His Perfect Destruction

Everly

            “I think you should wear a dress tonight.” Mare said rifling through her closet. I rolled my eyes; I don’t wear dresses.

            “I am not going there to be noticed, Mare. I am going there to confront him.” I said flipping through a magazine she had by her bed. 10 Ways to get Noticed, Nerdy is the new Sexy. Why the hell would she read this crap? She is leggy and gorgeous, and Duncan had no qualms about asking her out. I tossed the magazine aside and looked up to see Mare holding a black sweater dress with red metallic thread throughout it.

            “Mare did I ever tell you about what happened to me before we moved here?” I knew I hadn’t. Her brows drew together, she sat down on the bed, the dress in her lap.

            I told her everything, every detail that I could remember. Tears streamed down her face, she looked at me as if she had never seen me before. I rolled my eyes at her.

            “Please don’t look at me like that. The point is that I survived, and Murphy was the one that saved me. But he left me here in this life. I waited for him to come back. He didn’t.” I said.

            “But he is here now. Maybe something has changed, and he is trying to make it up to you?” I rolled my eyes at her, and shook my head. Nothing had changed for me. Mare and I are taking a semester off from college and will go back at the beginning of December. What could he be doing here now?

            “I think that you should give him the benefit of the doubt and listen to what he has to say. He has killed for you, Everly. That right there is an ace in my book.” She didn’t flinch when I told her about the men he had killed, she is also seriously into the Boondock Saints so it really isn’t surprising that she would be cool with the murders of men like that. She saw it as justice.

            “Okay, fine. Do me up.” I said as she gave a squeal and jumped up from the bed. She curled my hair, and pinned it back so it stayed out of my face. I never bother with makeup but she did that, too. My eyes were smokey and my lips red to match the accent in the dress. She topped it off with a pair of knee high black boots and red lacey boot cuffs. Looking in the mirror I couldn’t even recognize myself. The dress fell to midthigh, clinging to me loosely enough not to be a second skin but enough to hug the contours of my body. I didn’t have curves, this dress gave the illusion I did. The neckline plunged to my cleavage that I only had because of Mare’s miracle bra. I turned this way and that while Mare got dressed. She came out of the closet wearing a cream colored cowl neck sweater that showed off her collarbone and very tight dark skinny jeans, strategically worn with holes. Her cream suede ankle boots looked like butter.

            “Why the am I in a dress and you get to wear jeans?” I asked incredulously.

            “I am not the one who is going to be getting to know my unrequited love.” She said slipping her phone into her back pocket. She slid my phone into my boot and stood up to look at her work.

            “Hot damn you are a knockout!”

            “Next to you nobody will be looking at me.” I smile. It was her turn to roll her eyes.

            “Are you ready?” She asked, her tone serious. I nodded my head and hugged her. I had never had anyone that I could talk to about everything that had happened to me. It had been eating away at me for years and it felt amazing to get it out there. Mare was the only thing that had kept me going for a long time now. I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

            “Let’s go. We are already late.” I said putting on my coat.

            Ashford is a small town, everyone knows everyone and outsiders are a rare attraction. The sun had set and the stars shone through the trees as Mare drove across town. The leaves hadn’t fully turned yet but you can feel fall in your bones here. I love it so much. Fires, hot cider, sweaters. These are a few of my favorite things.

            Mare turned onto Sleepy Hollow Road and whistled. There were cars parked everywhere, some in places that they really shouldn’t be. Duncan stepped out into the street in front of the car, Mare hit the brakes. He smiled and walked over to her window. She rolled it down and smiled at him.

            “VIP parking is in the driveway; Murphy is waiting for you.” He said with a wink before leading us to the driveway. Everyone we knew was here, even some I had never seen before. They were on the deck, on the lawn, all of them drinking. Getting out I could hear the music from outside and suddenly felt sick. I don’t do well with people drinking and I really do not like crowds like this.

            “Ladies.” Murphy said from somewhere behind me. I turned to see him standing so close, his hands in his pockets. My heart raced and my mouth went dry. He looked gorgeous. His hair was combed back, he wore a black henley with dark jeans and boots. He reeked of bad boy, but I couldn’t bring myself to be scared of him.

            “Murphy.” Mare said, bringing me back to myself. She stepped between us squaring her shoulders.

            “Everly told me everything, I appreciate what you did for her. Make no mistake if you hurt her I will take you down.” My cheeks blazed red as Murphy caught my eye and nodded to Mare.

            “Understood.” He said. With a look like she didn’t entirely believe him she turned to me.

            “I wont be far.” I nodded my head. She spared on last scathing glance at Murphy and followed Duncan into the house.