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“I got this,” Violet said as she nudged me out of the way, placing her outfit on top of mine and pulling out her credit card.
“Violet, that isn’t necessary. I’m capable of paying for my own things.”
“My treat,” she said, the tilt of her chin telling me she wasn’t going to relent.
“You are so annoying,” I grumbled.
“Found us shoes!” Shaw announced as she came over with several boxes. I leaned back against the counter, not expecting her to have found anything in my size. I usually had to shop in the men’s section for work boots, but if I wanted anything pretty, I typically had to special order them.
“Here, Doe,” she said, thrusting a box into my hands. “These will make your legs look amazing.”
Frowning, I slowly took hold of the box and flipped up the top. Inside was a pair of heels I wasn’t confident I would be able to walk in without breaking something—not necessarily myself, but everything around me. The bull in the middle of a china shop scenario popped into my head again, and I set the box on the counter without attempting to try them on.
Blue eyes snapped to me, and Shaw demanded, “Why aren’t you trying them on?”
“Because I can already tell you that even if they happen to fit, I’ll be too clumsy in them. I’d rather not embarrass myself, thanks.”
“You need to have more confidence in your gracefulness,” the supermodel chided gently. “The few times I’ve seen you in heels, you were a natural in them. And they looked fabulous on you. Jenner is going to take one look at you in them and want to fuck you against the nearest hard surface.”
Heat filled my cheeks, but I couldn’t help imagining my boyfriend doing just that. I wanted him to tear the dress off me and take me against the door as soon as we got home later that night, with me in nothing but the heels my friend had picked out. But I also wanted to get through the party without falling on my face or my ass or into the cake. Flats made better sense. They would keep me from towering over everyone even more than I already would, and they would ensure I didn’t make a fool of myself by tripping over anything that had the misfortune to get in the way of my huge feet.
Taking my hands, Shaw bent her head to lock gazes with me. She was the only woman I’d ever met who was taller than me, but where she was super slim and perfect, I was a giant. Shoulders, boobs, ass, thighs. Luckily, Jenner loved all my curves, but I wasn’t a fan of my own body. Too many years of being called a freak by the other girls in school had convinced me that I was basically a mutant.
“You’re going to wear that dress and these shoes, and not a single person at the party will be able to tear their eyes off you. Because you are going to be the most beautiful person there. Even without the clothes and footwear, you are gorgeous. Inside and out. No one can compare to you, Doe. Not in selflessness or beauty. You are a goddamned angel walking among us, and if I didn’t love you so much, I would be jealous of everything you are.” Her fingers tightened around mine. “Get out of your head and enjoy this day, or I’m going to have to find that twat who put such stupid thoughts into your head and slit her throat.”
“Listen to her,” Piper and Violet both said as they stood on either side of her, caging me in against the counter. “I have more money than God now,” Violet continued. “I’ll use every penny of it to track down that skank and make sure no one ever finds her body.”
Violet was the sweetest person I knew, so if she was contemplating getting rid of bodies, then I knew it was time to move on with this shopping adventure before people started popping up unalived.
“Her entire future has already been flushed down the drain. I think she’s gotten her karma for how she treated me.” I pulled my hands free from Shaw’s hold and grabbed one of the heels. Kicking off the sandal I had on, I stepped into the heeled shoe before doing the same with the other.
When I didn’t immediately wobble, I accepted that Shaw was right—just like I had to accept everything else that had been thrown at me in recent months—and added the box to the counter for the saleswoman to ring up. “I’m paying for these.”
“No way!” Violet was so much smaller than me, but she stepped in my way like a fierce tigress. Damn Luca for teaching her how to look like a scary linebacker about to charge the offense. “Everything is on me today.”
“Vi, it’s just a party.”
“A party that is partially in your honor,” she corrected. “I’m paying for everything, and you’re going to let me.” Her bottom lip pouted out, and she looked up at me with her pretty purple eyes. “Please?”
And damn me for not being able to say no. To anyone, apparently.
“How does Luca put up with you?” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.
Her pout turned into a wicked grin, and she looked down at the huge rock on her hand, but it was Piper who answered. “I think the question should be, how does Vi put up with Luca?”
“We both have our moments.” Violet scribbled her name across the bottom of the receipt the saleswoman gave her as she returned her card. “But we make up for it in the bedroom.”
Chapter 2
Doe
We met Mom and Pixie at the spa, where we spent the next few hours being pampered before the party. It wasn’t being held at my parents’ house, but at a local restaurant, and since Mom had hired a party planner to handle everything, she was able to relax rather than stress over any last-minute hiccups.
As we all sat together getting pedicures, I watched Mom and Pixie whispering and giggling together, and it made me smile. I loved how close they had become over the months since I’d introduced them. Pixie hadn’t had a stable parent growing up, just as Jenner hadn’t. She’d basically raised herself. But as she’d endured her final battle with cancer, she’d learned to lean on my mom, who’d gone through a similar journey in her teens.
The two of them had bonded, and I was glad the woman I considered an older sister had become a huge part of my family. Mom had basically adopted Pixie, including her in every family function, down to making sure that she came to dinner at least once a week at the farm. Sometimes Pixie brought Dr. Contreras with her, but more often than not he was working, so she came alone. With my brothers away at college, it was typically only my parents, Pixie, Jenner, and me at our family dinners. It made missing my brothers easier to handle when I stepped into my childhood home.
Once everyone was glammed up and dressed, two blacked-out SUVs were waiting on us outside the spa. One of the drivers was Vi’s new bodyguard, Brady. He was a quiet man in his forties, but he took great care of Vi and Love Bug when they had to go anywhere without Luca. His eyes were always shifting, looking for possible dangers, making it impossible to feel comfortable saying anything other than a murmured “Hi” to the man.
