I whip around to my phone, eyes wide with Pure. Unfiltered.Panic.
Macy’s face immediately registers my distress. “What’s going on? What’s wrong? Who is it?”
“It’s Easton!” I hiss, trying to keep my voice down, even though my pulse is screaming in my ears. “At the door!”
“Why?!”
I think I’m gonna faint.
He knocks again, and suddenly the only reasonable option seems to be hiding in my closet. Or climbing out the window.
Not in this dress, you don’t…
“Harper?” he says through the door. “Your dad said I could come upstairs. Um. Is that okay?”
“What in the flipping hell is he doing there?” Macy whisper-hisses, arms flailing.
“I have no idea,” I whisper-hiss back, scanning my room as if I might find a way out of this nightmare. I consider the window again.
The dress suddenly feels too tight. Too formal. Too heavy.
Too everything.
Oh.
My.
GAWD!
“I knew it was bad luck to put this stupid thing on.” My hands fumble, trying to get the zipper down so I can get this dumb dress off. “Why did I let you talk me into this!”
“Donotblame me for this!” she argues, the tiny butterflies on her shoulder straps mocking me.
There’s another knock. “Harper?” Silence. “You in there?”
He’s pressing his ear to my door, I just know it!
Macy is delighted by this. Practically buzzing. Who wouldn’t be? This tea is piping hot.
I stare at her, wide-eyed, mouthing,What do I do?!
She just shrugs, thoroughly enjoying my meltdown. “Stick your head out the door and tell him to leave.”
Leave? Hell no!
“Macy, I don’t want him to leave!” The confession slips out of my mouth before I can stop it. Even though I have no clue why he’s here, I’m surprised by how much I do not want him to leave.
Also: I don’t want him to see me like this—caught in the most absurd, embarrassing situation ever—but the idea of making him leave and missing this chance to talk to him feelsworse.
Macy’s eyebrows shoot up. “I see how it is. I was right! You’re totally into him.”
“You are not helpful,” I grind out miserably, pressing my palms to my flaming cheeks. “Help me! What am I supposed to say?!”
Macy snickers again.
“Maybe start with ‘Hey, I’m not ready yet. Gimme five’?”
“Right. So I don’t act like I’m casually putting on a prom dress for fun.”
