𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 [𝟏𝟖+] ✔

44

"My tits feel tender." Ainsley stands in front of the mirror, fixing her breasts in the long, gold dress she's wearing tonight. "Gareth doesn't mind that they're growing, but fuck me, Danielle. They hurt like a bitch."

I let out a breathy laugh as I train my curls down the sides of my face. The rest of my hair is pulled to a messy braid. Ainsley has twisted green tinsel through it, to make me look more Christmassy.

She had both our dresses made, and although hers is close to a ball gown, mine accentuates my curves, especially my hips, and has a slit right up to my left leg. So I have no choice but to wear a thong to hide my underwear lines. The black material dips down my chest in a V, emphasising my cleavage.

She whistles when we both stare in the mirror, smirking at me and fixing the straps that sit below my shoulders. "We are hot," Ains says, pouting as she applies her lipstick. "We're going to have our men on their knees when we walk downstairs."

I hesitate, looking at the heels I've yet to put on, struggling to swallow the lump building in my throat. I haven't seen Eric since the bathroom incident, and I'm dreading being around him. He must be furious with me, and I don't blame him.

She notices. "Um, no. You better tell me what's going on, right now."

Trying to play it down, I simply say with a wave of my hand, "We ended it."

Crossing her arms, she raises a brow, sensing my half-truth. "I find it hard to believe he would ever end things with you, not willingly. What happened?"

"I ended it," I clarify, and she looks even more pissed as rage burns in her eyes. "There's no point in continuing. It's not like we can be together. Plus, we have months left to live. Who wants to spend that time sneaking around?"

God, I hope he can't hear me.

"That has to be the most selfish thing I've ever heard come from your mouth."

I fake a huff, leaning forward to apply my ruby red lip colour in the mirror, ignoring her.

Because she's right.

"What do you think of me and Gareth, then? Like you said, we have months left, and it's going to take a lot longer for him to recover enough to even fuck me the way he used to. So, do you think I'm wasting my time? Should I give up on us?"

"That's not the same, Ainsley," I reply, sitting on the edge of Eric's bed to put on my heels. "You care about him enough to get past all the struggles."

"And do you not care about Eric? You seem to forget that I have been by your side my entire life. I know the way you think and act. And I call bullshit. You never looked at Robbie the way you do him. You literally get nervous when he's close, and he makes you smile more than anyone, even when he's being his usual arsehole self."

"We need to go," I say, ignoring the truth spilling from her mouth. "And if you want to be a little louder for him to hear, Eric is right downstairs."

"Tell me what's happened," she demands. "I swear to God, Danielle McClure, you better tell me right fucking now what's going on."

"I told you."

She grabs her clutch bag, raging as her nostrils flare. "I will fight until the very end for Gareth. Even if he never walks again, or if he's never able to lift me into his arms and kiss me. It's hard to see him struggle, and you have no idea what he's like when it's just us two. He tells me that I should go enjoy what time I have left and not be stuck trying to feed him when his hands cramp up. When he has seizures and can't leave his bed for days after, I'm right there with him. And trying to string a sentence together? It has him so mad that tears soak his top. The entire world could be against us, and I would never leave him."