The perfect dress
VIOLET
As we entered, Ashley leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “So, tell me—was the traffic at least worth it?”
I shot her a glare. “Ashley, I swear—”
“Relax!” she said, throwing an arm around my shoulder like we were the best of friends instead of her tormenting me into an early grave. “I’m just saying, judging by the state of your lipstick and that glow you’re rocking, I’m guessing it was very worth it.”
I groaned, my face burning yet again. “Can you please stop talking about it? People can hear you.”
Ashley shrugged, completely unbothered. “So what? Let them wonder. Maybe it’ll spice up their boring mall trips.”
I covered my face with my hands, wishing for the hundredth time that Ashley had a mute button. But she wasn’t done.
“Seriously, though, Violet. You’ve got to give me details later. I’m dying here.”
“There are no details,” I said through gritted teeth. “And even if there were, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“Sure, sure,” she said, her tone so dismissive it was clear she didn’t believe me for a second. “You say that now, but give it a few hours. You’ll crack. You always do.”
“I will not crack,” I shot back, but Ashley just gave me a knowing look that made me doubt myself immediately.
By the time we reached our destination—a boutique with pastel displays and mannequins in flowy dresses—Ashley’s energy suddenly shifted to something almost serious. I barely had time to process her change in demeanor when she stopped dead in her tracks, turned to me, and gave me a once-over again, her lips pursed.
“You’re picking your graduation outfit in that state. “We’re supposed to be going for classy, Violet, not… post-thunderstorm chic.”She whispered
“Ashley, if you’re going to keep this up, I’ll—”
“Oh, relax,” she cut me off, rolling her eyes before grabbing my hand and pulling me into the store. “We’ve got work to do. You may have spent your early evening… extracurriculars, but now it’s time for the main event.”
“Graduation outfits,” I muttered.
Ashley gave me a sly grin as she grabbed a dress from the nearest rack. “Exactly. You need something to say, I’m grown, I’m accomplished, and no, I did not just get ravished in the backseat of a car ten minutes ago.”
“Ashley!” I hissed. My eyes darted to see if Ryan was close enough to hear, but thankfully, he was still lingering near the entrance, scrolling through his phone.
The boutique was buzzing with other people rifling through the racks, their chatter mixing with the faint pop music playing overhead. For a moment, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I could blend in and pretend I wasn’t being judged by my best friend’s eagle eyes.
But of course, Ashley had no intention of letting me fade into the background.Meanwhile, she had declared herself queen of the boutique and was tossing outfit after outfit in my direction.
“This one’s too bland,” she muttered, holding up a blue dress before tossing it back onto the rack with dramatic flair. “And this one—ugh, are they even trying? You’re graduating, not attending a PTA meeting.”
I groaned, half out of frustration, half out of exhaustion. “Ashley, can we please pick something already? Ryan’s going to fall asleep out there.”
Ashley waved me off, her energy undeterred. “He’ll live. This is important. You only graduate once, Violet! The dress has to be perfect.”
And so, the torture continued. Every time I thought we’d found the one, Ashley would dismiss it with a shake of her head and a comment about it not being worthy of the occasion.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we stumbled upon a dress that seemed to meet her impossible standards. It was a sleek yet modest design, the kind of dress that said both classy graduate and I might conquer the world next.
“This is it,” Ashley declared triumphantly, shoving it into my hands. “Now, go. Try it on. And don’t argue.”
I rolled my eyes but took the dress and headed to the fitting room. I carefully hung the dress on the hook and studied it under the soft light. The deep sapphire blue fabric seemed to glow, almost luminous, with subtle silver embroidery tracing delicate patterns along the neckline and hem. The color was rich and bold, completely different from anything I would usually wear, but something about it called to me.
With a steadying breath, I stepped into the dress, the cool material brushing against my skin. it fit like it had been made for me, the bodice hugging my torso snugly, with a graceful flare from the waist that allowed the fabric to flow effortlessly to just below my knees.
I turned to the mirror, my breath hitching at my reflection. The dress was stunning—more stunning than I ever thought I could look. The blue brought out the natural warmth in my complexion and made my eyes seem brighter, more alive. The silver detailing sparkled faintly, giving the whole outfit a dreamlike quality.
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and let a small smile escape. For a moment, I forgot about Ashley’s nagging, Ryan’s teasing, and even the hectic day we’d had.
Pulling back the curtain, I glanced around for Ashley, ready for her inevitable dramatic gasp of approval.
“How do I loo—” The words died in my throat when I saw she wasn’t there.
Frowning, I stepped out, glancing around the boutique. Ashley had been throwing outfits at me relentlessly just minutes ago, so where could she have gone?
“Ashley?” I called out, but there was no response.
I wandered through the store, my eyes scanning for her familiar figure. Just as I was about to give up and march back to the fitting room, I caught sight of someone familiar a few aisles over.
It was a fleeting glimpse. My heart skipped a beat as I stared, trying to confirm what I was seeing.
As they turned, I froze. There was no mistaking it—it was Luke’s sister
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