Page 83 of Ruthless Vengeance
“I’m trying.” Rosa pouts, though there’s a bright gleam in her eyes, the kind that only comes with anticipation and nerves.
“I want to know more about this Alex guy. You’ve been very secretive about him.”
Rosa shoots me a warning look in the mirror. “Only because I don’t want you guys blabbing to my brothers.”
Lila laughs as she rifles through her makeup bag.
I scoff. “I’m offended that you don’t trust us.”
Rosa groans. “It’s a miracle Andre even let Alex pick me up from the house. I thought he was going to insist that I take Jax as my date because at least he carries a gun.”
Lila chuckles. “That is true. It’s cute how protective he is of you.”
“It is notcute. No other guy will come anywhere near me because of Andre and Marco.”
I smile. “That means this Alex guy has some guts asking you out. Good for him.”
Rosa sighs. “Yeah, well… There’s still time for Marco to scare him off.”
Lila frowns. “Why Marco? I would have thought Andre was the scarier of the two.”
“He might be, but Andre also likes to think things through before he acts. Marco, on the other hand, has the attention span of a French bulldog and is twice as destructive, so Alex wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”
I laugh. “That’s very true.”
Lila chuckles. “Well, if Alex manages to survive the night, I would love to have him over for a family dinner.”
I clap my hands. “Ooh, yes! Then we could triple date.”
Rosa groans, shaking her head. “Oh, my god. I’m starting to miss the days when my brothers were single.”
Lila scoffs. “Rude.”
“Actually, no, I take that back. If they were both still single, I wouldn’t have Holly and Zoe to look after.”
Lila gasps. “And what are Clara and I, chopped liver?”
“That depends on how well you do my eyeliner. You’re better at it than I am.”
Lila narrows her eyes at Rosa before stepping in to take over with the makeup while I stand back to admire the gorgeous dress we finished only days ago.
I still can’t believe that Rosa trusted me to design and make her dress for such a special occasion. Every time I look at it, I get a little choked up.
Because to me, it’s not just a dress. It signifies something so much deeper.
Since finding Marco, I not only gained a partner, but I gained sisters too, because that’s what Lila and Rosa feel like to me.
Because I didn’t grow up with sisters, I never thought I needed them. But spending the evening helping Rosa get ready for her dance, the three of us all laughing and singing to old pop songs, I know I was wrong.
This is what family is supposed to feel like.
When it’s finally time for Rosa to get dressed, a few stray tears slide down my cheeks as I look at her in the dress.
It fits her perfectly, and the rich purple color brings out the golden tones in her skin and makes her eyes sparkle. She looks beautiful, as if she walked right off the page of a fashion magazine.
I brush away my tears. “All right. Final thoughts before we head downstairs?”
Rosa twirls again, beaming. “I think I’m going to give Alex a heart attack.”
