Page 66 of Glass Wings
“Your hair is still wet,” he pointed out. “You can finish getting dressed. He will wait for you.”
“Hector has seen me in my worst state,” she said. “This is fine.”
“Worse than this?” Amis raised a single eyebrow at her.
“Who the hell are you to suddenly have a personality?” she fired back, the anger pooling inside of her. She heard him chuckle behind her as she strutted down the hall and made her way to the descending staircase.
“He’s in the kitchen, sitting on a barstool,” Amis said, and Hadley couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She had hoped to meet him at the front door and have them both run away, to never look back at this house or the monster within it.
She entered the kitchen, and her heart could have burst when she saw the familiar smiling face of her best friend. She had only seen him yesterday, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
He jumped up from his seat, a plate of food sitting in front of him. His smile wavered as she ran into his arms.
“Hector, I am so happy to see you.” Hadley sniffed, her arms around the middle of his body.
“What’s happened? Why are you not answering your phone?” Hector’s thick accent brought her a world of comfort, even with the edge in his voice.
“I don’t have it; they took it,” she replied. Hector broke their embrace and pushed her an arm's length away so he could look into her eyes.
“Who took it? Hadley, what happened? You look terrible. Where did you get this dress?”
Hadley opened her mouth to reply to Hector but was cut off, Sheng’s voice filling the kitchen as he entered.
“My housekeeper was washing her clothes for her, and she left it in her pocket,” Sheng chuckled. “I’m sure she will bring it up when she folds and delivers the laundry shortly.”
“Oh,” Hector said, looking back and forth from Hadley to Sheng. He must have noticed a softness, a sudden change in her demeanor because he seemed to relax when Hadley heard Sheng’s voice; her body all but called out for him. She felt her heart rate rise while her stomach fluttered, reminding her that the only person who mattered now was Sheng.
Get away.
The thought subsided because all reason had been thrown out the window as Sheng’s pheromones intoxicated her. He was so close, but she needed him to be closer.
“Hector, this is Sheng. This is his house,” she said, staring atSheng, who was also freshly showered. He smelled of tea tree, bright and clean, likely from an expensive body wash, and wore a white button-down shirt with loose cargo pants.
“We like having Hector here,” Amis interjected out of turn, drawing an odd look from Sheng. Hadley was too busy staring at Sheng to notice that the other two males in the room only seemed to have eyes for each other.
“Thanks, but I am here to take Hadley home now. Let’s go,” Hector said, grabbing Hadley’s arm.
She winced.
The bruises, while also healing quickly, were still there, deep under her skin, from being carried to the marriage ceremony.
Her feet carried her reluctantly as Hector tugged on her arm.
“Yes,” she said, her mind screaming to move her feet faster.
Hadley realized that her body was fighting against Hector. He dragged her out of the kitchen as she locked eyes with Sheng. He flashed one of his dazzling smiles, and she thought that her legs might give out on her.
“I can’t go,” she surprised herself by saying aloud, planting her position on the floor and tugging her arm free from Hector’s grasp.
“What do you mean? You can’t just stay here,” Hector said, confused. “Hadley, what’s going on? You’re wearing this ridiculous dress that isn’t yours. Your mascara is running down your face. Your hair looks tangled, and it’s clear that you need some rest in your own bed.”
Hadley had forgotten she’d worn mascara yesterday and hadn’t bothered to look at herself in the bathroom mirror when she got out of the tub. She looked down to study the dress she was wearing, not having paid any attention to it prior, and laughed.
It was the furthest thing from what she would have picked out for herself; yards of gray fabric stretching itself over her small waist with a pleated skirt reminiscent of a Catholic schoolgirl. What an odd item for Sheng to just have sitting in his house.
“I think she looks perfect,” Sheng chimed in.
Hadley’s heart sang at the compliment. She looked at him with somuch love and appreciation in her eyes, while at the same time feeling trapped, like she was in someone else’s body.
