Page 71 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
She exhales. “I can’t help it.”
I step forward, standing behind her. Our eyes meet in the reflection. “You look great. You’re going to walk in there, turn heads, and make your ex realize he made the worst mistake of his life.”
She lets out a weak laugh. “That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
She sighs. “I don’t know…, I guess I just don’t want to deal with all the eyes on me. The whispers, the fake smiles. The whole thing feels…, unnecessary.”
“Oh, come on, where’s that confident and sassy girl I know?”
“She’s locked inside a jail of nerves at the moment.”
I chuckle. Our eyes meet again in the mirror, hers filled with apprehension. I place my hands on her shoulders, causing her to stiffen, and lower my voice. “Whitney. Relax. Breathe in.” I wait for her to inhale. “And out.” She exhales, slower this time.
A few seconds pass, her fingers finally stilling at her sides. “Better?” I ask.
She nods, but I don’t miss the flicker of doubt crossing her face. “Wait, were you this nervous about seeing me again? After all, I’m kind of like your ex too.”
Whitney scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Please. You’re a different case.”
I smirk. “Oh? How so?”
"Because you don’t matter," she says sweetly, then flashes me an innocent smile.
I let out a low laugh. "Ouch. Brutal."
“You’ll survive. You’re just…, you.” She waves a hand at me like that explains everything.
I arch a brow. “That almost sounded like a compliment.”
“Don’t get too excited.”
That makes me chuckle. I squeeze her shoulders lightly before stepping back. “So, are you ready?”
Whitney turns to the mirror one last time, her eyes scanning her reflection. And wow, does she look stunning. The emerald-green dress hugs her body in all the right places, the silky fabric draping elegantly down to her ankles. The color makes her brown skin glow, and with her hair styled in soft waves and makeup that highlights her features perfectly, she looks like she just stepped out of a magazine.
Not exaggerating.
She bites her bottom lip, then releases it. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
She walks over to grab her bag, and I shove my hands into my pockets, watching her.
Today’s her ex’s engagement party. We came in yesterday and checked into a hotel - not too far from the venue, but far enough."
Whitney glances at me. “Why are you staring?”
I smirk. “Just wondering how your ex is gonna handle seeing you looking like that. Pretty sure he’s gonna choke on his champagne.”
She rolls her eyes but can’t hide her smile. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Not denying it.” I lean against the wall. “But seriously, you look incredible. If I were your ex, I’d be regretting every life choice that didn’t involve you. Right…, I forget, I am also your ex.”
Her eyes widen, and she lets out a short laugh. “Wow, thanks for the reminder.”
“You know, we can still back out.”
She shoots me a look. “No, we can’t.”
