Kelly flips the page, then another, fingers practically shaking with excitement. “These are the ones I’m thinking of for the bridal party.”
My chest tightens before the page even settles.
The dresses are… a lot. Or very little considering how revealing they are.
Low-cut. Backless. Sleek in a way that assumes the body wearing it was designed specifically for the dress, not the other way around. The bridesmaids on the page are tall and willowy with confident smiles and bodies to back it up.
“Isn’t that color amazing?” Kelly says. “It’ll look so good in photos.”
Mom nods approvingly. “Very elegant.”
I stare at the page, imagining myself in that dress.
Half my boobs hanging out the front. The backless cut showing the bulges under my arms and everything else I spend half my life trying to suck in or cover up. And my ass—geez, my ass. There’s no way to hide it in a dress like that. There’s no fabric forgiving enough. No room for breathing.
I swallow.
“They’re… really nice,” I say, carefully.
Kelly tilts her head. “You don’t sound convinced.”
“No, I am,” I say quickly. “I just—wow. Bold choice.”
She grins. “I wanted something fun.”
Fun for who?
Mom reaches over and pats my arm. “You’ll look lovely, sweetheart.”
I nod, even though my brain is already cataloging every reason that’s not true. Kelly can wear dresses like that. She’s always been supermodel material. Always looking like she stepped out of a magazine instead of being judged by one.
Kelly doesn’t see things the way I do. She’s never had to.
“You okay?” she asks, finally noticing my silence.
“Yeah,” I say, too fast. “Just tired.”
Which isn’t a lie. I’ve worked out with Grey for three nights in a row and my body’s screaming at me to call it quits. No way on earth I can now. Not after seeing what I’ll need to squeeze into.
My stomach growls again, louder this time, and Kelly laughs. “Someone’s hungry.”
I smile weakly. “I was going to grab a snack.”
Mom gestures to the counter. “There are cookies, but don’t spoil your appetite. Pot roast for dinner.”
I glance at the cookies. then back at the magazine. At the dresses. At Kelly’s excited face.
The thought of eating anything right now makes my throat tighten.
“I think I’m going to change first,” I say. “I’ve been out all day.”
Kelly nods, already flipping back through the magazine. “Okay! But come back—I want to show you the shoes.”
“Sure,” I say.
I turn and head down the hallway toward Dad’s office, my stomach still growling, my head buzzing, the image of that dress burned into my brain.
No snacks for me. Right now, I just need to breathe and get in another workout.
