The Ending I Want

I know I’m not ugly, but I am nowhere in her league.

She throws her arms around Liam, kissing his cheek and hugging him.

It’s clear they’re close.

Maybe as close as Liam and I are.

Liam lets go of my hand, so he can hug her back.

The twinge I feel in my stomach is most definitely not jealousy.

Okay, maybe it’s a little bit of jealousy. Stupid, I know.

I watch them and the way she hugs him. She hugs him in an intimate way. Like they’ve been close before. Like she knows his body the way I know his body.

Jesus, they’ve had sex.

He’s had sex with her.

I can’t believe he brought me to the salon of a woman he used to fuck.

Or maybe still fucks.

The twinge in my stomach tightens into knots.

“It’s been too long since I last saw you,” she tells him. Aside from being gorgeous, she has an awesome English accent.

Her hand is still pressed to his chest, and I have an irrational urge to rip her hand off him.

Down, Taylor.

Jesus, what is going on with me?

I cross my arms over my chest to make sure I don’t do something stupid, like break her fingers.

“When did we last see each other?” she asks him.

“Cam’s birthday.”

“God, yeah, that was six months ago. That was a good night.” She smiles at him. It’s a dreamy kind of smile.

A we-had-sex kind of smile.

Ugh.

“Yeah, it was a good night,” Liam says low. “Megan, this is Taylor,” he finally deems to introduce me.

I hold my silly anger in and smile at her. “Hi,” I say. “You have a really nice place here.”’

I might be suffering from Jealousy 101 and want to punch Liam in the face for bringing to the salon of the woman whose vagina he has intimate knowledge of, but I can’t deny that the salon is nice.

“Thanks.” She smiles at me. It’s a friendly smile. “So, when he called me earlier to book you in, Liam said that you want to dye your hair. What color are you looking to go?”

I finger my dull dark blonde hair, looking at her beautiful shiny black hair. She’s gorgeous, and then I suddenly can’t figure out why Liam is interested in having sex with me.

He’s had sex with someone like her. She’s tall and beautiful and stunning.

And I’m five foot three on a good day. I have a definite ass, but I’m just…mousy.

“Pink,” I say, going with the first color on my list.

“Cool.” She smiles. “Pink, it is. Are we talking bright pink or light pink? Pastel, like candy-floss pink? That’s all the rage at the moment. That, and gray.”

“Candy floss?”

“Cotton candy,” Liam explains.

“Ah.” I nod. Dude talks my language.

“Well, I’m definitely not going gray. Candy-floss pink,” I tell her.

“Fabulous.” She smiles. “Now, do you want pink highlights or full head?”

“Full head.” If I’m doing this, I’m going to do it properly.

“Okay, well, I’ve got you with Jamie today. He’s my best colorist. He’ll have your hair transformed in no time. He’s a genius with color.”

“Jamie,” she calls over to an Asian guy with a purple Mohawk.

He smiles at me as he approaches.

“Jamie, this is Taylor. Taylor wants to go pastel pink, full head.” Then, she asks me, “Are we just coloring or cutting as well?”

I touch the edges of my hair, which hangs a few inches past my shoulders.

“I could take it up to sit on your shoulders,” Jamie says. “Go for a choppy bob. That would really suit you. You have a great jawline and bone structure. God, I would die for cheekbones like yours.”

I touch a hand to my cheekbones. I didn’t realize there was anything amazing about them. They feel pretty standard to me—you know, as far as cheekbones go.

“You could carry off a choppy bob, no prob. And the cut would look even more fabulous with the color you’re going for. It would really show it off. And the blue of your eyes will really stand out against the color.”

“That sounds great.” I smile.

I would say yes to anything Jamie says. He just sounds so enthusiastic and like he really knows what he’s talking about. And he said I have a great jawline and bone structure, so I really like him.

“Okay, well, let’s get you seated, and we can get started.”

“How long will she be?” Liam asks Megan.

“About three hours, and then she’ll be done.”

Liam comes over to me. “I’ve got to go back to the office, but I’ll be back to pick you up in three hours.”

“Okay.”

My expression is stoic. I can’t bring myself to smile at him because I’m still annoyed that he brought me here.

He gives me a confused look. Then, he cups my face in his hands and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

“See you soon,” he whispers.

Then, he’s leaving with Megan walking him to the door, and Jamie is ushering me to my seat.

“That man is sex on a stick,” Jamie says to me as I sit in the seat. “I hope you don’t mind me saying.”

“Not at all. He is sex on a stick.” I smile at the memory of Liam being inside me just an hour ago and all the dirty things he did to me in bed.

Jamie puts a gown around me and fastens it at the back of my neck. “He’s not just hot either. He’s a really good guy. He helped Megan buy this place, you know.”

Wow. He bought her this salon.