Smoke and Wishes (Best Wishes #1)(67)

Hooking my arm through Benji’s and, not so discreetly, leading him out into the cooling air, we allowed Sadie some alone time with Harlem. A smile curled my lips when I saw Sadie hand her cell over to the piercer. Good for her. After emerging from the shop, she joined Benji and me, linking her arm through his opposite of me, and turned down the sidewalk to the dress shop.





I pulled open the curtain for the third time in yet another formal dress to show Benji. Sadie was still rustling around in her changing booth, curses flying every few seconds. Benji’s head tilted, his lips thinned the longer he looked at it. It was the same look he’d given the first two I had tried on before rejecting them. Both of which had looked odd on my slim body shape. The last couple of weeks of almost non-existent eating had brought me almost back to the size I was at the beginning of summer.

“I’m not feeling this one,” I pitched my voice loud enough for Sadie to hear, “this pale green makes me look sickly.” Benji agreed, his messy hair flopping with each nod.

“Alright, but you have to wear a color! Nothing black or boring,” Sadie demanded from her dressing room. She came out in a bright yellow gown that had flowed out like a princess dress and had lace on the bodice and sleeves. It stood out against her blue hair and flattered her curvy figure. “Eh, not feeling the yellow. They have a blue one that I might try. It’s the same shade as my hair.” She looked up at me and made an eh face.

“Ew, you're right. That green looks weird on you. Oh my god!,” She gasped and started waving her hands frantically startling Benji enough for him to drop his phone, “I saw the perfect dress for you!” She was bouncing in her excitement at this point, “I’m going to go grab the blue one like this and the one I saw. O-M-G, you are going to love it, it’s going to be perfect.” She ran from the changing area and back into the boutique. I say ran loosely, as she kept tripping over the pounds of tulle around her ankles. Shaking my head at her enthusiasm, I shared a smile with Benji before turning back into the room to take off this monstrosity. While I waited for Sadie to return, I checked my phone.

Logan: “hey love, I miss you.” His message was followed with kissy emojis. The twins use of emojis was borderline disturbing.

Landon: “you better send me pictures of the dresses you try on… or between trying them on.” A plethora of winky faces riddled his message. I chuckled at their blatant flirting. Ever since we started talking again, they took their affections to a whole new level. If I was honest with myself, I loved it. Typing out a quick, slightly flirty response, I check the other texts I’d received.

Dante: “hey firecracker, just wanted you to know I was thinking about you.” Warmth flooded me at Dante’s message, followed by a wave of guilt. His relationship with Khloe didn’t seem as substantial as it once had. But after everything that happened with Hudson and the Bitch Crew, it felt wrong for him to message me such sweet things. Part of me didn’t give a shit though, it was good to have all of my guys back. Almost all of them.

Cam: “I can’t wait to see what dress you pick for the dance.” Cam never used emojis, but I could still feel the heat in his eyes as I read the message. How does he do that?





Nik was at an archery competition, so I didn’t expect him to text till later this evening when he was headed back to campus. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Hudson and Dante together at the dance with Brittney and Khloe, but something about what Jonathon had said during our lunch really spoke to me. I was tired of hiding, tired of being scared. I was able to save myself once, and now I’m ready to live my life. Before responding to the others, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, belly button piercing winking in the light. I opened the first group message in my phone, it felt easier to speak with all of them at once instead of replying individually.

Lucie: “so, I did a thing today… Sadie dragged me to a piercing parlor.”

Cam: “What did you get?”

Logan: “oo, nice. An ear piercing?”

Lucie: “nope, something lower.”

Dante: “it’s not nice to tease firecracker.”

Landon: “you should tell me what you got… or better yet, send me a pic. Fuck the rest of them.” As per usual, winking emojis flooded my phone.

Logan: “me too!” This time he used a crying face, so dramatic, I rolled my eyes at their antics.





I bit my lip as I angled the phone up to the mirror, my arm holding my hair out of my face. Matching navy lace bra and panties clearly visible in the photo, as were my hip bones. I wasn’t ‘too’ small to be worried yet, but seeing myself in the mirror made me realize just how much I really needed to work on eating. Before I could send the picture to the twins, Sadie knocked on my door, tossing a blood red dress over the top. I was skeptical at first, but I had to admit it looked killer on the hanger and when the satin slipped over my skin, my brain stop working.

The gown was floor length with a slight train, it was fitted through the torso and hips, then flared out in a slight mermaid style. It was made of a matte fabric that was flowy and gorgeous. The sweetheart, strapless bodice was tight through my waist where a seam was and down through my hips, emphasizing my small waist and the curve of my hips. It gave me a more pronounced hourglass figure than I actually had. My ass looked amazing which was a nice bonus, and my wish token necklace paired perfectly with the dress. The gold coin sat just below my cleavage, resting against the fabric of the gown, drawing attention to the sweetheart top. I was in love. I could die in this dress and be happy.