Page 59 of Aftermath
I tipped her chin to meet my gaze again. My fingers barely brushed against her skin, but I could feel how warm it was.
“Lenore Calder, hear me when I say, you are stunning, and nothing she says will change that.” I dropped my hand and backed away.
Len bit the inside of her cheek, and I saw the way her eyes lingered on me, only to look away.
“We should go,” I said quickly. “We don’t want to be late.”
I calculated exactly how long it would take to get to Calvin’s house, leaving enough time to be on the earlier side. I knew how nervous Len was to see her parents and brother, and this was one tangible way I could help alleviate some of that.
She nodded and grabbed her purse from the kitchen counter. On our way out, I caught Lenore pausing in front of the mirror hanging next to the door. I studied her features, the way she intensely looked over her herself. It was like she was seeing herself for the first time—not in the way Jake had seen her, and not for all the flaws her mother pointed out.
“Thank you,” she whispered, barely audible as she tore her eyes from the mirror.
I nodded and led her out to my rental car. I held the door open for her and then hurried to the driver’s seat.
The drive took exactly the amount of time I’d calculated, and we arrived five minutes before Calvin had told Lenore to be there. We pulled up the narrow driveway to the small, yellow, colonial-style house.
I turned to Len and saw her swallow hard. Quickly, I got out of my car and made my way to the other side. I pulled open the door and saw Len hesitate.
I held out my hand to her. “Ready?”
She stared at it for a second before she grabbed it.
13
LENNY
Dinner was already chaos.
Eloise rushed to get everything finished in the kitchen while my brother entertained my parents. His eyes lit up when he saw me walk through the door, a new distraction for them to focus on. He frowned when he saw Stone following behind me.
Before I could introduce him, he brushed by me and held out a hand to my brother.
“Winston Beck,” he said, shaking my brother’s hand firmly.
I caught the confused look on my father’s face and the raised brow from my mother.
It was going to be a long night.
“You didn’t tell us you were bringing your…” my mother started. “Boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said quickly. “He’s my-“
“Partner,” Stone said, rescuing me.
“Same thing,” my mother said, waving a hand at him and dismissing the comment. “Come in, come in. Calvin, stop making them just stand there,” she scolded, and my brother hurried off to the kitchen, passing her attention to me.
“Winston, these are my parents, Zuri and Joseph.”
Before he could move, my mother hurried toward me. I saw her glance over my outfit as she closed in for a hug. “You look smaller than the last I saw you,” she said. “Overworking yourself again?”
“No,” I muttered.
Already, I could feel her eyes raking me over, looking for every little flaw she could find. It was never enough for her. My mother demanded perfection, and I had yet to achieve that for her.
I felt Stone move closer, almost protectively.
Taking the protection thing a bit far?
