Page 72 of Better Than the Movies
I furrowed my eyebrows right back at her. “Why?”
“Seriously?”
I shrugged and felt like I’d been busted looking at dirty pictures. “Wes, okay? He texted me about the paint on the side of my car.”
Jocelyn knew about the paint because I’d texted her when I hit the pole, so she wasn’t fazed by that revelation. But her face lit up and she said, “You and Wes text each other now?”
“Not really.” I cleared my throat and tried to remember what I’d told her before the basketball outing. “It’s just been a couple times and it’s totally casual.”
“Yeah, right. You aren’t fooling me, by the way.” She hung the dresses on a hook and put her hands on her hips. “Even though you’re acting all cool, you like-like Wes Bennett.”
“I do not.” I didn’t! My emotional responses to Wes were all about his connection to my mother and the fact that we were partners in crime.
That was it.
“Oh, yes, you do. You’ve been daydreaming all day long, every time you’ve tried on a dress.” Her eyes narrowed and she said, “Oh my god—you better not ditch me for Wes.”
“Shut up.” My stomach got tight when she gave me that little preview of just how unhappy she’d be if Michael asked me to prom. “I’m not ditching you for Wes.”
But I might do it for Michael.God, I was a garbage friend.
“Well, you have some boy on the mind, and if it isn’t dear Wesley, then who is it?”
Part of me wanted to come clean and just tell her. Who cared if she thought my plan was a bad idea? Perhaps it was time.
But just as that thought was firing up, I heard Helena and Joss’s mother laughing out by the big mirror. They sounded like two moms, happily waiting on their daughters, and that brought all of my screwed-up emotions rushing back.
Nope. I just couldn’t find the fortitude for a disagreement, not there in the fitting room at Ralph’s Department Store. It wouldn’t be so bad to double down on the Wes thing, would it? I mean, technically hewasthe one who’d been on my mind all day. It was totally within the realm of believability that I had a tiny crush on Wes that would ultimately not pan out, right?
I dragged a hand through my hair. “I’m still trying to figure it out, okay? I totally have fun when I’m with Wes, but he’s also not my type and—”
“What do you mean, not your type? Because he’s not some character who writes poetry and knows what your favorite flower is?”
I hated when she did that. When she reduced me to a lovesick, airheaded child. I said, “It doesn’t even matter because we’re just talking, okay?”
“Okay.” She gave me a funny grin, and the emotional roller coaster I’d just enjoyed a three-minute ride on went undetected. “My money’s on Bennett, though. If anyone can slip in and shake up your romantic notions, it’s Wes.”
I rolled my eyes and remembered what Helena had said earlier. “I think you’re making thiswaymore of a thing than it is.”
“We’ll see. Now try on the dresses.”
She slammed the door behind her, and I pushed the lock over. Before I started in on the dresses, I grabbed my phone and replied to the previous text, knowing my response was a lie.
Me: Jocelyn and I had planned on going together, but I’m sure she’ll understand if I get asked by someone I care about.
Just putting it into the universe could make it true, right?
I pulled on the first dress, a long red sparkly thing that could probably be seen from space, and giggled at my reflection. I looked like a pageant contestant who’d lost her makeup bag and hair supplies. From the shoulders down—good. From the shoulders up—not so much.
My red hair totally clashed with the dress.
I went out to the three-way mirror anyway and spun for my fans, who agreed.
“But the style issomuch better than the ones you tried earlier.” Helena put her hands together like she was praying. “Praise Jesus, I feel like we’re getting close.”
When I got back to the fitting room, I glanced at my phone before changing.
Wes: Why don’t you like dress shopping? That seems like your jam.
