Page 164 of Cruel Steps

She smiled slightly. “Good luck with my brother. He’s the worst when it comes to family photos.”

“I have my ways.”

“Oh, I’ve heard.” She shuddered. “Thank goodness my noise-canceling headphones finally arrived.” Taylor and I laughed as Hope waved bye and returned to the house.

“How’s that going?” Taylor asked.

“Better. It’s still weird. Not sure if it will ever not be.”

“You’re a better person than me.”

“Seeing her in the hospital changed things for me. I still don’t trust her, but seeing her injured because of me felt like enough karma.”

Taylor sighed dramatically, smiling at me. “Like I said, you’re better than me. Now, show me the rest of the house, and then let’s play dress-up.”

I guided Taylor through the house, showing her my dance studio and then my room. Her suitcase was on the bed, and she ran to it, opening it. I opened my closet and pulled out a few dresses I thought might work while she got hers out. Over the next hour, Taylor had me try on everything until she decided. We caught up on the dance crew and which guys she’d been hooking up with this semester while she did my hair and makeup.

“Perfect, now, go and put on that dress. I need to see my handiwork.”

“Yes, ma’am!” I stepped into my closet and pulled on my shapewear. It felt like wrestling a crocodile into pantyhose. “I can’t believe you hooked up with Trent. You’ve been trying to get him to notice you since Freshman year.”

“I know! He was finally single and realized the brilliance that I am. And the things that man can do with his tongue.”

“Is Trent someone you might want to date?” I asked, pulling out the dress we’d decided on for tonight. It was a black form-fitted dress with a sheer black overlay. It showcased my curves, something I usually shielded myself from, but now embraced.

“Fuck, yes, date, no. Besides, I’m in a whole new zip code. I couldn’t deprive all the Hayward girls and guys of my presence.”

“You’re gonna leave a trail of broken hearts when you leave.” I stepped out of the closet, smoothing the dress down.

“That’s my calling card, darling,” she teased, looking up from her phone. “Holy shit, Mer! You look so hot.”

“Yeah?” I couldn’t quite believe it was me standing before the mirror. Taylor had curled my hair in big ringlets and pulled half of it up. The makeup accentuated my cheekbones, and she’d used dark eyeliner to make the green pop. I looked beautiful, but most importantly, I felt it, too.

“Your guys are gonna go bananas. In fact, I might have to find myself another place to stay tonight.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“Oh, honey. There’s nothing silly about wanting to test out Hayward dick.”

I rolled my eyes. “You better get dressed then. We wouldn’t want to deprive your future conquests of their chance to see you at your best.”

“You are a wise woman.” She stripped out of her clothes, her hair and makeup already done. She’d picked a red mini-dress with sky-high heels, and her long brunette hair hung over one shoulder. Her signature piece was the bright red lipstick to match her dress. She looked gorgeous, and I knew she’d have no problem finding someone to go home with.

We grabbed our clutches and headed down the stairs. Colter had popped into my room when he’d gotten home so he could meet Taylor, and I’d told them we’d meet them downstairs. I wouldn’t deny I had a fantasy of descending the stairs while the guy I liked stared at me in awe.

Taylor squeezed my hand and then went first. “You’re not ready for the main attraction. If you weren’t already in love with my girl, you would be after this,” she said, making me blush.

Taking a deep breath, I walked around the corner and down the stairs. For the first few steps, I focused on my feet. It would be just my luck to fall and break my ankle before I had my moment.

When I was halfway, I looked up and met Holden and Colter’s eyes. They both stared at me, their jaws slacked with heat in their eyes. It was everything I had always wanted it to be. My pussy throbbed as they looked me up and down. Colter licked his lips, and my knees buckled. Thankfully, I was only a step from the bottom, so I fell into his arms.

“You look gorgeous, Mer.”

“I’m half tempted to tell you to put on something else,” Holden whispered, pushing my hair over my shoulder.

“Nah, man. Remember. It’s knowing they’re looking, but she’s coming home with us. That’s where the power is,” Colter said, smirking at Holden. He shook his head, pushing his best friend away.

“Just make sure I don’t kill any of our teammates for looking at her, then.”

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