“My father.”
“Crap, Jase, really?”
And then, she pulled me into her arms, and I held onto her tightly, breathing her in. Her hands were hypnotizing and instantly calmed my rage as she raked them gently through my hair, staying there with me on the gritty rock and sand until the sounds of the races faded and everybody left.
We found Joey a while later and the three of us walked the bikes home. I didn’t let her go back to find Mason; she didn’t even mention him, anyway. And my dad, he pretended like nothing had happened.
That weekend, Charlie dragged Joey and me for a forty-minute bus ride to get to the Queens Center Mall to search for theperfect friggin' dress.
The old prissy-ass saleslady led us to the back of the shop and sat us on these deep, red, lounge chairs, where she promptly told us to remove our drinks and walked away, grabbing tons of fru-fru stuff off hangers. Taking all the dresses in one hand, she threw them to Charlie in the fitting room in front of us.
“What the heck just happened?” Joey whispered.
I shrugged, “I don’t know, but…” I pointed toward the fitting room doors and gave him a huge smile, “Charlie’s gettingundressedright behindthatdoor.” I sipped on my drink loudly. There was no way I was throwing it away just because the old hag thought she could tell me what to do.
Joey whipped his head around from the door to me and smirked, “Yes, Jase. Charlieisgettingundressedright behindthatdoor to get aDRESSto go withANOTHER GUYto a dance!” Then, he shoved me in the arm, making me almost spill my drink all over myself.
Why couldn’t he just let me have my fantasy?
After a few minutes, we heard the latch on the fitting door unlock and out stepped Charlie. And then Ididspill my drink all over me. I didn’t even move to clean it up either. I just.Sat. In. It.
She stood there with beautiful, blushing cheeks and this silky black dress that hugged every curve and line of her body. I couldn’t swallow. I couldn’t find my tongue. And, I couldn’t look away.
“So, what do you guys think?” she said, blushing a deeper red. “I really like it, but I don’t know what Mason will like.”
“Whoa, she’s smokin’hot, Jase,” Joey mumbled under his breath.
“Ah,” I agreed.
“Guys?” Charlie asked.
“I mean, like, she’s hot-hot, Jase. And, she’sCharlie,” Joey whispered again.
“Gah-ah,” I agreed, again.
“Guys, come on. Please let me know what you think,” she said, balling her fists.
I mumbled something incoherently. I didn’t even understand what the heck I was trying to say. Joey mumbled something back to me; apparently, we spoke the same language.
“Can you two speak louder?” Charlie hissed.
“Spin around,” I said seriously.
She turned her body slowly around. She wasperfect.
“Holy shit, even Charlie’s ass ishot, Jase,” Joey whispered.
“Okay, now shut up,” I whispered back.
“Hurry up, guys! We’re supposed to be going to Ava’s after this, and I really want to have your opinion!” she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. My God, that just made her chest plump up more.
Couldn't focus. Could not focus.
Joey offered me a small nudge with his elbow, lifting a brow for encouragement. Standing, he said, “Charlie, you look really...pretty...like a girl. I’m going to wait outside. Jase needs to say some stuff to you.”
What? What a dick move. How thehellam I supposed to get him back for that? I thought about telling Ava Marie every sappy thing he ever told me about her.
Then, my thoughts got all jumbled and confused, because Charlie was still standing there in front of me, wearing the sexiest dress I’d ever seen. Just watching me. Waiting for me to talk.
