𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐄 | 𝟏𝟖+

XXX

F A L L O N

"Not gonna wanna look away. You're gonna wanna get involved. And what would people say, if they listen through the wall?"

. . .

Wear your hair in two braids tonight.

My teeth sink into my lower lip as I exit the library and go upstairs to my room. A pleasant shiver runs up my spine and goosebumps erupt on my skin.

I have no idea what he has in mind, but I'm dying to find out.

Once I'm in my room, I immediately hop into the shower, my mind set on tonight and everything that could happen.

I shave everything, leaving my skin smooth and clean before I wash my hair and follow my routine.

Getting out of the shower, I dry myself off and slip into some comfortable shorts and a shirt, before walking into my room.

It's late afternoon, and I feel useless right now.

What is there to do? Count the hours until Nicholas drops by? Shaking my head, I pace a bit in my room before I decide to call Donia.

"He said what?" she asks, her face ridiculously close to the screen as she frowns. "Two braids? That's hot," she breathes and her eyes widen. "Really hot."

"I know right?" I sigh and fall on my bed.

I couldn't wait anymore and told Donia everything through the call, although in a hushed whisper.

She couldn't believe it at first, but I'm glad that she's not judging me. She told me she hopes I know better in the end, to stop everything before it's too late.

By the time I have to go downstairs for dinner, the sun has already begun to set. I don't see Nicholas when I walk into the kitchen. Only dad, who's waiting for his food.

I go to take a seat beside him and send him a little smile.

"Thanks, mom," I say when she hands me my food. She's not calling anymore, only serving dad and herself as she goes to sit at the island.

I think Stella already headed off to work. And Nicholas is too caught up in his work to make an appearance.

"Oh, Mami, I forgot to tell you," I say after I've taken a bite. "Hmm?" she asks and looks up.

"There's someone who wants to do my nails and hair for free. A friend of a friend. She apparently has this good treatment that does wonders with curls and takes care of them."

"For free?" she exclaims. I nod, making her scoff. "You even have to pay for the sun in this country. Estas loca? Vas a recibir una cuanta que llega hasta Nueva York."

Dad snorts beside me but keeps quiet. I shrug. "I'll see if I can trust this person. But my friend always does her nails with her and..."

Mom and I have a whole conversation about nails and at the end, she ends up telling me that if the person is good, she'd want to go for her nails there as well.

By the time I helped her load everything in the dishwasher and cleaned the countertop, the sun has almost disappeared and my nerves are killing me.

I wish both mom and dad goodnight, before going upstairs into my room and taking a seat behind my vanity.

I feel incredibly stupid when I raise my hands to divide my hair into two parts. "I'm really doing this," I mutter when I grab two hair ties.

"You're stupid," I sigh when I start braiding my hair. My hair is long enough to be braided and my curls aren't putting up a fight, luckily.