please bring me a cookie.
He sent an emoji of a dancing grandma…for good measure.
Me: Fine.
Ari: I love you. I love you. I love you.
Me: Me too.
I set the phone down and relaxed into my seat, accepting a whole basket of cookies when Edna came by again.
Grandma Airways was evidently coming in hot.
CHAPTER18
BLAKE
Ari was holding his Lost Children Organization Gala the night before the Dallas game, and I found myself standing in front of the mirror in Ari’s Dallas house, anxiety bubbling up within me. He had bought me a stunning dress for the occasion, a beautiful gesture that only added to the pressure I felt. My reflection stared back at me, and I couldn't help but scrutinize every detail.
The dress was an elegant, floor-length gown in a deep shade of midnight blue. Its delicate lace overlay created intricate patterns that danced across my skin, and it clung to my body in all the right places. Yet, despite the dress's undeniable beauty, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
In fact, the very idea of attending one of these was sparking panic like I hadn’t felt in awhile. Gala nights were obviously not unfamiliar to me; I had been forced to attend countless similar gatherings with the Shepfields.
And the last gala I’d attended hadn’t ended well.
“I’m sorry. I can’t marry you…”
That night was on replay in my head right then…as well as all the other times I’d been dolled up in an expensive, uncomfortable dress, my every move scrutinized. As I mingled with people who barely acknowledged my existence or who whispered behind their champagne glasses, I had felt like nothing more than a pretty accessory for the Shepfields or Clark to show off.
The memory of those gala nights, filled with insincere smiles and hushed conversations, had left a lasting scar on my psyche. It was a stark reminder of my outsider status within that family and my years of feeling like a mere decoration in their opulent world.
Now, as tonight’s event approached, all those old anxieties had resurfaced. The prospect of navigating another glamorous event, even with Ari's unwavering support, made my skin feel tight. Would I once again be reduced to a mere spectacle, judged by the same shallow standards that had been imposed on me before?
I bit my lip, staring over at my bag where I knew I had a razor blade hidden. Maybe just a little cut to get through tonight…
Ari entered the bedroom then, and caught my eye in the mirror. He approached me with that calming presence of his. "Wow,” he murmured, laying his chin on my shoulder, his eyes locked on mine. “You look incredible.”
I gave him a weak smile, my fingers nervously adjusting a loose strand of hair. "You think so? It’s been awhile since I’ve dressed up like this. I don't want to embarrass you or anything."
“What’s really going on in that perfect head of yours?”
I held in the laugh. I was so far from perfect. He didn’t even know…
“Sunshine,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my bare shoulder. “You obviously don’t understand that when I say you’re perfect…I mean you’re absolutely perfect for me. There isn’t anything I don’t like about you. There’s nothing I wish was different. Every morning I wake up and I can’t believe my fucking luck, because I get to wake up to you. I consider it a privilege to know you.”
