She was just as observant as her brother.
"I'm sorry. This week has been busy, but we're making really good progress on the event." I smiled apologetically. "I've been really distracted. It has nothing to do with you."
She smiled and nodded, but I still felt like she wasn't convinced. "It's funny. That's almost the exact excuse Reed gave me. He gave me the it's-not-you-it's-me speech, too. If I remember correctly, he used his work as an excuse as well." She paused. "Listen, I know now that I should've asked you about the Black and White event instead of going behind your back. I really had no idea it was going to cause such a media frenzy. I'm sorry if I moved too fast and freaked you out."
I took a sip of my latte and fidgeted with the plastic lid. "You were trying to do something nice. You don't have to apologize. I appreciated it. Besides, I'm old news now. The reporters and paparazzi aren't even bothering me anymore. Now that they know I'm not in charge of the event, they've moved on to bigger and better stories."
"Well, I just don't want you to be mad at me. I like us being friends." She gave me a sincere expression, which made me want to kick my own ass for ever hurting her. "It's hard to make friends with my past and especially if they know what happened to me…" Her voice trickled off into a low whisper.
"I was actually nervous that you would be mad at me over all of this."
"No, I get it. It was a lot to ask, but I'm happy you'll still be involved in it. I was actually hoping you would do something else for me… or with me."
"What's that?" With how I’d treated her all week, I’d pretty much do anything she asked me to right now.
"Help me find a dress." She gave me a pleading look. "It's something that my mom and I would do together. Reed offered to take me, but he usually only shows up at the end, once I've found a dress."
My confused expression must have said it all.
"My mom and I would shop for our dresses, and once we found them, my dad and Reed would come and give us their approval. It sounds silly, but it was just something we started." She shrugged. "Then we usually all went out to dinner." Her eyes glossed over, and I knew where her memories were taking her. My heart broke for her. This was just one more memory that reminded Lexi of what she lost.
"I would love to go dress shopping with you," I said, hoping to cause the bad memories to dissolve.
Her eyes grew bright instantly. "Thank you, thank you! I promise not to drag you around to every store in New York." Her excitement was contagious.
Some innocent and distracting shopping actually sounded like fun. "How about we start this weekend? With the event only a few weeks away, I don't want to wait until the last minute."
"This weekend sounds great."
I SAT on the chair outside the dressing room. Lexi had come by my apartment early this morning and we'd been on a mad dress hunt ever since. We had been to a few stores but hadn't found anything yet.
"What do you think about this one?" Lexi stepped out of the dressing room. She was wearing a long-sleeved, full-length black ball gown that came up high on her neckline. It was simple and elegant, but I didn't think it did her figure any justice. It was something I pictured on a woman twice her age. I knew she was trying to be conservative and she was probably a little uncomfortable with the scars on her neck and chest.
"It's beautiful, but I really like the red one." I had picked it out, and Lexi refused it right away, but I’d still convinced her to try it on. She was dreading it.
"Really? I'm not so sure." She turned to look in the mirror, smoothing out the black dress. I could tell she didn't like it. "That red one is a little too revealing, don't you think? This one covers a little more."
"It does, but I think you should try the red one on next."
Her eyes were guarded as she looked at my reflection in the mirror.
"I'll try it on if you try on that navy-blue one." She smiled at me.
"I'm not buying a dress, Lexi. This shopping trip is for you."
"You're going to need a dress for the event." She was arguing with my reflection before finally turning around to face me. "I think it will look beautiful on you. Blue is definitely your color."
"It's sweet of you, but that dress probably costs more than I make in a month."
"Just try it." She clasped her hands, pleading.
"Fine," I said, getting up. "I'll try it on just so you will try on the red one."
Pleased with herself, she turned around and headed into the dressing room while I went to get the navy-blue dress Lexi had picked out for me.
The silk dress was beautiful. I held it out at arm’s length before carrying it back to the dressing room. Before trying it on, I glanced at the price tag and nearly fell over. Twenty-three hundred dollars.
When I exited the dressing room, I found Lexi standing in front of the mirror, fidgeting with the sleeves on the red dress. They hung off her shoulders, revealing the majority of the scars on her chest. Despite that, the dress looked amazing on her. She had a slim, petite figure and it fit her like a glove.
She saw me as I approached the tall mirrors and turned around to face me. "Oh my God, Emily, you look beautiful."
"Me? Look at you. Lexi that dress is beautiful. Red is definitely the way to go."
"I do like the color." She turned back around to face the mirrors. "But I'm not so sure about the neckline. Her left hand ran across the scars on her chest as sadness overtook her eyes. I stood beside her and placed my hands on both of her shoulders, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror and not allowing her to turn away.
"You look absolutely stunning in that dress, Lexi."
Her eyes ran up and down the length of it a few times before I saw a tiny smile break on her lips. "It is really pretty, isn't it? What do you think…? A simple pearl necklace?"
"I think that would be perfect," a deep voice spoke up behind us. Lexi and I both looked over to Reed's reflection in the mirror. While Lexi smiled, I couldn't force myself to crack one. Things had been uncomfortable between Reed and me over the past week or so, and that was putting it mildly.
"Every year, you and Mom would go to half the stores in New York, but you would always end up in this store and find the perfect dress." Reed stepped forward and handed Lexi a box.
"What's this?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "Reed, is that what I think it is?"
He nodded. "She would've wanted you to wear it."
Lexi shook her head as she stared down at the box. "I don't think I can."
"Here, let me help you." He took the box from her and pulled out a pearl necklace. Lexi held up her hair as Reed wrapped it around her neck and fastened it.
We all stared at Lexi's reflection. I had to try my hardest to hold back the tears. She looked so pretty, but that wasn't the thing that brought actual tears to my eyes. It was the fact that I think for the first time since I'd met her, she was seeing herself the same way, too.
"You look just like Mom right now," Reed said as tears spilled down Lexi's face. She turned around and hugged him, and seeing their embrace almost brought tears to my eyes. Wanting to give them some space, I walked back toward the dressing room. I changed back into my clothes and handed the beautiful navy gown back to the sales lady. There was no way I could afford it, not even if I ate Ramen noodles for a month.
Lexi was still getting changed and Reed was nowhere to be seen. For all I knew, he had already left. I browsed around the store, admiring all of the beautiful gowns while waiting on Lexi. My stomach was still twisted in knots from seeing Reed and the awkwardness between us. I cursed myself a hundred times in the dressing room for ever getting physically involved with him.
"How have you been?" Reed asked. I turned around and found him just a few feet from me. Where did he come from? Lexi's red dress hung over his shoulder and he was wearing a ghost of a smile. God, it was a sexy smile. What that smile did to my heart and other parts of me was difficult to put into words.