CHAPTER 1: Something Borrowed, Something Burning

Amara’s POV

There are certain days you feel like you’re stepping into a movie—like the world suddenly decides to revolve around your happiness, your plans, your storyline.

Today felt like that kind of day.

I walked into the mall with that stupid, soft smile I’d tried to fight off since I got out of the cab. I couldn’t help it. I had a plan, and not just any plan—a very grown-up, kind-of-scary, possibly life-changing one.

Tonight, I was finally going to sleep with my boyfriend.

Eight months. That’s how long Derek and I had been together. Eight months of handholding and late-night phone calls and “almosts.” Every time he reached for more, I’d stop him. It wasn’t because I didn’t want it—God, I did. But I always hesitated. Maybe it was insecurity, maybe fear. Or maybe it was the haunting feeling that once I gave myself to someone like that, something about me would change. Something irreversible.

But I loved him.

At least I think I do.

And more than that—I wanted tonight to feel like something special. I wanted to feel like I was choosing him, not because I felt pressure, or guilt, or like it was overdue, but because it felt right.

I’d just gotten back from Pennsylvania the day before, where I’d been visiting my Godparents. Correction: where I’d been suffocating in emotional blackmail masked as love. “We never see you anymore.” “You’re also our daughter.” “Don’t forget who loved you first.” You’d think I was married off to a foreign prince with how dramatically they clung to me.

But I missed them. I did. I just… missed my space more.

Scott didn’t know I was back yet. In fact, no one did. I wanted to surprise him. The look on his face when he saw me at his door? Worth it. So here I was, scouring the mall like a girl on a mission—because I was.

I needed the perfect dress. And the right underwear. Something bold. Confident. Something to shut up the part of me that still felt like the awkward virgin who bailed every time things got hot.

Thirty minutes in, I was already annoyed with the racks. Everything either looked like it belonged on a first date or at a funeral.

Then a voice interrupted my growing frustration.

“Miss… may I help you?”

I turned to see a store assistant, early twenties, cute bob, and that tight-lipped smile retail workers wear like armor.

“Yeah… actually, yes. I’m looking for something sexy—dress and lingerie.” I figured there was no point in pretending to browse casually.

Her brows arched slightly, then a mischievous grin crept up her face. “Ooooh. Someone’s got a big night planned.”

I laughed, suddenly feeling less shy about the whole thing. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“Well then,” she motioned for me to follow, “you came to the right girl.”

She led me toward a corner section of the store, away from the family-friendly cardigans and pastel sundresses. Here, it smelled faintly of coconut perfume and expensive bad decisions.

“Are you looking for anything specific? Color? Style?”

“Honestly, just… whatever makes me look like I didn’t spend the last week in pajamas eating leftover pierogis,” I replied.

She laughed. “Got it. Hot girl transformation. Understood.”

She held up a white bodycon dress—long sleeves, dangerously short hem. I shook my head.

“White?” I wrinkled my nose. “Too bridal.”

She tossed it back on the rack, unfazed. “Fair. Okay, what about this one?”

A velvet red gown with a thigh-high slit. My brows furrowed.

“Too formal,” I said. “I’m not trying to seduce him at an opera.”

Just then, a flash of shimmer caught my eye.

“What’s that one?” I asked, pointing to a black sequin dress half-buried beneath a few silk numbers.

She pulled it out with a small ‘aha’ face.

It was sleek and short with strategic side cut-outs and an asymmetrical off-shoulder neckline. Sexy, but not screaming. Classy, but not boring.

“This… might be it.”

“Try it,” she insisted, pushing me toward the dressing room.

Once inside, I slipped it on carefully, the sequins cool against my skin. When I stepped out and caught sight of myself in the mirror, I didn’t even recognize the girl staring back.

Confident. Bold. Me, but evolved.

“This is the one,” I whispered, half in awe.

She beamed. “Your man won’t know what hit him.”

I twirled in place, watching the dress catch the light. “This is so happening.”

But then I gasped. “Crap—the underwear!”

She laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Stay here, I’ll grab a few options.”

She turned and went to grab a “few".

A few later turned out to be ten.

She returned five minutes later carrying what looked like an entire drawer of lingerie. Black lace, red satin, sheer mesh—pieces I didn’t even know how to put on.

“I know, I went a little overboard,” she admitted, laying them out on the vanity.

“I’m overwhelmed,” I admitted, my cheeks heating up. “In the best way.”

She joined me at the mirror as I held up a few.

“Black or red?” I asked.

She tilted her head. “Your dress is black, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then black. Let the mystery stay uninterrupted.”

I settled on a lacy black set with a scalloped edge and delicate straps.

It was perfect.

After I paid, I rushed home, heart pounding in anticipation. I showered, taking my time with every movement, scrubbing away the last traces of doubt. When I stepped out, the bathroom mirror was foggy, and for once, I didn’t rush to wipe it. I liked the mystery of my reflection, blurred at the edges. Tonight, I was rewriting how I saw myself.

By 6:15, I was doing my makeup—smoky eyes, soft blush, berry lipstick. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and let a few strands fall to frame my face. Then came the dress, the boots, and a long look in the mirror.

Not bad, Amara. Not bad at all.

I grabbed my brown purse and matching coat, checked my reflection once more, and whispered under my breath, “Scott is so going to love this.”

It was 7:45 by the time I got out of the cab and stood in front of his house. The porch light was off. Typical. He hated wasting electricity. My hand trembled a little as I reached for the doorbell, my heart threatening to punch through my chest.

I was late, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t know I was coming.

I imagined him opening the door—surprised, smiling, arms pulling me in before words could catch up. I imagined the night unfolding exactly how I planned. Us. Close. Together. Honest.

I imagined him choosing me again.

This was it.

The beginning of something.

“Tonight’s going to be so much fun,” I whispered to myself, walking up the steps, ignoring the gnawing sense in my gut that maybe, just maybe...

I should’ve called first.