Anger clouds Kelsey’s eyes at Hads's blunt explanation before she shoves the dress she chose on a rack in the changing room we’ve kept occupied for an hour.
“Lake, tell them.” My best friend looks to our cousin.
“It’s pretty.” Lake Sutton is the most attractive girl I’ve ever seen. With her startling blue eyes, snow-white hair, natural ruby red lips, and porcelain skin, she drives all the boys wild, but she doesn’t care about any of it. A couple of years ago, something happened. Nobody knows what, and she refuses to tell. I think a lot of that has to do with Saint Rivers. Deadlier than his father, Carver, Saint has been in love with Lake from the day she was born.
Or so I’m told.
“She needs more than that, Lake.” Hads drops down onto the bench next to her. “She looks fuckable. Edible. Lickable.”
“Hadley,” I groan. My best friend is a bit on the wild side, sometimes, and she never holds back what she’s thinking. I love that about her. When it’s not directed towards me.
“What?” she shrugs. “The twins have been dying to get their hands on you for a long time, even if they won’t admit it. You have all summer to explore everything with them before you decide whether you’re going to college or not. Give them a chance, Aria; not everyone ishim.” Hadley has never been able to say his name since that night. Tristan lives between us like a dirty secret.
I know Hadley crushed on him around the time he decided to obsess about me. She even tried to intervene a couple of times, but it was like she was invisible to him. And while she’s never expressed it out loud to me or anyone else, I know she feels guilty. I hate that for her. Hadley is one of the best people I know and doesn’t deserve the guilt hanging on her shoulders.
“Turn again,” Lake says, her eyes darting side to side to make sure nobody else heard her.
I do as requested, and this time, I quietly admire myself in the mirrors. That's how I catch the look on Kelsey’s face.
Lust.
For me.
The red silk shows far more skin than it covers, and with the way her eyes crawl across my flesh, I can almost feel the caress. Suddenly, the last few weeks make sense now. As well as her animosity towards Seven and Severo.
“They will love it,” Lake finally comments as my gaze drops from watching Kelsey. I don’t know if I should say something to her or leave it.
“Alright,” I agree half-heartedly. “Did they say where we were going?” Hadley got a text about twenty minutes after the pie fiasco and immediately hit me up to shop.
“Nope. Which is even more exciting!” Jumping up, she claps her hands before leaving the curtained area in search of who knows what.
Dropping down next to Lake, I clasp her fidgeting hand in mine, entwining our fingers. I know she’s barely here, lost in a world all her own, suffering. The fidgeting is how I know it’s super bad. That she’s almost lost to us.
“Thank you,” she whispers, pressing her forehead to my bare shoulder, and I can feel how warm she is.
“I can’t believe you’re going to do this.” Kelsey’s voice penetrates our little bubble. “Do you know how slutty you’re being?”
Lake tenses next to me. Neither of us does well with confrontation; that’s Hadley’s department. “Kels, what is going on with you lately?” Letting go of Lake, I stand in front of her.
“Me?” she scoffs. “What about you? You get a little bit of attention from those two, and suddenly, you’re this ginormous slut.” The words sting. I've been afraid people would see me like that, being with two men. I didn’t think I would care, but hearing the words from a friend hits differently.
“You don’t mean that.” I try to hide my insecurity, but I’m not sure it works because she strikes with the accuracy of a sharp knife.
“Yes, I do. You had Tristan wrapped around your finger. But he saw you for what you really are. A dirty whore. So he threw you out like the trash you are.” Blinking, I don’t know what to say or do. I’ve never seen Kelsey be cruel to anyone before.
Soft fingers grasp my hips, and I feel Lake standing behind me. Before either of us can say a word, though, Hadley is storming through the curtain with a bag in her hand. A thunderous look of rage on her face. I almost feel sorry for Kelsey.Almost.
“You fucking bitch. Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? If not for Aria, this year would have been shit for you. Nobody gave a fuck about you until she sat with you. And now you want to comment on things you know nothing about?” A sinister laugh I’ve never heard from Hadley erupts from her chest. “If you aren’t out of here in the next three seconds, I’m going to snap your little twig neck and piss down your throat.”
Kelsey’s angry gaze darts between the three of us before she huffs and storms out, knocking a rack over on her way.
“What the hell happened?” Hadley asks us. Glancing back at Lake, we both shrug.
“I have no idea. She just went off on me. Telling me I was a slut because I’m getting all dressed up for two men.” I can’t hide my disappointment. She attacked every raw nerve inside me with her comments. All my fears brought to light in one breath.
“She’s just jealous.” Hadley tries to reassure, but I don’t know.
“Maybe,” I sigh, remembering the look she gave me when she thought no one was watching her.