Bookishly Ever After (Ever After #1)(48)
“I didn’t say that, but it sounds good.” I picked at a dried dot of nail polish on the carpet. “You realize I’m the worst person in the world when it comes to relationship advice, right?”
“True. Damn, it’s hard to feel upset and be on a sugar high at the same time.” She ate another spoonful of custard and pointed the spoon at me afterwards. “You’ve gotten better about not telling me how some book character solved the same problem, though.”
“Because you never listen, anyway.” To distract her, I reached over to the desk chair and pulled a little package out of my book bag. “I thought you could use some cheering up, so happy random winter holiday.”
“Breaking tradition, huh?” We usually all traded gifts on Christmas Eve at the diner over spanakopita and matzo ball soup, except for Alec’s gifts, which we usually gave to him in an eight nights of Hanukkah-style randomness. Hiding presents over eight days was probably more fun for us than for him, but it was tradition.
“This is a special situation. I still expect something from you at the diner,” I said as I handed her the gift. As she unwrapped the black and pink knit corset and held it up to see it better, I explained, “I adapted an antique pattern of Trixie’s for shaping. You can wear it on a make-up date with Wilhelm. I think it might look nice over a henley—”
Em’s smile grew the tiniest bit. “It’s perfect.” She set the corset down on her lap and played with the ribbon lacing. “I’m sorry about being so pushy lately about Dev. You know I just get that way sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“Shh. I guess a part of me wanted to keep my mind off all of this. When I can’t control things in my own life, I sort of try to fix other people’s lives. Mom says it’s just an extension of my control freak nature.” She looked up, her eyes still a little watery and her voice a tiny bit shaky as she added, “Thanks for coming, Feebs. You don’t know how nice it is to know I can count on you.”
Em was always the strong one. It was weird and hard seeing her so vulnerable. I forced a smile that I hoped was reassuring. “Always.”
29
“That is awesome,” Em said as she watched Trixie stitch the last bit of gold trim in place and start fluffing up the white blousy thing that peeked over my laced-up top. “All my sister does is steal my things.”
“The privileges of being the baby of the family,” I told her primly. “People just love to spoil me.”
I felt a pinch in my side and glared down at Trixie, who innocently hid her needle in her palm. “Just spoiling you, baby sis.” She tied off her thread and stood. “Which reminds me. You still owe me a skirt.”
I nodded towards a mound of crimson-firefly colored merino silk on my nightstand. “On the needles,” I said distractedly.
“Don’t forget our deal—one dress for one skirt.” Trixie straightened my necklace, then stepped back to check the outfit as a whole, adding, “No shiny new project syndrome allowed, okay? When things get tough or boring, you have a habit of just stopping and moving on to something new.”
“Thanks for the diagnosis, Dr. Beatrix.” I turned to take in my reflection. It was like Trixie had ripped the dress right out of the pages of the harp scene in Golden, from the golden white velvet bodice that skimmed my body snugly to the sleeves that ended in a point and hooked to my middle fingers. The short skirt tickled the back of my knees.
The girl looking back at her from the mirror was almost a stranger, an ethereally beautiful fey girl all in varying shades of gold and white.
“I’m not Phoebe, not a confused human dragged into a world where I don’t belong. I’m a changeling version of myself,” I whispered at the mirror, just like Maeve did when she put on this dress. A vision of me twirling in the snow with my cobwebby gold lace shawl popped into my head and I held back the goofy grin that would have messed up my picture-perfect Maeve-y reflection.
Em got up off of my bed and stood next to me, her sequined gold dress bright next to my gold and white outfit. “We look good, girlie.”
I smiled at her reflection and started yanking out the curlers. “Stunning enough to make Dev sorry he went with Lexie?”
My sister’s head went up sharply and her eyebrows drew together in her best Disapproving Big Sister look.
“Trying to make a guy jealous by looking awesome is a waste of a good party and a good dress,” Trixie said in a disinterested tone while walking over to her vanity. She leaned closer to the mirror to swipe on some bright red lipstick. “Just be awesome and have a great time.”
I scrunched up my nose. “Thus spoke the big sister.”
“And the voice of infinite wisdom, kid-lin.” Trixie tugged the sweater I made for her in place and rummaged through my scarf basket until she pulled up a bulky, bright red infinity scarf. “I have to go. I’m supposed to meet up with Petur at the River Rink in an hour.”
“Don’t break your neck.”
She reached out to ruffle the mess of tight curls on my head. “I’m the coordinated one, remember? I can skate and watch fireworks at the same time.” She grabbed my red mittens from where I had left them on the vanity and waved them at me as she headed out the door. “Have fun and don’t waste your time with stupid boys. Happy New Year.”