His hand releases mine, and I hear him open his door. I grab my compact from my purse and check my appearance before he gets to my side of the SUV. My blemish-free complexion no longer looks ghastly. Instead, it has a glow about it—still pale, but the rosiness in my cheeks gives me some color. My makeup is minimal, just some mascara and dusty pink lip gloss, understated and not overdone. I no longer hide behind a makeup-free face; instead, I accent the things I’ve started to love.
My eyes sweep down and over my features, and I smile when I don’t feel the need to point out everything wrong because I see the positive in myself. The most prominent change I see is in my eyes. You can’t miss the happiness that sparkles in them.
The door opens, and I tuck away my compact and take Kane’s offered hand, my eyes appraising his body before I fold out of the backseat. He looks like he stepped off the pages of GQ’s Winter Casual edition. Dark denim jeans, blue long sleeve Henley top tucked in at his trim hips, and brown boots.
He looks delicious.
I chose my outfit with much more care than his obvious need for comfort. I feel a smirk lift my lips when I think about walking through the doors of Logan dressed as I never have before.
Where my makeup is done to subtly show beauty, my clothes are not. My black pants are tightly stretched against my thighs and butt, tapering out with a barely-there flare down to my four-inch red Louboutin heels. Even though the pants aren’t showing any skin, the way they’re tastefully painted on makes me feel as hot as Kane praised me to be this morning. An impulsive purchase from Torrid that makes me wish I had found the plus-sized clothing store long before now. My top, like the shoes, is blood red. I might have gone a little overboard when I was told it was a power color, but now that I’m wearing it, I feel it. Powerful.
The chiffon tunic-style tank top is low cut, showing off a generous amount of my cleavage. It isn’t tight anywhere else, but the way it flows from my breasts makes me look slimmer. And on top of that is a black blazer that, when buttoned, makes my chest look even larger than their double Ds.
It’s subtle but designed to make every curvy part look amazing. When I looked in the mirror this morning, I felt stunning.
“Are you ready?” he asks when I stand next to him, taking my hand in his and giving Cam a nod.
“Yeah.” I nod, smiling widely up into Kane’s handsome face. “I really am.”
Five minutes later, we’re walking through the lobby of the Logan Agency. Mary looks up, and for a quick moment before her infectious smile hits, she looks confused. My eagerness to get this over with has me cutting our conversation short. As much as I would love to catch up, I know I have the advantage right now because they’re not expecting me. The element of surprise allows me to hold all the power because they have no prep time.
Kane holds my hand as we walk around Mary’s desk and make our way down the hallway. I look around at the images on the wall, taking in the dim lighting, and I don’t feel an ounce of trepidation. None. I wondered if I would get this far and freak out, doing the opposite of what I set out to do today and just fall back on old habits. But being here around the images that used to make me feel even worse about myself drives home for me just how far I’ve come.
Looking over and up at Kane, we share a smirk, and I give him a wink, letting him know that I’m okay.
“I need you to let me go in there alone,” I tell him, something I had left off last night when I was telling him about coming here today.
His eyes harden, and he instantly protests. “Not happening. I won’t bend on that. I agreed to stay silent and let you drive today, but I will not let you go alone. Not fucking happening.”
“Kane—” I start.
He stops walking, and I almost lose his hand when my body keeps going. Turning, I look at him in question.
“I’m this close,” he says, holding his pointer finger and thumb just an inch apart. “This fucking close to throwing you over my shoulder. This showdown might not frighten you, but I’m going out of my mind worrying about what’s going to happen when we walk through those doors. Those two held you captive in abuse-driven fear, Willow. You can’t ask me not only to stay silent, but also to let you go alone. Not when I can and will protect you if it comes down to it. Please, don’t ask me that.”
His voice is just a whisper when he’s finished, and he’s not hiding the despair on his face. I knew he was against me coming, but I didn’t realize just how much it was affecting him. I hate it. I would do anything to erase this expression from his face, but I also know I have to do this.
“Okay.” I nod. “That wasn’t fair of me and I’m sorry, but please, no matter what is said, let me get everything I have to out. Then you can burn the place down for all I care.”
His shoulders fall, his relief instant. “Thank you.” He sighs, dropping his head and giving me a light kiss. “Well, then let’s go.”