Betrayal by Amy Meredith Read Free Book Online Page B

‘dibbies’ on three items per shopping trip. Calling ‘dibbies’ meant the caller had first shot at whatever the item was – in this case the most insanely beautiful dress Eve had ever seen. She could already imagine the besotted expression on Luke’s face when he saw her in it.
    Jess didn’t say anything, which was seriously unusual for Jess. Eve glanced over and saw her best friend staring at the dress with lust and longing all over her face. ‘You were too slow, missy. You need some dibbies practice,’ Eve teased her. ‘I can’t wait to try it on! What do you think for shoes? Maybe a nude high-heeled sandal.’ She opened the door of the boutique and stepped inside, holding it open for Jess. ‘Nothing that takes attention away from the dress, I don’t think.’
    But Jess was still standing in the same spot. She hadn’t moved even an inch towards the door. It was like she’d grown roots.
    ‘Come on. Maybe you’ll find something in here too,’ Eve said. They’d obviously gotten a bunch of new stuff in – like the gorgeous dress. If it had been there before, Eve would have noticed it. It pulled her like a magnet.
    ‘Eve … we’re shopping for my prom dress. Why are you calling dibbies?’ Jess asked, her tone just a little whiny, which wasn’t like her.
    ‘Well, we’re mainly shopping for you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get to buy anything, does it?’ Eve asked. ‘You wouldn’t torture me like that.’
    Jess still didn’t move to the door Eve was holding open. ‘Of course not. You can shop, but …’ She hesitated, then looked at the dress again.
    Eve got it. ‘You like it too, right?’
    ‘Love it,’ Jess answered. ‘Love it, love it, love it.’
    This was exactly the situation dibbies had been created for. With dibbies there was no fighting, no tears. Whoever called it first got first chance to buy. That was law. ‘I’m sure we’ll see tons of great dresses. If not today, then when we make our big shopping expedition to the city.’ They were going to wait and go to Manhattan when the boys could go with them.
    ‘It’s a prom dress, though,’ Jess said. ‘And you’re not going to the prom. You don’t even have anyplace to wear it.’
    Eve felt a pang – a full pang, not just a panglet. What Jess had said really stung. Didn’t she understand how hard it was to see her going off to the prom when they’d always planned on double dating?
    ‘I was thinking I’d wear it to the HEART charity event,’ Eve said, trying to hide her hurt.
    ‘You can’t wear a gown on the beach,’ Jess protested. ‘You’d ruin it.’
    Eve felt a little stunned. Dibbies was law. But being a true best friend was even more important, she told herself. Jess was clearly smitten with the dress, and she did have the absolute perfect place to wear it. Dibbies or no, Eve wasn’t going to try to take the dress away. Eve smiled. It was a little hard to make her lips turn up, but only a little. ‘Dibbies withdrawn. That might just be The Dress,’ she told Jess. ‘Can you see it with the pendant you liked?’
    Jess finally walked through the door, and Eve let it swing closed behind them. ‘It would be perfect,’ Jess replied. ‘Better than perfect.’
    ‘Go grab it and try it on before some other prom girl spots it,’ Eve advised her.
    ‘I will.’ Jess rushed towards the sales assistant, and disappeared into a changing room a few moments later.
    Eve walked to the nearest rack and began flipping through what turned out to be bathing suits. Truly, a girl could never have too many bathing suits, especially with a pool in the backyard and the beach a few blocks away. But none of the bright little slips of cloth grabbed her attention. She kept thinking about how she’d look in the dress Jess was trying on right that second as she clicked though the hangers faster and faster.
    She heard a hiss, a crackle, then sparks jumped off the rack. ‘What—’ the assistant exclaimed.
    Eve jerked her hand