Love Me, Again?

Chapter 13: Lips of an Angel

* NOT edited.

Chapter 13: Lips of an Angel

As the days rolled on, Leila became more anxious about the Spring Ball. Her mother kept herself locked in the room for days. Leila worried about her, but was never allowed into the master bedroom. She also asked Louis what was going on, but he too did not have access to the bedroom.

During school, Leila has also noticed behavior changes in Mason. He always seemed jumpy and looked a bit too haggard. She always asked him what’s wrong and he’d only reply with a brief, “I’m fine.”

The day of the Spring Ball finally came. Leila threw all of her dresses onto her bed. She only had hours left to get ready. She was totally unprepared! One by one, she placed the dresses back to her closet. In the end, she was stuck with a strapless blue dress and a sequined black dress. The blue dress made her feel too exposed and the black one made her feel like she was going to a funeral. She paced around; panic was building up inside of her.

“Have you chosen the dress that you’re going to wear tonight?” Her mother’s soft voice stopped her from pacing.

“Not yet,” Leila huffed sadly. She frowned at her mother’s features. There were dark bags under her eyes, her face looked a bit too pale, and her eyes looked droopy. It looked like she hasn’t eaten or slept in days! Her mother’s eyes showed otherwise. They still held the same beautiful sparkles in them.

“Oh well, I’ve got a big surprise for you. Close your eyes,” Leila did as she was told. Her mother grabbed her hands and made them feel something soft. The fabric felt so smooth, almost like silk. A smile quickly appeared upon her face.

“It’s beautiful,” Leila sighed as she continued to touch whatever it was on her hands.

“You haven’t even opened your eyes yet, silly!” Her mother chuckled.

Leila’s eyes fluttered opened to reveal a red dress in her hands. She was mesmerized by the beauty of it.

“Do you like it?” Her mother’s hopeful eyes bored through hers.

“Yes!” She exclaimed as she threw her hands around her mom’s neck. At the same time, the dress fell on the floor.

“I’m glad you love it sweetheart. However, I’d rather have you wear it than the floor,” her mother laughed lightly as they pulled out of the hug.

“Thank you so much, mom! I love you,” Leila bent down and picked up the dress from the floor.

“Anything for you dear. Get ready. I’ll be fixing your hair in a minute. I’m just going to grab something to eat first.” Her mom kissed her cheek and disappeared through the door.

Leila squealed as she entered her bathroom. She quickly threw off her clothes and delicately put on the dress her mother made. She stepped out of the bathroom and headed straight for her mirror.

She gasped at the sight of her. The one shoulder, red dress fit her body perfectly. The red dress made her pale complexion and beautiful blond locks stand out. The dress stopped just right above her knee. Her mother knew what she liked. It didn’t expose her too much and didn’t have too many sequins going on. It was simple, yet so beautiful. She twirled around, finally having the self confidence she lacked.

“You’re so beautiful. My baby looks like a princess!” Her mother’s voice cracked.

“Thanks mom.” Leila smiled as she took her seat in front of her vanity. Her mother brushed her hair and curled each section of the hair into perfection. Her mother pulled her hair up almost into a French twist and left some ends sticking out. She secured the hair with bobby pins and used a hair spray to keep it in place. For the final touches, she took out piece of her bangs and curled them again.