“How about we take this down like ten notches? What’s his favorite color?”
“Light blue,” she answered without having to think about it.
“Then let's try that. You don’t have to say you’re wearing it for him, but it will make him wonder.”
She worked her bottom lip between her teeth and finally agreed. I jumped up and went to her closet. She’d organized it by style, then color. Because, of course, she had. The rows of tailored pants, skirts, sweats, and tops were much more Hannah. I didn’t know where she found those outfits, but hopefully, she could return them and never think of this again.
Nothing jumped out at me at first, but I found a baby blue sundress with thin straps, a sweetheart neckline, and buttons down the front. I examined her shoe selection and found tan platform sandals.
It was still warm enough to wear summer clothes without being too cold, but it wouldn’t stay that way much longer. We needed to take advantage of that.
“Here.” I held up my selection and waited for her reaction.
She tucked her hair over her shoulder and studied the combination. “You don’t think it’s too boring?”
I shook my head and laid them on the bed. “I think it’s classy and sexy in an understated way. It will show off your curves without screaming in his face.”
Finally, a small grin appeared. “Okay. Thanks.”
“Good. Now that we have that cleared up, can we get lunch? I’m starving.”
“But what are you going to wear?” she started folding the rejected options and put them on the other bed. Huh. I hadn’t met her roommate, but the idea of her sharing a living space with someone so opposite piqued my curiosity. How did that work?
“I’ll figure it out later.” Like five minutes before we left.
Somehow, I was able to distract her for the rest of the day. We ate lunch with some of the guys. Sai and Theo were mysteriously absent, but I didn’t ask Malik or Carter about it. The last thing I needed was anyone else finding out about my crush on the shifter and hybrid. We spent the afternoon finishing homework in my room since Natasha was gone for once, and I read from the previous years’ textbooks while she flipped through magazines.
“Okay, can we start now?” she asked for the fifth time in the last thirty minutes.
I checked my watch and blew out a breath. I wanted to keep reading, but I told her she had to wait until six-thirty. It was six-thirty-three.
“Fine.” I closed the year-two history book. I knew most of the material already, but it was still good to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.
“Yay!” She sprang to her feet and rushed to my closet. “Do you have any ideas?”
I stood next to her and looked down at my white T-shirt, boyfriend jeans, and gray and white polka dot socks. “Is this not okay?”
She stared at me, and I willed myself not to crack. The struggle was so clear on her face. Whatever she wanted to say, she was using all her willpower to hold it back.
“Fine, I’ll change,” I relented, and she turned back to my clothes muttering under her breath.
“What’s your favorite feature?” She watched me in the mirror attached to the back of one of the closet doors.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
It wasn’t like I thought I was ugly, but I was self-aware enough to know I wasn’t conventionally pretty either. I lacked the feminine curves most of the girls my age had developed years before. My boobs were smarter than I was, they were A’s. At least, that was the joke I came up with to combat anyone who wanted to tease me about my underwhelming chest size. Oh, and the bubble butt that was so popular? I could do ten thousand squats a day and still my back would be as flat as my front. I was thin, but not in a way I wanted to flaunt. Muscle definition was another thing that evaded me. At least I was of average height, so I didn't stand out.
If it wasn’t for my red hair, I would have no problem blending into a crowd. I used to want to dye it brown to be like the other girls, but now I’m grateful I never did. It was something I got from my birth mom.
“Oh, come on, Saige. You’re beautiful. You have to have one thing you like showing off.”
She was wrong.
I tapped my fingertips on the side of my thighs. “I don’t think I’ve ever thought of that.”
She squinted and eyed me from head to toe and back again. “Obviously, your hair is amazing. All the money in the world couldn’t get you that much dimension.”
I smiled and fought the impulse to start braiding it.