𝐂𝐀𝐌 𝐁𝐎𝐘 (𝟏𝟖+) √

XXIV

┌── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┐

AS SOON AS I got the money from grandpa in my bank account, Landon and Sophie got the card. All I asked them to do was use the money to renovate my entire apartment. I wanted everything changed, from bed sheets to the tiles in the bathroom.

The renovations took four weeks because it was winter, but with a little push, there were people willing to make the deadline.

It looked different, but in a good way. They knew my taste and how to make it a perfect home for me. Landon was in charge of paying the workers and picking out the furniture while Sophie was overly excited about decorating my entire home, and making it warm and welcoming.

Whilst the renovations lasted, I was switching from Hudson, to Sophie, to Landon and went in circles.

Today was the day I was finally going to bite my tongue and sleep in my own apartment, on my own.

The offer for the get-together by Hudson was declined. Sophie was out of town and Ladon wasn't in the mood, so once the apartment was ready, I decided to do the same thing. Landon helped to pick out a place, and Sophie was in charge of inviting people. Of course, there were always those people that would crash the party which was fine.

The more the merrier.

I loved what Sophie did with the place. She altered between shades of light green and black for the kitchen, baby pink and beige for my living room, the bathroom was in various shades of grey, and then my bedroom was pitch black. Even the curtains and sheets.

Now, the hardest part of the evening was to decide on an outfit. I wanted to wear a skirt, because I did not get a leg tattoo for it not to be visible. It was on my upper thigh and half-visible in a mini skirt.

My grandmother was an artistic soul. She painted a lot, and all through my childhood, in their house was a picture of a black rose. She told me it was the first gift grandpa got her, and since it wasn't a real rose, it was still in the house. Somehow, that rose, with their anniversary date on one of the petals, seemed beautiful.

Hudson and I were slowly moving forward. Emphasis on the word slowly. He told me that once he was sure I was able to emotionally open up for him, he would take the step forward, and ask me out on a date.

It did not mean we weren't six times too close to having sex.

He was the one that would stop it every time. A few stolen glances, many steamy kisses and lots of late night talks with alcohol, that was always followed by a cuddling session.

He wasn't aware of the tattoo I'd gotten. He had a few himself, but I wanted him to see it in its most beautiful form—once it was completely healed.

Sophie did not want to reveal the outfit choice for the evening. At first, she was reluctant to show up in a dress that, in her words, exposed more than it covered, but was reassured when I told her I was thinking about finally giving that dress a chance. The one that I was forced to get.