Page 102 of The Lies I've Told
She nodded. “I still have it. It was hanging in the closet in our room for the longest time, and I found it when I went to clean it out before Cora and Lizzie used the rooms last year. It’s hanging in my closet now, if you ever want to try it on again.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please, like it’d even fit.”
She gave me a hard stare. “Don’t even, little sister. Your figure hasn’t budged an inch since high school. Don’t ask me how, considering the crap you eat, but I’m quite certain that dress would look just as good on you now as it did back then.”
“Hmm, I would like to take it down to Rita’s shop and show it to her before she closes up, for old time’s sake. When I was down there a few weeks ago, she mentioned it. It would be kind of fun to even give it to her as a going-away present.”
“She would love that. You were always her favorite, growing up.”
“I know,” I said, looking down at my sketches. “She tried to get me to work in the store on several occasions, but I was terrified of getting tied down. I didn’t want anything standing in the way of my exit strategy.”
Molly simply rolled her eyes, but then something changed. Like a lightbulb flipping on inside her head. “What if you bought the store?”
My brows furrowed and I wondered if, instead of a lightbulb turning on, it had actually exploded instead.
“Say what now?”
She turned, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to me. I guess this was going to be a deep conversation.
“Hear me out, okay? You’re unemployed, right?”
“Yep, thanks for pointing that out again. By the way, why hasn’t Mom or Dad said anything about the fact that I’ve been home for weeks without any plans to go back to Florida?”
My sister’s face turned red.
“You told them, didn’t you?”
“Maybe. But don’t be—”
“Honestly, I don’t even care. I mean, what was I going to do? Keep lying? One can only have so much vacation saved up. But please tell me you at least kept the part about my boss to yourself?”
“Yes. Oh God, yes. Mom and Dad do not need to know about you boinking your boss. Dad would have a heart attack for sure.”
I made a sour face. “Could you please refrain from using the wordboinkaround my niece? Or anyone. Gross.”
She laughed. “Anyway, back to the store. I heard from someone in town that she still doesn’t have a buyer, which means the store will be empty after she leaves in September. It’s a perfect situation.”
“For what?” I asked, feeling butterflies beginning to flutter in my stomach. I didn’t like where my sister was headed with this.
“For you to take over, silly! Or totally start anew. Sell your own designs!”
“Do you have any idea how long it takes to create an entire line of clothing, let alone get it into production?”
“No,” she said. “I really don’t have a clue, but I’m sure you do. I’m sure you have all the skills, Millie.”
She looked at me, really looked at me, with those bright blue eyes that matched my own.
“This is crazy,” I said. “I don’t even know if I want to move back to Ocracoke.” My gaze drifted to the shed.
To Aiden.
There were too many unanswered questions to begin with. His life was in New York.
But, for the meantime, he was here.
Would he stay after the memorial was completed?
There was that doubt again.
