Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

Chapter Twenty Three
Hallie
Turning in the mirror, I tug at the hem of my red dress and debate changing.
I think it’s too sexy for a date I don’t really want to go on. I’m only wearing the red dress
because I really wanted to wear my red slingback pumps, they’re suede and they have a cute, glittery
bow on the ankle. They’re kind of Christmassy—in fact, I think I wore this whole ensemble to
Jackson’s Christmas party a while back—but I got them at Macy’s on sale last year and I absolutely
love them.
When I went out with Calvin, I never got to pick my own outfits, so I never got a chance to wear
them. If we could’ve met in a different way and he would have just asked me out like a normal
person, I’m sure I would have worn them on a date with him.
Don’t think about him.
It should be easy to never think about him, but he left fingerprints on me, invisible ones I’m
finding it hard to shake. Even after I cleared all his stuff out of my apartment and changed the locks so
I know I’m safe from him, I still feel him here. I can’t explain it, I don’t even understand it, but it’s
like he’s always here, watching me.
I know he isn’t. I know the only piece of him that remains in this apartment are the William the
hippo bookends I couldn’t bring myself to part with. I like pretty things so it’s not like I enjoyed
getting rid of the beautiful clothes and accessories he sent me to wear on dates with him, but I still did
it. It had to be done.
The bookends, though. Those were more meaningful.
I know I shouldn’t save anything meaningful from him, but I also really like the bookends
because they’re William the hippo. I tell myself it’s okay to keep them, and only I know why it really
isn’t, so there’s no one to argue with me about it.
I grab a simple black purse to complete the ensemble and stuff it full of the things I know I’ll
need tonight. I open my wallet to make sure I have cash for a tip, even though I secretly hope my date
will be chivalrous and insist on paying for the first date himself. I’m not cheap, I pay for things myself
all the time and I’m happy to pay for dates, too, but it feels decidedly unromantic when you’re out for
the first time and the guy comes out and asks you to pay for your half.
Not that I have high hopes for this guy. The last guy Charity set me up with was a disaster, and I
am honestly not in the market for a new boyfriend right now. This Lance guy would have to be pretty
incredible to change my mind.
But I guess a tiny sliver of me has hope.