Burned (6 page)

A slow smile spread across his face. “Yes! That’s it, exactly. Moral support would be good. You’d be doing me a huge favor. I know it’s really late notice so if you don’t think you can make it, I completely understand.”

Late notice
was a huge understatement. But I would work with that.

A favor, I was doing him a favor. I’d need to keep that in mind and not let myself get hopelessly confused wishing it was more than that. Like, oh, say a date. Why would the guy ever want to date me? I’d made him bleed. And I had lied to my best friend. I was not prime dating material these days.

“I can make it. Count me in.”

“Awesome,” he said as he got up from the table. “I’ve got to meet with a few guys from my study group for a few hours. We have to finish up an outline for a group presentation. But I won’t be gone long. Just to warn you, tonight will be a pretty ritzy affair.”

“Ritzy,” I repeated.

“Ritzy but casual,” he amended.

“Got it.” I really didn’t. I wasn’t sure that ritzy and casual actually worked together in the same sentence.

He looked at me hesitantly before disappearing through the doorway. “Do you have something to wear? I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“Sure I do,” I said.

Really, I didn’t. But that’s what shopping was for.

“You can deny it all you want to,” Paige said, “but it is
kind of
a date.”

“Fine,” I said with a laugh. “If I agree with you, will you hush and help me find a dress?”

She gave me a smug smirk in response as she returned to the deed at hand.

Shopping in Harmony Bay could not even be considered shopping. There weren’t that many places to go. I’d tried every option that would conceivably have an acceptable dress. None had. Desperate, I called Paige and she offered to drive over to Grove City with me.

As was usually the case, when I was desperate to find something I really wanted to wear, I found nothing.

“You’re being too picky,” Paige said, cutting into my thoughts. “We’ve found at least half a dozen dresses that would work.”

“I guess I liked a few,” I admitted. The problem was that I wanted to
love
the dress I was about to buy. “I need to look amazing.”

“Because this is a date and you want to impress Jake.” She smiled smugly.

“
Because
,” I started to explain, “it’s important to Jake.” I had already explained to her Jake’s reasoning for my invite. He simply didn’t want to go to the wedding alone. Who could blame him? Certainly not me.

“And you want to impress him.”

“Oh my gosh! If I agree with you, will you stop?” I asked with a laugh. “You are making way too much of this. The poor guy hasn’t been around these people for a long time. He just wants some moral support. Someone on his side.”

“A gorgeous girl on his arm.” I rolled my eyes. She ignored me and nodded. “I get it. We are going to find you the perfect…I-want-to-piss-his-ex-off dress.”

“Well,
I
don’t want to make her mad,” I argued.

“Sure you do,” she urged. “You and Jake are friends now. You want what he wants.”

I just nodded and decided to go along with it. I wasn’t entirely sure that pissing his ex off was what he was going for, but at this point, I decided it made no difference. I needed a damn dress.

She circled the rack that was separating us. Several dresses were draped over her shoulder. “Here, one of these has to work. If you want my opinion, and even if you don’t, I think this one,” she wiggled a hanger, “is going to be the one.”

I narrowed my eyes at it speculatively.

“It’s light, flirty, fun and I bet it will really bring out the color of your eyes,” she said decisively. She gave a nod, as if agreeing with herself. Her dark curls bounced.

I ran a finger across the gauzy fabric that covered the skirt. The dress was gorgeous in a soft aqua color.

“I do like this one,” I admitted.

“Try them all,” she said as she transferred the stack from her arms into mine.

With a laugh I headed off to the dressing room.

With Holly gone, Paige was the obvious person for me to ask for a bit of advice. She hadn’t complained at all even though I’d walked through a few stores without trying a single thing on. We’d had to make a quick stop at a vegan food stand so she could order a hummus and avocado wrap, then we went right back to the task at hand.

I had a feeling tonight was important to Jake in a backwards kind of way. Even though it wasn’t a date, not really, I wanted to look good for him.

Fifteen minutes and a few dresses later, I decided on the dress Paige had suggested. I walked out of the dressing room and placed the others on the rack that rested outside the door. The sales attendant would do a better job at straightening them out and putting them back than I would.

I scanned the small boutique, easily spotting Paige nestled into a chair. She grinned at the sight of the dress. Standing, she said, “I just knew that one would be perfect. You are going to look fabulous.”

“Thanks,” I said as I spotted the sales clerk heading our way. She looked pleased that I’d finally made a selection.

I paid for my purchase and as we departed the store Paige gave me a small nudge. “Do you need shoes?” she asked. We stopped in front of the boutique we’d just departed. Cars slowly crept past us on the street as a light breeze fluttered by.

I blew out a little breath of relief. “I have a silver pair I think will work.”

“Thank goodness,” she said with a teasing laugh. “I was afraid we were going to have to backtrack and hit every shoe store in town.”

“Thanks for putting up with me. I owe you,” I said as we made our way to my car.

“I’m glad you called. It was fun.”

We slid in, buckled up, and I pulled out into the lazy downtown traffic.

“Did Jake tell you about her?” Paige tapped her fingers against her knee. Her tone was full of disgust.

“A little,” I said. “I’m sure you know a lot more than I do.”

“Probably,” she said cautiously. “I grew up with Jake and Darby. We all went to school together. Tonight, maybe I should warn you about what you’re getting into. She’s a real bitch.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I got that much.”

“I suppose you did. He told you that she dumped him as soon as he got out of the hospital?” I nodded. “Where he was recovering from life threatening injuries?” I nodded again. “For someone who considers herself to be so classy, it was pretty trashy of her to go after Braden before Jake was even out of the hospital.”

Her comment piqued my curiosity. “Braden?”

“Oh. He didn’t tell you about that?” she asked with a grimace.

“He barely touched on it.”

“I guess I don’t blame him. I hate to be a gossip…but…”

“But since you brought it up, you really shouldn’t leave me hanging,” I said lightly.

“There’s not a lot to say. As soon as she found out Jake was being cut off from his inheritance—that he no longer had money—she went after someone who did. Braden’s family isn’t nearly as well-off as Jake’s but then again, most families aren’t.”

“I’m liking this girl less and less.” I frowned. “Tonight should be soooo much fun.”

“I don’t know his sister well. I’ve just met her a few times. But she seems to be a real sweetheart. His mom though? I’d avoid her if you could. She’s a real piece of work.”

I thought that over and couldn’t disagree. What kind of parent allows their child to be thrown out of the house without putting up a fight? Apparently Mrs. Frederic Cartwright. It made me sad for Jake all over again.

“And Frederic,” she said with a grimace, “I don’t even have words for him.”

“I have a few choice words for him,” I grumbled. “But I’ll refrain from using them.”

“Wow,” Paige said with a wistful smile and a subtle shake of her head.

“What?” I demanded.

“I just can’t believe that without even trying you’ve accomplished what dozens of girls have been trying to accomplish since he and Darby split.”

I shook my head. “No. I told you, it’s not like that.”

She made a face that let me know she clearly didn’t believe me. “If you say so.”

“I say so.”

It seemed as if she was done arguing with me.

“I think you should come back to my apartment to get ready,” Paige said. “I can help you with your hair. And that way Jake won’t be hovering while you’re trying to get ready at the beach house.”

“That would be awesome,” I said. I didn’t want to admit it to her, didn’t even really want to admit it to myself…but I wanted Jake to be blown away.

~*~*~

Jake looked a bit panicked when I walked in the door. I couldn’t be certain but I thought maybe he’d been pacing in the entryway. I suddenly felt bad about getting ready at Paige’s. I had purchased a new phone while we were in Grove City. But I hadn’t called Jake to let him know what I was up to. I didn’t have his number. And he didn’t have mine. I would have to remedy that problem soon. But right now, we had other things to deal with.

He scraped a hand through his hair. “I thought maybe you forgot.”

“Dude,” I said, “no. Calm down.” I reached up and carefully straightened the hair he’d mussed all up. Normally, I’d be all for the casual look. I just didn’t think it was the look he was going for tonight. It would clash with his carefully pressed suit.

“Thanks.” He self consciously patted his hair, though I had just fixed it. “Is it okay?”

“It’s perfect.” I stepped away from him. “I was just over at Paige’s getting ready. Sorry. Am I’m late?” I thought I had given myself plenty of time.

“You’re not late. When you weren’t here, I guess I was just afraid you had forgotten. Or that you were backing out.” His gaze scanned over me, head to toe and back again. “
Wow
. You look…
stunning
.”

I performed a theatrical curtsey, trying to lighten his tense mood. “Why, thank you. Are you sure I’ll make a presentable date?”

“Presentable?” He bit his lip as his eyes skimmed over me once more. “Like I said, thanks for doing this.”

“It’s no problem at all,” I scoffed. It hadn’t exactly been a
problem
. It had just been, oh, a few hundred dollars for the dress, several hours of my time shopping, and another hour or so of getting ready.

But the look on Jake’s face made it all worthwhile.

I had curled the ends of my honey-blond hair in loopy curls, and then clasped them in a low ponytail that was pulled to the side. My mass of ringlets hung over my shoulder. When it came to outdoor events I’d learned the hard way that it wasn’t wise to let my hair be left to the whim of the wind. My locks had become a tangled, windblown disaster one too many times. I wasn’t taking that chance tonight.

Paige had been right. The color of the dress really made my eyes seem vibrant, a little more green than light blue. She had intensified the look with some artfully applied eye shadow and some amazing mascara. My lashes looked impossibly long.

I kicked off my flip-flops. “Let me find some decent shoes and I’ll be ready in just a few minutes.”

I hurried down the hallway to my room. I quickly found the shoes I was looking for and slipped them on. I rummaged around in my jewelry box and pulled out the enormous diamond studs Mom had gotten me for my eighteenth birthday. I tried not to think of her as I slid them in. The neckline of the dress was ornate enough on its own. I decided to forgo a necklace. I didn’t want to ruin a good thing. I did, however, slip on a bracelet. It was a thick, silver bangle bracelet with several layers. Diamonds were encrusted on every other layer. A graduation gift from Mom.

I flipped the lid to my jewelry box shut. Almost everything in there was a piece from my mother. There was no denying she had exquisite taste in jewelry. I just wished she had exquisite taste in men. I’d give up every bit of bling in my possession if my mother would just settle down. I wished she would stop breaking men’s hearts and stop messing with mine. I’d learned early on not to get too attached to my entourage of stepdads.

I used to feel sorry for these men; poor fools had no idea what they were in for. But the last few? I had no sympathy for them. If they were chasing after a woman with a divorce dossier as long as her arm, they deserved what they got.

I just wanted no part of it.

“Lanna?”

I shook myself out of my daze. Jake sounded frazzled.

“Coming!” I called. I checked myself out in the mirror over my dresser. I was pleased at how well the look had come together. I smiled, remembering Jake’s reaction. I pulled open the door. This time I was pretty sure he’d been pacing in the hallway. The moment I opened my bedroom door he spun around and headed toward the entryway.

“Jake.”

He froze in place.

I moved toward him, and then spun him around to face me. His bicep, which I was gripping, felt like granite under my palms. Not entirely in an I-work-out sort of way. But in an I- am-stressed-to-the-max-and-tense-as-a-cornered-cat kind of way.

“What?” He breathed out heavily.

I ran my hands up and down his arms. With my heels, I was easily able to look at him, eye to eye.

“Calm. Down.”

“Right.”

He took a few deep breaths.

“You look very…sophisticated,” I told him. “You look great in a suit.”

“Thank you.”

I didn’t mean for my gaze to wonder to the cut above his temple. The Band-Aid was gone, but the cut remained. “I’m really sorry about that. Probably not the look you wanted for tonight.”

He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. Just makes me look like the badass Frederic has them convinced that I am. Looks like I got in a fight or something.”

I instantly bit my lip.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” He cringed in apology. “I was just trying to make light of it. Instead I made it worse. It’s fine.” He self-consciously touched his temple.

Really, the cut wasn’t that bad. I doubted anyone would think he got into a fight. Would they? Probably no one other than the two of us would even be aware of it.

“Lanna, it’s cool. No one’s even going to notice.” He me gave me a reassuring nudge. “Everyone will be busy looking at you.”