23

Amy

"Is all of this really necessary?" I asked Cat, trying to remain still as she swiped blush powder across my cheekbones.

"Yes," she said simply.

I raised an eyebrow. "And you really won't tell me what Sonic has planned tonight?"

"Nope." She took a step and tilted her head, examining her work. "He threatened to put Nair in my shampoo if I told you. I love you dearly, but my hair is at stake here."

I giggled. "I understand." I watched her flick off the top of a lip liner pencil and begin tracing my lips with its sharp tips.

She filled in my lips with a rose colored gloss. "Press your lips together," She commanded.

I complied, popping my lips together for a moment.

She stared at her finished product for a moment, a smile blooming on her lips. "You're so beautiful!" She exclaimed. "Ah, Sonic is going to lose his mind when he sees you!" She rose from her chair and walked towards my closet. She pulled out the lavender dress we'd brought this morning.

Earlier, she'd dragged me downtown and forced me to shop around for a dress for tonight. Surprisingly, we found this floor-length Sonici dress with comfortable cotton fabric that hugged my curves and hid most of the scars on my chest. My only gripe was that it had spaghetti straps. Although it was March now; it was still cold outside - and I didn't want the scars on my arms exposed to the world. Sonia helped me find a cropped white sweater to match the dress.

When we returned home, she washed and deep conditioned my hair. After massaging some leave-in conditioner, we took a little break to let it set. We watched a few episodes of The Haunting of Hill House before she went back to work on my hair. She wrestled with it for a little while, debating if she wanted to tie it up or leave it down. She ended up leaving it down and added more curl activator spray to spruce up my curls.

Now, with my makeup finished, she helped me slide into the dress and slip the jacket over my shoulders.

Hesitantly, I glanced in the mirror at the finished product. I almost didn't recognize the girl staring back at me. My lion's mane of hair was shiny and my highlighted curls bounced with every little move. The bronze eyeshadow teamed with the short false lashes made my light green eyes pop against my brown skin. My eyebrows, freshly plucked and still stinging, were perfectly arched and bold. The liner and color on my lips emphasized their plump shape. In the form fitting fabric, my usually hidden curves were emphasized.

Cat's arms wrapped around me, and she lay her head on my shoulder. "See? You look beautiful," she said.

I smiled. "Thank you."

"Princesa," Papa's voice called up the steps. "Sonic is here!"

Sonia caught the frown pulling at my lips. "Don't be nervous," she said. "It's just Sonic."

"Yeah, but I…I actually like Sonic."

She playfully grimaced. "Ew. Why? He looks like he got hit by the ugly train - twice."

I couldn't help but to laugh.

A smile graced her lips. "You don't have anything to be nervous about, alright? This date is well overdue. Just have fun, okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, okay."

She grabbed my hand and led me towards the steps.

The butterflies in my stomach fluttered against my ribs as we descended the steps. I squeezed Cat's hand in an attempt to steady them.

Papa, Daddy, and Sonic were in the hallway near the staircase. My eyes immediately fell on Sonic as I walked down the steps. His dark curls were shorter, no longer flopping onto his forehead. His facial hair around his top lip and cheeks were cut close against his skin. He wore a black button up with a few of the top buttons undone, exposing his throat. A black suit jacket and black slacks paired with his attire. His usual Nike's were replaced with shiny dress shoes.

His chocolate brown eyes turned to me, and a smile spread across his lips. "Wow," he murmured.

Blood burned under my cheeks under his awe-struck gaze. "Wow yourself," I said, waving over his novel attire.

Sonia moved to his side and nudged his shoulder. She stood on her toes and whispered something in his ear.

"Oh! Right." He unveiled his hands from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of red roses. Shyly, he held them out to me. "These are for you."

Our fingers brushed as I accepted the flowers. My skin tingled with tiny flames from the places he'd touched. Breaking our gaze, and my embarrassment from nearly melting into a puddle at the sight of him, I turned to my fathers. "I'll be home later," I assured them.

Marc looked to Sonic. "Have her back by twelve," he demanded.

"And keep your hands to yourself," Benny added. "Or I'll whoop your ass."

Sonic grinned. "You'd have to catch me first." He grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the door.

"Goodnight," I yelled to my fathers, knowing good and well they'd be up waiting for me when I came in later.

Sonic led me to his brother's gray Nissan Rogue and opened the passenger door for me.

The soothing sounds of one of his R&B playlists filled the silence as we drove away from our neighborhood towards the metallic skyscrapers of the city. My hands fiddled with the petals of the roses as I snuck small glances at Sonic. I was doing my best not to stare at him

for too long at a time, but I couldn't help myself. His close cut beard emphasized his sharp jawline. With his curls out of his face, his long eyelashes were more evident against his almond shaped eyes. His suit jacket hugged all of the muscles in his arms and shoulders in the right places. Sonic was undeniably handsome without all the novel glamor, but seeing him dressed up like this reminded me of the fallen angels I read about in some of my novels. The ones who'd gone rogue for one reason or another and kept all of their ethereal beauty. Sonic may have ripped his own wings off, but I always knew there were still slivers of goodness in his flame-filled soul.

The restaurant we arrived at was a small, intimate space. The lights glowed a dim orange, glowing like fireflies in the summer nights. The round tables gave enough space for all the occupying couples to be close enough that they didn't have to reach far to grasp the other's classical music played from a live band of three members in the corner, and the sweet smell of Italian food wafted through the air.

I couldn't help but smile as Sonic pulled my chair out for me. "This place is nice," I said. "How'd you find it?"

"By reading a lot of Yelp reviews," he admitted with a chuckle. His eyes softened as he stared at me from across the table. Under the orange lights, his eyes glowed like amber gemstones. "You look beautiful, by the way."

I averted my eyes as my cheeks darkened again. "Thanks."

Over dinner, neither of us talked much. I was too busy enjoying the food and absorbing the band's soulful music. I caught myself unintentionally swaying to the slow rhythm, letting the music swing me in a soft hug.

Sonic watched me with a small smile, never moving his eyes off of me for even a second.

After dinner, we took a short walk down to a local theater. I took one glance at the In the Heights playbill and almost squealed loud enough for the entire lobby to hear. In the Heights was one of my favorite plays! I absolutely adored Lin Manuel Miranda and his musical works, but this one in particular always held a special place in my heart. Papa had taken me and Sonia to see the play when we were ten. He had a friend who'd worked on the stage design and gave him free tickets. I'd fallen in love with the stories of the characters on a small block and the music that told it. Although I listened to the soundtrack often, I didn't get another chance to witness a live production - until tonight that is.

I watched the show in complete awe, admiring the actors' voices and the upbeat choreography. I glanced at Sonic a few times, trying to gauge his reaction to the production. Each time, I was met with his eyes on me.

His cheek lay atop of his fist with his head tilted in my direction. His small smile was evident even in the darkness.

I should've kicked him and told him to pay attention. But instead, I found myself returning his kind smile, silently thanking him for such a thoughtful gift.

"That was amazing," I gushed as we walked out from the theater into the chilly air. I swung Sonic's hand. "Did you like it?"

"It was alright," he said with a shrug.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, it was alright because you barely watched it."

"I'm not apologizing for thinking you're more beautiful than some stupid musical." He tugged me against his side and threw his arm over my shoulder to keep me trapped there. His lips pressed against my temple. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Sonic led us towards a park trail around the corner from the theater. The white bulbs of the street lamps lit up every inch of the concrete, allowing the pedestrians to see not only the path ahead of them, but the small benches and glimpses of greenery on the perimeters. Other couples, both young and old, sat on some of the benches or walked along the concrete. Their chatter mixed in with the soft songs of the crickets and the swoosh of the cars speeding by on the other side of the trees.

We walked for a few minutes before taking a seat on one of the empty benches. My feet were killing me from the heels Sonia loaned me. I crossed my legs and looked over at Sonic.

He was staring at me again, his elbow resting on the top of the bench and his long legs spread out in front of him.

"What are you staring at?" I asked.

"The most beautiful girl in the world," he replied.

I scoffed, looking down at my lap in an attempt to hide the blush threatening to cross my cheeks. "Usually, you say 'the most funny looking girl in the world'."

"You can be both at the same time."

I rolled my eyes. "Why do you keep staring at me, anyway?"

"I'm wondering how to do this right."

Raising my gaze back to him, I asked, "Do what?"

"Convince you to be mine."

My brows stitched together as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. "Sonic, you didn't have to -"

"You said we need to have something that symbolizes our relationship," he said. "So, I brought you this." He popped open the box, revealing a glittering ruby gemstone cut in a heart shape with two small diamonds sitting on both sides. The sparkling gems sat atop a Silver band.

My eyes watered at the sight of the beautiful ring. "Sonic, you really didn't have to-"

He grabbed my hand, gently tugging me a few inches closer to him. "I've been in love with you before I even knew what love was," he confessed. "The moment I saw you at Marc and Benny's house, with that big ass bow in your hair and that bright ass pink dress, I knew you were the only girl meant for me. And I know…I know our friendship hasn't been perfect. I know I'm not perfect - far from it. But, I love you, and I'm willing to give you the moon and every star in the sky to make you happy. All you have to do is say yes, and I promise I'll be yours until the day God strikes me down - hell, probably even long after that." He raised his hand, catching the tear that fell from my eye. "Forever, remember?"

I smiled. "Yeah," I murmured. "Forever."

His hand slid down my cheek, slipping through my hair to grasp the back of my neck. His brown eyes were filled with little white flames, reflecting off the bulbs of the street lamps around us. But, these weren't his usual flares of anger or frustration or rage. I'd never seen this look in his eyes before, and I didn't know whether to fear it or admire it. I didn't have time to draw a conclusion before his lips crashed against mine.

He kissed me with an urgency, a passion that I'd never experienced. His lips moved slowly, but with a strength that kept me frozen against him. His tongue, just as warm as the rest of his body, caressed every inch of my lips, silently coercing my mouth to open just enough for entrance. A gasp involuntarily left my throat as our kisses deepened; his tongue against mine lit a match that set my entire body aflame.

My arms looped around his neck, tugging him closer against me. One of my hands crept into his silky curls while the other held the corner of his collar. The butterflies in my stomach were ecstatic from our kisses, flickering and fluttering around in a manic frenzy. My head spun from the amount of sensations my body was experiencing. All of the emotions occurring, although pure and raw and euphoric, was a little too much to handle at once.

Reluctantly, I pulled out of the kiss to prevent my poor body from becoming too overstimulated from the abundance of emotions rapidly running through my veins. My heartbeat echoed through my ears as I gazed into Sonic's brown eyes. Two halves of my brain argued with each other - one convinced that I needed to run as far away from him as possible and the other desperate to be so close that I could crawl underneath his skin. Taking a deep breath, I silenced one of the voices - the one that spoke out of the fear and doubt and shame that my mother had instilled in me. Embracing the other - the one that spoke out of the need to feel loved and needed and safe, I smiled at him and held out my hand.

With a grin, he plucked the ring out of its box and slipped it onto my finger.

The ruby stone shimmered under the bright lights as I admired the way it looked on my hand.

Sonic's hands returned to my cheeks, cupping my face gently as he tilted my head up and pressed his lips back onto mine. My head swirled as the feelings of exhilaration rushed through my body once more. Only this time, I wasn't in a hurry to pull away. I kissed Sonic until every inch of my body was intoxicated with jubilant flames. Amidst the ever-lasting storm clouds, rainbows began to shine in bright, beautiful colors, and I thought, maybe…just maybe, this was how true happiness felt.