Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals, #1)(77)

31





Wednesday afternoon is my first outing.

It’s been a week of nothing but staying home, trying not to move. Riley and Caleb visit, but they have other obligations. School, for one. I’ve been doing my due diligence on the homework, keeping up with my classmates even while I’m away. It staves off some of the boredom.

Now, I’m free.

Tomorrow I’ll return to school—a daunting idea that I refuse to think about.

Riley and Lenora frame me in as we walk toward the dress shop in the mall. This particular store carries special, one-of-a-kind dresses. Some are unusual, but there are diamonds in the rough.

That’s what Lenora said, anyway.

We walk in, and I immediately start to doubt her. The first six dresses that catch my attention are horrible: bright colors and ruffles, gaping holes in the sides, velvet and shoulder pads.

“Don’t judge,” Lenora admonishes, touching my shoulder. “We’ll find a gem.”

I told them that Caleb had picked out a mask for me, but I didn’t know what sort of dress I wanted. Lenora had swooned at that—literally, she thought it was adorable and charming of him. I’m not sure how he got on her good side so easily.

And Riley… she got a mischievous gleam in her eyes. When I questioned her in the car, she merely shrugged. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy. But I’ll let you know if you’re going in the wrong direction.”

I grit my teeth and went with it.

Dress shopping is weird. We spread out around the store. I run my hands across fabrics I have no right to be touching. Some are soft, some are shimmery.

When I was a kid, at the age where my parents could’ve dressed me in whatever cute outfits they wanted, it was overalls and sneakers. I ran, skinned my knees, played pee-wee baseball with the boys at eight. Minus the one time I forced Caleb to play dress-up with me…

I pause in the corner of the room, my hand on my chest. It’s overwhelming. If only my parents could see me now: Shopping to go to a ball with a boy. And not just any boy—Caleb Asher.

“Find anything?” Lenora asks behind me.

I turn around, blinking rapidly.

She must see the expression on my face, something like panic and dread, because her smile drops. She steps closer. “What’s wrong?”

“I just…” I swallow. “I never saw myself doing this.”

She nods. “You didn’t have much opportunity before this?”

“No boys paid attention to me,” I say. “It was like they were all afraid to touch the foster kid.” I tried not to let it bother me. But sometimes, your only friends are the ones you’re in the trenches with.

Riley comes over, oblivious to our conversation. She has a few dresses draped over her arms and a wide smile. “Listen, I grabbed a few for you and some for me because half the fun is trying them… Are you okay?”

I wipe at my face. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Lenora smiles. “Let’s see the dresses!”

Riley holds up the first one. It’s pale blue, tight-fitting past the hips, and then it flares. Silk with lace covering it, it’s…

“You could try it on,” Lenora says, nudging me.

“What else?”

Riley laughs. “This one is my favorite.” She doesn’t lift it up, though. She just shoves it into my arms and propels me toward the dressing room. “Trust me.”

I exhale. “Fine.”

There are no mirrors in this dressing room. I manage to close it and let my hair fall over my shoulders. I take a moment to look down at the dress, the color of thunderclouds.

Here goes nothing.

I step out, and they immediately jump up. Riley bounces, a wide smile splitting her face.

“That good?” I ask.

Lenora steers me to the three-sided mirror, and I’ll admit: even my heart skips.

It’s… perfect.

The top is fitted, with mini glass beads sewn in spirals around the waist. It flares out gracefully and stops at my knees. The neckline is high enough that I feel secure, but the fact that it’s backless is sexy. I spin, giggling, because the dress floats around me.

“Beautiful,” Lenora tells me. “Do you like it?”

I stop and stare at myself in the mirror. I try to imagine what sort of mask Caleb picked to make Riley suggest this dress. But honestly, I don’t know. I couldn’t guess.

I feel beautiful. Maybe with my hair up in a braid…

The tag dangles under my armpit. I glance at the price, and my eyes nearly pop out. Anger floods through me. “No.”

“You… don’t?”

I glare at Riley. “Why would you pick such an expensive dress? I can’t—”

Lenora comes over and leans down, reading the price.

Tears prick my eyes. I like this one. I feel pretty for once in my freaking life. And yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have fallen in love with a few yards of fabric, but...

“It’s okay,” Lenora says. “I’ve got it.”

“What?” I whisper. I can barely see.

“I’m buying it.” She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “So wipe those tears, Margo girl. You’re getting the dress.”

I stare at myself in the mirror.