AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stood in front of my bedroom mirror examining every angle of the dress I’d been waiting months to wear. A waterfall of dark teal silk spilled down my body, accentuating my thin waist and hugging my hips before softly falling to the floor. Whilst modest at the front, the back dipped devilishly low, and I wondered how Jake would react.
My beautiful sunburst guitar caught my sight in the reflection and it called to me. It filled my arms perfectly, and I decided to have a quick play to fill my time and calm my nerves. Not caring about the state of my nails, I began to play and sing softly. I had forgotten how good it made me feel, and realised I had been neglecting what I truly wanted.
Jake’s car sped down our road, and I headed down the stairs to prepare myself for his arrival. He was already late, but I didn’t really care. At least he showed.
I was so deep in thought, I almost collided with Luke at the bottom. “Oh, sorry Luke,” I flustered. “I didn’t see you there.”
Luke’s mouth fell open, and he appeared lost for words as he drank in my appearance.He drew in a breath before he finally spoke. “Wow…Blue. You look so…so beautiful.” His eyes burned deeply into mine. “That colour…it matches your eyes perfectly.”
My knees buckled and I grasped the banister tighter to keep myself from falling. “Thanks, Luke.”
An awkward silence fell upon us as we openly contemplated each other, but a knock on the front door broke our spell.
Mum flew past us, and swung open the door to greet who she thought would be her future son-in-law. How wrong she was.
I felt Luke watching me as I diverted my gaze to Jake.
Luke softly placed his hand on my wrist, stealing back my attention. “You shouldn’t have to wait for anyone.”
“Some people are worth waiting for…aren’t they?” I asked. I had been waiting forever for Luke to notice me. Not as his best friend’s little sister, but as a woman. A woman who was in love with him.
Luke’s breath hitched, and the heat in my cheeks matched the blush rising up his neck.
“I better go,” I blurted, and he hesitantly let me go.
I hurried over to Jake and he grinned, giving me an unaffectionate peck on the lips. He looked amazing in his suit, but smelt like a mixture of stale beer and cheap aftershave.
Mum left the three of us alone, and disappeared into the other room to find her camera.
Jake’s smile faded when he caught sight of Luke. His eyebrows drew closer together and his nostrils flared. He was so absorbed by Luke’s presence, he didn’t even comment on my dress. “What is he doing here?”
“Um, I…don’t…know actually,” I responded awkwardly. Luke never required a reason to visit, nor did I expect him to.
Luke sauntered over to Jake and rested his hand on his shoulder, eyeballing him. “Just making sure you showed up.” He smirked and walked out the front door.
Again, Luke’s over-protectiveness both pleased and infuriated me. “Let’s go,” I demanded, impatiently. I had no tolerance left for their mutual disdain. We were already ridiculously late and the sooner we went, the sooner I could end things with Jake once the night was over.
* * *
The graduation ball was well on the way by the time we arrived, but it was hard to slip in unnoticed. Envious eyes followed me as I walked through the room on Jake’s arm. Everyone thought he was the perfect guy. Both handsome and charming. What else could a small-town girl ask for? I too once believed he was faultless, but I had been fooled by an illusion.
I spotted Marni easily in her skin-tight hot pink dress, and headed towards her table.
“Finally, you made it,” she squealed and threw her arms around me.
She let go and I smiled warmly back at her. “You look awesome,” I said. “Doesn’t she, Jake?”
Jake’s body tensed, and his eyes darted between us. “Yeah, you look great,” he quickly agreed with a tight smile.
“It doesn’t leave much to the imagination, does it?” Marni teased, drawing her lower lip between her teeth.
Jake’s eyes lingered on her a little longer than I was comfortable with, but I ignored it. Marni loved the attention.
I spent the night mingling with the other graduates, whilst Jake stalked me from our table and sulkily took swigs from his hip flask.
The band came on stage and we all moved to the dance floor. Jake found me dancing with my classmates and moved in from behind. My friends giggled at his affection, but it only made me cringe. I didn’t want to make a scene, so forced a smile and tried to go along with it.
He ran his hands down my sides. “You feel so good,” he murmured into my ear, and pressed his hardness into my back.
