“I didn’t forget,” I said, waving a hand. “That doesn’t explain why you’re dressed like that. Since when do you dress up for parties?”
“Everyone dresses nicely for a party, Gabriella. I don’t want to look like a sore thumb.” She pulled her boots on and grabbed her jacket. “I have to head out for a bit. I’m doing a short shift, and then I’ll be back around three. Are you coming with me, or are you and Mr. hubby going to make an appearance together?”
I glared at her, hating how easily she cracked the jokes about us. “I hope you trip on some ice on your way out.”
She smirked, proud of herself. “Love you.” She slipped out, and I threw myself back on the couch. I stared at the ceiling, not sure what to do with myself.
Lying there in the silence made me think about all the other times Westley and I sat together. I missed the times when we would whisper to each other, telling jokes and tales. I missed when he snuck in blankets, and I read a couple of chapters of a book to him. We snacked on pretzels and cheese together while he tried to read me short snippets from some history book he was glancing through.
I couldn’t help but smile. I had felt so connected to Westley just from those short times together. When he looked at me, it made me feel seen. He never judged me, never questioned me. It was peaceful.
I groaned as I thought of going to a party and having to put on a face like everything was fine with him. I felt like I was walking on a wire and any second, everything was going to come crashing down.
I pulled myself up and headed into my bedroom, finding I should look for something to wear to this party to begin with. Iopened my closet and rummaged through my clothes, but found nothing to wear. I had summer clothes but nothing dressy for winter. I paused and headed out my door. I leaned out and stared at Hazel’s door. We borrowed clothes back and forth, but we didn’t have the same taste, so it wasn’t often.
I headed into her room and went to her closet. I flicked her light on, taking in tons of darker clothes and high heels. Hazel had a darker aesthetic, while I liked wearing brighter colors.
I flipped through her clothes, scrunching my nose up at most of what she had hanging, but I paused when I found a long, deep burgundy dress. It was a thin material, but I could see it had fleece lining on the inside.
I pulled the dress off the rod and stared at it. The dress had a sweetheart neckline, and she had a black blazer paired with it. There was a gold necklace wrapped around the hook with a black pendant.
I swallowed, looking back at her clothes to see if there was anything else. Nothing caught my attention, so I looked back at the dress. Hazel wouldn’t mind if I wore it, but the dress itself was different.
I took it to my room and stripped down. I slid the dress on and turned, looking at myself in the mirror. I had to admit, it looked nice. The dress clung to me tightly, and it was warm. I would just need to wear a pair of tights, and I had a pair of black boots to go with them.
I decided to do my hair and put some effort into looking nice for this. Westley and I would be making an appearance, and since he was good friends with Brandon, I figured I should look the part.
I was just finishing pinning my hair up when I heard the front door. I hurried and rounded the corner. I paused when I spotted Hazel instead of Westley. I hadn’t seen him all day, and I figured maybe he would be home by now.
Hazel paused as she spotted me, raising an eyebrow. “Is that mine?”
“Yeah, I’m borrowing it. I didn’t have anything in my closet to wear.”
She shrugged, not bothered. “Well, you look ready. Are you going with Westley?”
I chewed on my cheek, knowing the party would start soon. Maybe he was going to head over right away instead of coming home. I should have probably messaged him, but it felt weird to act like our fight didn’t happen.
“I think he’s going to just meet me there so I can drive with you.”
Hazel slipped out of her shoes and headed into the kitchen. “Really? Or have you two not spoken yet?”
I groaned. “Would you just mind your own business?”
I heard her laugh as she came back with a gift bag. “No. Why can’t you two just get along? You guys used to hang out all the time before this, so it shouldn’t be hard.”
I didn’t want to have to explain everything to my sister. How I liked Westley and our time together had been special. She knew that Westley stopped showing up, but she didn’t know how much it bothered me. I knew she would side with me, and it would only make this situation even more uncomfortable.
“Again, mind your own business.”
Hazel shrugged. “Well, if you’re coming with me, let’s go.”
I followed her out the door, where she paused and waved her finger at the dress. “And this looks nice on you. You should dress up more often. Makes it look like you have boobs.”
I scoffed. “You’re cruel. I have clothes that show my boobs.”
She snorted. “No, not like this. You don’t present them.”
“Just walk,” I said as I waved my hands. “Or you’re going to make us late.”
