Page 2 of Sworn to My Heart
“Alone, huh?” I tease, my laughter not stopping.
Cora gives me a light, annoyed shove. “This is the best I could get from him, so shut up and get dressed. We’re going to Q.”
I love Q. It’s not my first time there, and I recently discovered that Cora’s husband is one of the club’s owners, so we also get everything for free.
I glance at Cora, still giggling. “Okay, let’s get ready,” I reply in mock defeat and open the bag she handed me.
“Wow! This dress is amazing!” I exclaim as I pull out Cora’s gift from the bag.
“Right?” she responds excitedly, clapping her hands like a little girl. “You have the perfect ass for this dress; you’re going to turn heads tonight, and maybe even have some weapons drawn,” she adds with a wink.
“Cora, you’re such a perv. How did I end up with a friend like you?” I laugh at her comparison of a male body part to a weapon, but my excitement to go out tonight grows as I look at the dress she bought me again. It’s definitely not staying in the closet tonight, that’s for sure.
“You’re really lucky to have me,” Cora says with a grin. I respond with a playful shove and an eye roll.
“Your self-love is starting to spill and dirty my floor; you better clean it up,” I tease, and in response, she pulls me toward the mirror on my wardrobe and pushes the dress she bought into myhands.
“Shut up and try it on already,” she orders, and I do as she says. I put on the dress, and Cora helps me zip it up at the back.
I look at myself in the mirror, admiring my reflection, and Cora claps enthusiastically. It’s become her trademark move when she’s excited.
The cream-colored mini dress is strapless, lifting and revealing my ample chest provocatively. It’s tight all the way down, accentuating my curves and leaving little to the imagination.
“I am indeed full in all the right places,” I say to myself, smiling. There’s probably a reason we love each other. The dress is covered in dense, shiny sequins that highlight the cream color and create a play of light. At the top, the sequins are scattered, revealing the light satin fabric underneath.
“This is stunning! I always know what to pick for you! You’re going to break hearts tonight!” Cora bounces excitedly and insists I put on some makeup. “You have sparkling turquoise eyes that I’ve never seen before, and you hide them instead of highlighting them! Come on, put on some makeup!” she orders again, and as usual, I do as she says while she gets dressed.
I apply mascara to my lashes and a thin line of eyeliner, just as Cora taught me, and add a bit of gloss to my lips. I prefer a subtle look because my lips are already full and round.
I finish with a light dusting of blush on my cheeks and am pleased with the flattering result. Releasing the clip holding my long, black hair, I let it fall smoothly down my back and think about what Cora said. She’s right I am lucky to have her-she is the best friend a girl could have and has become my family, but that also makes me miss the family I’ve left behind. I touch my tongue to the roof of my mouth and look at the symbol of my family forever etched beneath. I take a deep breath, thinking of those I left behind, and turn around to look at Cora.
She’s dressed to impress wearing a tight black mini dress with a deep V-shaped opened back. She definitely looks like a walking Barbie doll.
We both put on heels, hers lower, mine higher. Even with my high heels, I can’t reach Cora’s height. I’m five foot one with a model’s body that should be six feet tall, or at least that’s what Cora always says.
“Good things definitely come in small packages,” she quips, slipping her arm through mine as we leave the apartment and get into Graham’s car.
We chat and laugh all the way, and I’m glad she convinced me to go out. I need to shake off some of the dust that had settled on me. But when Graham hands Cora a small water bottle, I tense up, remembering why I didn’t want to go out in the first place. I had barely escaped the last incident.
Even Cora doesn’t know my secret, and it has to stay that way. I need to fit in. In my childhood, my close friends ran away screaming when they saw the real me. I amnotletting that happen again. Here, I am Alin Gray, and that’s how it’s going to stay.
Graham parks in front of the club and announces that we’ve arrived. I immediately recognize the entrance and excitedly pull Cora outside.
“I thought you didn’t want to go out tonight,” Cora teases and laughs.
She signals for Graham to leave, and for a few moments, they engage in a silent battle of stares that I don’t understand, but honestly, I don’t even try to.
I feel like there’s a lot I don’t know about her private life, but I understand the need to keep secrets. I trust her, and I know that if she wanted to share, she would.
Cora walks back to the car window and whispers somethingto Graham. He responds by dialing someone, nods at Cora in agreement, and drives away. I don’t understand what just happened, but Cora walks toward me proudly.
“What happened? Is Graham not joining us?” I ask curiously.
“I sent him back to Mariano. Tonight is just for us,” she says, her smile returning, but I see a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes. I decide to let it go and pull her toward the VIP entrance, where we always enter without any problems.
The security guard at the entrance opens the black iron door, and immediately I hear a small squeal in my ear, “Oh, I forgot my phone in the car,” Cora says anxiously.
“It’s okay, you could get it later. Here, use mine,” I say, handing her my phone.
