MR. MORENO'S SURROGATE ✔️

19 - Leilah

A few hours later, I began to get ready for the gala tonight. I walk into Elijah's room as he's fixing his tie in the bathroom mirror. He turns around to see me holding my dress onto my chest as I look at him.

"Could you help? I couldn't find Cayson." I say, a look of worry painted on my face.

I turn around and he grabs the zipper at the back of my dress to zip it up my back. He grabs onto my hip as he does, and I can tell that he knows I've stopped breathing. For a moment, my eyes move to his hand placement, then I pull herself from his grasp.

"What's the matter?" he questions.

"Nothing," I say. I start to walk away just and he suddenly speaks out to me.

"I need to give you the ring," he says.

He walks from the bathroom and into his bedroom, rummaging around until he finds a velvet box. He hands it to me and I look up at him, an inquisitive look on my face. I open the box and I look back up at him.

"This probably isn't even the right size," I say, looking down at it.

"It is. I don't doubt it." he says, a devious smirk on his face.

"How would you even know my ring size? Who would even give you that kind of information?"

"Don't worry about it. Just put it on and let's go," he says, turning around.

"What-"

"Just put the goddamn ring on." he says in frustration.

I look at him for a second and then I put the ring on, then I give him a sarcastic smile that says 'You happy?'

"What'll I have to do?" I suddenly say.

"At the gala? Well," he begins, putting his cologne on. "You'll have to meet a lot more of my friends. Some of them weren't at the last party. They talk a lot, but you're the wife they've never seen, so they'll have a lot of questions. You just have to have to sell it."

"That's not freaking me out at all." I say sarcastically.

"You'll be on my arm the whole night, don't worry." he says, giving me a flirty smile and turning back around. I'm guessing he can see the wheels turning in my head as he look in the mirror, because he turns around taking cautious steps toward me to ask, "What's that look on your face?"

"Just thinking." I respond, shaking my head.

"About?" he interrogates.

"Nothing important," I say, sighing.

"I tried," he says, turning to walk away.

I sigh in defeat and I stand up, walking up to him. "Why did you do it?" I finally ask.

He narrows his eyebrows in confusion. "I'm confused," he says. "Explain."

"Earlier. Why'd you... why'd you kiss me?" I ask, whispering now.

He shrugs. "I dunno. Spur of the moment?" he says, smirking.

"Elijah, don't lie to me, okay? It was really weird and uncalled for-"

"Then why'd you kiss me back?"