“Strict?” Shit. I had a feeling strict was code for “really formal” and the nicest thing I brought on this trip were my extra thermal LL Bean boots.
“Don’t worry Sienna and Charlotte brought a bunch of extra clothes you can borrow. And a surprise for Josie.”
I try my hardest to let Jake’s words comfort me and silence the voice in my head that’s screaming and wondering, what the hell did I get myself into coming on this trip?
“Eliana, you have to see this. It's the cutest thing ever.” Sienna drags me inside her and Charlotte’s room inside the massive suite. Josie is posing in front of a full-length mirror, decked out in a sparkly plaid pink jacket and skirt combo.
When she notices me, she breaks out into a massive smile and gives me a spin. “Ellie! Look at the outfit Sienna got me. I feel like I’m ready to rock a red carpet.” She poses in front of the mirror as I try to stifle my laugh.
“Sienna, you really didn’t have to?—”
“It’s a Christmas gift! Santa just came a few days early. Now, let’s get big sis sorted. Josie and I thought long and hard about this, and we landed on evergreen being your color. Not that you don’t look incredible in other colors, but we really think this one is absolutely meant for you.”
Sienna slides open the closet door and pulls out the most stunning velvet dress I’ve seen in my life. The soft material goes on for days, and from the shape of the dress, I can tell it would hug me in all the right places. I can’t even stop myself fromtaking the hanger from Sienna’s hands and holding it in front of me as I face the mirror. “It’s stunning.”
“And it’ll go perfectly with these shoes.” Josie peaks her head in and lays down a pair of black heels with red bottoms in front of me.
My heart squeezes as I take in her excitement. We didn’t have a lot of moments where we could do simple things like dress up and just be sisters. So much of our relationship was me stepping up to serve as the responsible mom, and sometimes it was hard to step back and enjoy the moments where I could be a normal older sister.
“It’s perfect. This is all perfect.” I beam while turning around to bring Josie and Sienna into a massive hug.
“Then go get dressed so I can do your makeup. Time is money!”
I lay the outfit on the bed and walk into the bathroom so Sienna can apply my makeup. If I spent this long on my makeup, I know I’d look like a clown. Before I can say as much to Sienna, she’s hitting me with the setting spray. She refuses to let me look in the mirror until I have the dress on. Jake stumbles in a moment later with a wicked smile on his face, as his eyes wander down the length of my body.
“Sienna drew a mustache on my face didn’t she?”
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, cradling my face in his hands. His words and besotted expression make me feel like the most special person in the whole world. Even with my heels on, I still need to stretch a bit as I lean in to kiss him.
I’m yanked away by Sienna before our lips can connect. “Oh no, you’re not ruining all my hard work. Plus, we’re already running late.”
Jake lets out an annoyed noise and sends me a wink as we all shuffle out the room and to the restaurant.
Chapter 42
Eliana
“Why is the center pink?” Josie leans over as she attempts to whisper.
“It’s a filet mignon. What did you think it was going to look like?”
“I don’t know! It sounded fancy and everyone else got it, so I figured it would be yummy.”
“It’s just medium rare. Totally safe to eat.” I try to console her.
“Rare? Like uncooked?!” She crinkles her nose, and I swear she starts to turn green.
Worrying my lip in between my teeth, I search desperately for a waiter and hope that Jake’s parents don’t notice. The last thing I wanted was to make a scene or have them think we didn’t appreciate their hospitality.
“Hey Josie, wanna trade?” Jake reaches over to swap Josie’s plate for another piled with chicken tenders, fries, and ranch. Her favorite.
“You see Jake, I knew I always liked you.” Josie beams.
I stifle a snort, remembering their first interaction. Jake reaches underneath the table and gives my hand a squeeze.
“I didn’t even know that was an option. When did you order chicken tenders?”
“When the waiter announced that the main course was a filet mignon and you looked like you were about to have an aneurysm. I asked the waiter if there was something else the kitchen could whip up for picky eaters. Now, eat your dinner beforeIhave an aneurysm about you not eating enough.” He nods his chin to my untouched dinner.
