Page 24 of Ruined Wolfsbane

We go up yet another set of stairs, glass and chrome this time. Hooking a left at the top, Rory drags me to one of the doors on the far end of the hall.

She shoves me into her room before slamming the door. My lips twitch upward as I take in her room. It’s painted light pink, and she has a dark pink comforter and curtains. Keeping the pink from being overwhelming, Rory’s room has accents of cream and gray in the rug and décor. It’s a tastefully pink room that suits Rory perfectly.

“So, whatcha wearing tonight? Something sexy?” Rory asks as she flops on her queen-sized bed. She rolls on her stomach and props her head in her hands.

I bark out a laugh. “No, nothing sexy. That’s not really my style. I brought a cami and jeans.”

“You’ll still look capital H hot, girlie. Go change! I need to see what I’m working with tonight.” Rory makes a chop-chop motion before shooing me toward the open bathroom door.

I take my entire backpack in with me. Stripping out of my workout clothes, I pull out my strapless bra, navy silk cami top, and black skinny jeans. After swapping out my clothes, I also grab my black ankle boots from my backpack and slip them on.

Once I’m dressed, I look at myself in the mirror. My long black hair and dark top contrast against my pale skin. For once, my wavy hair decided to cooperate when I styled it last night. While my smooth skin, naturally red lips, and slightly rosy cheeks stand out nicely, the dark circles under my eyes also draw attention.

For the millionth time, I wish I were better at makeup. I look like a creepy clown any time I try to apply it. So, I just go natural and hope I don’t look like death warmed over.

Shrugging at my reflection, I head for the door to show Rory my outfit. It’s the only one I packed, so there’s not much to do if she hates it.

As I walk out, Rory looks up from her phone. “Oh. My. God. You look ah-mazing!” she gushes. “Are you styling your hair or leaving it as is? What about makeup?”

“I’m not really the best at hair or makeup, so I was planning to leave it as is.” I look down as I speak, embarrassed by my lack of beauty skills.

“I can totally help if you want! Pulling a bit of your hair back out of your face would look fantastic. Your eyes are so pretty! It’s a shame to cover them with your hair, as gorgeous as it is. You really don’t need makeup, so we’ll just leave that.”

“Oh, uh, sure, if you don’t mind.”

Rory pushes me gently toward the vanity sitting on the far side of her room. Once I’m seated, she starts twisting the front tendrils of my hair and pinning them back. Her face scrunches in concentration. It only takes her a few minutes to pin up my hair.

She hands me a mirror to look at the back. I gasp when I see her handiwork. Rory has intricately woven twists of my hair together to create a loose romantic style. The little pearl pins interspersed make it look even more elegant.

“You like it?” Rory asks, seeming uncertain.

“I love it, Rory! It looks stunning! I haven’t had someone do my hair in years, so thank you.” I turn to look at her, giving her a genuine smile. It’s weird having someone do something for me. I’m usually the one that does stuff like this for Ava.

Rory grins back at me before flouncing off to get changed. She goes into her massive walk-in closet. It’s easily half the size of my entire bedroom. I sit on her bed and get lost in my thoughts for a few minutes.

Five or so minutes later, she comes out in a short maroon dress. It has a V-neck and a multitiered ruffled skirt. Rory’s dress is girly, sophisticated, and sexy all at the same time. It fits her to a T.

We talk for the hour or so it takes Rory to get ready. As much as I dread the party later tonight, hanging out with Rory outside of school has been fun. It’s easy to talk to her about almost anything. I feel a twinge of guilt that I’m still hiding so much from her. Best friends should be able to tell each other anything, but I can’t.

CHAPTER 12

BRIAR

It’s official.

I hate parties.

The party’s only been going for half an hour. No less than six different guys have groped my ass. One dude even sniffed my hair. The loud bass of the music is also giving me a headache.

I’m going to need a drink to get through another however many more hours of this, even though I don’t normally drink. Patrick is even more violent with alcohol. I don’t want to be anything like him, so I usually avoid drinking. For tonight, I’ll make an exception.

Leaving Rory chatting and laughing with a group, I make my way to the kitchen. I see Ronan leaning against the sleek gray cabinets of the massive island. Modern glass and metal pendants bathe him in warm light, softening the harsh angles of his face.

Alcohol bottles of every variety are scattered on the island, along with various shot glasses and plastic drink cups. I nod at Ronan as I grab a red cup and the bottle of vodka. “That bad, huh?” Ronan asks after getting a good look at my disgruntled expression.

“You have no idea.” I unscrew the vodka bottle cap and empty half the contents into my cup. Another quirk of my biology is that it takes way more alcohol for me to even get buzzed. A few shots of liquor do nothing.

I bring the cup to my lips, wincing at the harsh chemical smell. Figuring getting this over quickly is the way to go, I chug the whole thing in a few gulps. I grimace at the taste and the burn as it goes down. How do people regularly drink something that tastes like rubbing alcohol? It’s disgusting.

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