"Alright, soft moment over," Chloe declared, clapping her hands once and wiping her eyes like she hadn't just cried. "Let's get to the fun part."
I blinked. "The... what?"
"You're about to cause heart attacks, baby," she smirked. "Trust me."
"Because," Chloe said, gesturing at me like I was a damn Mona Lisa, "we are not letting this masterpiece of a woman walk into a party looking anything less than a full-blown sin."
Cherry purred in my head.
"Sin, huh? I like these lesbians."
Chloe and Daisy, by the way, were still caught up in their PDA marathon right in front of me — and honestly, after everything we just said, I didn't even mind. They looked stupidly cute together.
Cherry whistled.
"You think they'd adopt us? We'd bring snacks."
"I didn't know," I said, still recovering. "You two are... wow. I mean, you're beautiful."
Daisy laughed, cheeks pink. "We try."
"She means that literally," Chloe added. "She tried to run the first few days."
"I didn't run!" Daisy gasped, then paused. "Okay. I walked away really fast."
They both cracked up, leaning into each other again, and something soft cracked open in my chest — not jealousy, not exactly. Just... wistfulness. A dull tug I couldn't quite name.
"You okay?" Daisy asked gently, catching the flicker on my face.
"Yeah," I said quickly, but Chloe tilted her head like she knew better.
"Don't you have a mate?"
I smiled, soft and sad. "No. No, I've not."
Because Ronan doesn't count. Not even close.
A small beat of silence fell — not awkward, just quiet enough for the weight of the words to settle before Chloe reached across and squeezed my hand.
"You will," she said, "and who knows maybe when he sees you tonight? He'll regret every second he didn't."
Cherry growled.
"He better. Or I'm dragging him by the neck."
I laughed under my breath. "Thanks."
Just like that, the heaviness broke like foam over the sand — and we dove into chaos.
Daisy moved like a quiet storm: graceful, focused, glowing with the kind of concentration that made it look like magic. She laid out jars of shimmer, pots of kohl, soft glitters, glowing oils — a witchy little altar of beauty. Chloe, on the other hand, flung open a sleek black chest like she was unveiling treasure.
"Alright, goddess," she announced, eyes gleaming. "Let's make them stare."
"What is that?" I asked, jaw nearly unhinging at the pile of glimmering fabric and draped pearls.
"Your skirt," Chloe grinned wickedly. "Well… your almost-skirt."
My heart stuttered.
Cherry gasped.
"Y'all are NOT playing."
She pulled out a silver crop top next — tiny, glimmering, and indecent in the best way. It shimmered with every tilt, hugging my chest like it had been hand-stitched by moonlight, short enough to flash the bottom curve of my breasts but long enough to feel powerful instead of naked.
Then came the bikini-cut bottoms. With pearls.
Actual. Dripping. Pearls.
They looped around my hips like they'd always belonged there, clinging to my curves like moonlight kissing water.
Daisy added the shimmer last — brushing it over my shoulders, collarbones, thighs. Her fingers moved like spellwork, soft and reverent.
"You're magic," she whispered. "You know that?"
I looked at the mirror.
Cherry let out a low whistle.
"Damn, mama."
"Are we sure this isn't illegal?" I asked, half-laughing, half-panicking.
"It's illegal not to wear it," Chloe said with a wink.
She kept digging through accessories while Daisy literally turned me into a goddess. Highlighter kissed my cheeks. A warm honey gloss glazed my lips. I was somewhere between heaven and Sephora when Daisy suddenly held up a sheer pink wrap and asked, "Do you think this would look good on me?"
Chloe didn't even look up. "Baby, a trash bag would look good on you."
Daisy flushed instantly, ducking her head like it was their first date again. "That's not helping."
"It's not supposed to," Chloe smirked. "It's the truth."
Cherry cackled.
"Honestly? Same energy I give you."
"Liar," I muttered. "You called me a soggy chicken nugget when I cried last week."
"Out of love," Cherry sniffed.
"And you did look like one. But now?"
"Now, you're sauce-drenched fire."
By the time the crop top was secured, clinging to me like starlight spun into silk, I barely recognized the girl in the mirror — in the best way. The bikini bottom gleamed beneath the sheer wrap, pearls catching light like they were tiny, glowing moons.
"Cowboy hat," Chloe declared, plopping a soft white one on my head. "For drama."
"You're joking."
"She's not," Daisy said, admiring me like a proud artist.
I turned slowly to the mirror. My breath caught in my throat.
Cherry whispered, quiet now, reverent.
"Would you look at that... we're finally glowing."
I didn't look like a stranger. Or a maid. Or a girl trying not to take up space.
I looked like a storm in silver. Like someone who knew her worth — even if she still forgot sometimes.
I smiled.
"Ready?" Chloe asked behind me.
I let out a breath and nodded.
"Let's give them a show," I whispered.