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Her eyes shot up to mine, and I knew right then and there that I’d hit the nail on the head. Aydin should’ve fought harder, but he did try once, didn’t he? He came for her.
She stood up straight, and I wrapped my ponytail around my fist, creating an updo as I looked at myself in the mirror.
“We’re two of a kind, you know?” I told her. “Both too stubborn for our own good. He came after you, but your heart had steeled, and there was nothing to do except keep putting one foot in front of the other and never look back, right?”
I knew her, because I knew myself. We were the same.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she shook her head to herself. “I would’ve liked to make love to him just once.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Because he wouldn’t pay for it,” she shot back, her eyes full of pride.
Pain hit my heart.
I dropped my ponytail and wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her tight. Her body stayed frozen for a moment, but then I felt her melt and she released a quiet sob against my shoulder.
I squeezed her more, tucking my face into her neck as she wrapped her arms around me, too.
I’d wasted so much time being afraid of everything—holding a grudge, letting my pride lead me—but there was nothing to lose in going for it. This was it. We had one shot. They were destroying each other like Will and I did, but the worst of it was she might not have another chance with Aydin.
I got lucky.
We held each other for another minute, and then she sniffled and pulled back, wiping her tears.
“Shit,” she whispered, looking up and down my body. “He’s going to be hard in three seconds when he sees you in this, you know?”
I laughed, immediately seeing Will in my head getting a look at me dressed all hot for the first time ever. I might sit far away from him at this wedding and really let him suffer.
I turned and took in the fit as I envisioned my hair down with some curls. I felt beautiful.
“You and Will have been close,” I told her. “Best friends.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Em.”
“I know.” That wasn’t what I was implying. “I trust you.”
I met her eyes in the mirror as she fluffed the gown and checked the waist.
“I have to ask you to do something for me,” I said.
She nodded. “I’m on it. What is it?”
I opened my mouth to tell her, but then I heard someone call me from outside of the dressing room. “Emory, are you okay?”
“Uh…” I looked to Alex and back toward the drapes, realizing we didn’t have time for this right now. “We’ll talk later,” I told Alex and then shouted, “Yeah, coming.”
We stepped out of the dressing room, Erika still on the riser, and I gazed at Banks and Winter, both standing in their beautiful dresses fit for the Oscars.
Rika smiled at me. “It fits you perfectly.”
“I’ll take up the hem a little, I think,” the tailor, with the brown bun on top of her head and a black blouse buttoned up to her neck, said.
“Do you have time?” Rika asked.
“I’ll get it done.”
Rika nodded at her, and I stepped closer, spinning around in front of the mirrors.
