Redeemed (Dirty Air 4)

“Ugh.” I throw myself dramatically on the couch. My legs flop over his thighs, and he secures them to his lap.

“I tried to talk them out of the plan, but they’re pretty dead set on it.”

“You’re throwing me to the wolves on day two!”

“I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t think you could handle it.”

“Right. And let me guess. You’re not coming with.”

He frowns. “I could if you want me to. It’s just that I never go shopping with them, and they seem excited to have some time alone with you.”

“This is a disaster in the making. They’ll figure out our ruse in an hour or less.”

Santiago shakes his head, trying to hide his smug grin. “No. They’ll be focused on you and shopping that they won’t notice anything amiss.”

“Anything I make up about you in front of your family is your own fault.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. The more outrageous, the better.”

“Oh, I plan on it. I’ll start with how you secretly love frilly bath bombs.” I smirk.

“If they ask, please only recommend the kind that smell like lavender or citrus. Anything else makes my skin itchy.”

While the grumpy version of him was tolerable, a joking Santiago is rather addictive. One so beautifully toxic, I wouldn’t mind overdosing from the experience.

I feel like the biggest fraud, clutching a glass of champagne as we walk through a luxurious store with a name I can’t pronounce. My scuffed-up sneakers squeak every time I move across the marble flooring.

We’ve bounced between stores, with Santiago’s mom, who asked me to call her Daniela. She spent the whole morning sharing funny stories about her son while Maya talked him up like a contestant on a love show. It’s not as if I need someone to convince me Santiago is a standup guy. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes and it’s not exactly something I’ll forget anytime soon.

“What about this one?” Maya hands me a silky dress. The material feels lush and unlike anything I own.

I sneak a peek at the price tag and nearly have a stroke. This dress is worth more than my rent for a month.

“Do you not like it?” Maya’s smile drops.

Why does she have to be this wonderful and kind? Can’t she have a flaw that would make it easier to run out the door and never look back?

I stutter. “Uhm...no. It looks gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but…”

“Is it the price? Don’t worry about it. Santiago slipped me his Amex before we left the hotel.”

“He did what?” The first lines of Pretty Woman blast in my head as my stomach twists into a tight knot.

“He said to pick out the prettiest dress for you or else he won’t attend the gala tonight. I took it as a challenge.”

“That’s so...sweet,” I choke out.

“I don’t think I’ve seen my son this enamored by someone before.” Santiago’s mom winks at me. Her brown eyes have a lightness to them I can’t ignore.

Either we’re amazing at faking this relationship or everyone wants to desperately believe Santiago is genuinely happy.

“Oh.” That’s all I can muster up. The guy offered to pay for my dress for God’s sake and all I can say is oh. I’m slipping into extremely dangerous territory around him. It’s the kind of treacherous waters a girl can drown in if she’s not careful.

A dress on the mannequin at the front of the store window catches my eye. The black material shines under the spotlights, making thousands of crystals appear like they’re moving. Long sleeves balance the severity of the open back. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of clothing as stunning as that. It’s as if the designer captured an illusion of moonlight reflecting off the glittering ocean at midnight.

“Oh, just look at your eyes light up!” Maya calls out to the employee who helps us. “We need

that dress, please.”