We both laughed, and Raelynn gave us a haughty stare that was ruined by her twitching lips.
“It’s my outfit for the engagement party.”
Raelynn stared for a while, considering her response. She struggled to remain stoic with her arms crossed but eventually failed, throwing her arms up in defeat. “Ugh, fine. You know I love clothes. Try it on for us, and then you can spill.”
I dashed up the stairs to my room and quickly changed, excited to get Raelynn’s opinion.
When I came down, Rae squealed. “Oh my god. A white jumpsuit. It’s perfect. Turn. Let me see it all.” I obliged and laughed at her excited clapping. “He’s gonna diiieee over that back. All that skin. Yum, girl.”
“I have to admit,” Nova added softly. “The long sleeves and wide pants set off the bare back and deep v perfectly. It’s pretty sexy.”
“Yeah?”
“Hell, yes. Nicholas will be drooling.”
“He wanted me to send him a picture, and I told him a hell no.”
“Dude, send it,” Nova said, shocking me.
“What?”
“If Nova says to do it, then you know you have to,” Rae stated.
“I’m not sending him a picture.”
“Do it. Do it. Do it,” they both chanted at the same time. Nova smacked her hands against the table with the beat while Rae grabbed my phone. Me? I stood there, unable to stop it.
“Oh my god. No.”
“Pose,” Rae commanded.
“No.”
“Naughty Nova over here is coming out,” Raelynn joked, tilting her head toward Nova. “She wants you to send a pic too. And when Naughty Nova speaks, you listen.”
I laughed. Raelynn and I came up with a name for when Nova let loose from her usual, relaxed self. Shrugging, I gave into the losing fight and struck a pose.
“Yas, queen. Be sultry. Be sexy.”
After a ten-minute photoshoot, which turned to tackling Nova and a lot of selfies, Rae commanded I go change before ruining my outfit.
When I came down, she informed me she took the liberty to send her favorite to Nico.
“I didn’t want to give you a chance to be a chicken-shit and back out.”
“Oh my god. Give it to me.” My heart stopped, and I scrambled, fumbling for my phone, almost dropping it in my haste to get it unlocked.
She sent one of me laughing over my shoulder, my hand covering part of my face. My bare back stood out against the white since my hair was piled in my hand on top of my head. I’d never have thought to send it to him, but I liked the candid shot. It looked like an Instagram worthy one that people would pose hours to get.
I didn’t hate it.
It didn’t stop me from tossing it to the side to avoid waiting for his response.
“All right,” Raelynn said with a clap. “Enough playtime. Spill. The. Beans.”
Grabbing my wine glass, I curled up in the corner of the couch and told it all. From Camden coming by, to my dad losing his cool, and confessing it all to Nico. They gasped, swore, and threatened to murder a few people through it all.
“Damn,” Nova said once I’d finished.
Before Rae could make a comment, a knock at the door came.
“That’s probably the Chinese I ordered,” Rae announced.
“I’ll get it,” I said.
Grabbing my wallet, without a care in the world about who would see me with my messy bun, striped PJ shorts, and big black T-shirt that said, “Fuck off. I’m sleeping,” I swung the door open to not the Chinese delivery man, although he did have our food.
“I arrived at the same time as the food, so I took care of it and thought I’d bring it in.”
“Fuck,” I whispered, looking up and up into deep chocolate eyes.
“Not the reaction I expected.”
“I mean—shit.”
“Still not the one.”
Shaking my head, I gathered my wits, a little blown away by Nico standing at my door while I looked like a hot mess.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I wasn’t expecting you. It just threw me.”
“Obviously,” he said, his full lips tipping up into the smirk I loved and hated all at once.
“Stop flirting with the delivery guy and bring me my food. I’m getting hangry!” Rae shouted from around the corner. “I may have to start eating No—”
If I hadn’t been so concerned with covering my braless chest and tucking away stray strands of my bun, I would have laughed at Raelynn’s dropped jaw.
“Wow,” Nova whispered from her spot at Nico’s feet.
“Ladies, this is Nico, my fiancé. Nico, these are my best friends, Raelynn and Nova.”
“Good evening,” he greeted, not missing a beat, totally ignoring the gawking women. “I believe I’ve seen you before, Raelynn, but not yet had the pleasure of meeting you.”
“Please, call me Rae,” she said, finally pulling herself together. Her socialite came out, and she stood tall, stepping over Nova to shake Nico’s hand.
Nova clambered to her feet and offered her hand too. “Nice to meet you.”