Page 12 of Dark Torment

OLIVIA

“You look like shit,”Shelby states as she walks to the back room.

“Just tired.” I shrug.

It’s not a lie. Some days are extremely busy here, and this was one of them. Add on the fact that I’ve barely slept the past couple of nights, and I feel like I’ve hit a wall.

“Still not sleeping?” She watches me with concern, and I give her a small smile.

“I’ve been in a funk. I don’t really know how to explain it,” I say, getting up to start restocking the shelves.

Ever since that guy pointed out how fat I am, I’ve been struggling with self-hatred and doubt.

I’ve always known I’m not skinny enough or pretty enough. It’s something my father and Ben have made clear, and I’ve never forgotten it. Their words play throughout my head like a broken record whenever something happens that inevitably knocks me for a loop.

For years, I struggled with hating myself, and it took moving out and distancing myself from them to finally learn that it’s okay to love my body just the way I am.

For the past six months, I’ve worked hard on loving the beauty I’ve been given and accepting that no amount of dieting or exercise seems to do much for me.

I can lose some weight, but at the end of the day I’m still fluffy all around. I will never be below a size fourteen, and I’m okay with that. Most of the time, at least.

“Excuse me,” I hear someone call from the front of the shop.

“Just a moment!” I holler back, looking around for Shelby, before hearing the water run in the bathroom.

Quickly washing my hands before drying them off, I make my way to the front counter, stopping in my tracks as my eyes meet the customer in question.

He is hands down the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life. Everything about him screams authority and power, demanding the attention of everyone in the room.

Right now, it’s just him and me, but I can tell he’s someone important by the way his short dark hair is neatly styled, not a hair out of place. It’s the perfect match to the navy blue pinstripe suit he’s wearing.

His jaw is square, but not in the way that makes him look like a hardass. It’s a little more rounded to give him an edge of softness that draws me in.

I watch him as he looks around the shop before his eyes finally land on me, and all the breath leaves my lungs.

His eyes are a bright emerald green that stands out against his dark features as they travel the length of my body.

“Hello,” he says, giving me a smile that has my heart tripping over itself as I fight to breathe.

Dear Lord, this man is sinful. I could stand here staring at him all day if he let me.

I finally get why Shelby is so horny all the time. If she feels even a fraction of what I’m feeling for this man right now, I definitely owe her an apology, because I feel like I’ve lost all brain function.

If this man asked me to kneel before him right now, I don’t think I’d even give it a second thought.

A zing of pleasure shoots through my core, making me gasp as my eyes widen in surprise.

Holy crap. That’s new.

“Hi,” I squeak out, and his smile widens. Panty melting mode, activated.

“Hi there, beautiful.” His smile is still in place as his eyes lock with mine and my knees weaken.

“I—uh—thanks… thank you,” I push out, closing my eyes at how stupid I sound. “What can I help you with?” I ask, taking another deep breath before forcing myself to open my eyes and look at him.

He hasn’t moved, still looking at me with an almost hunger I can’t describe.

“I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking to adopt a dog, and I saw a few of the posters on your window,” he says, and my heart totally melts. I can’t keep the smile off my face as tears brim my eyes.

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