I finally get the bodice of the dress over my boobs and turn toward the mirror. “Hey, zip me up.”
Blaire rolls off the bed again, and her fingers are cold as she pulls the material closer together, so the zipper glides up easier. “All done. Oh yeah, this is the outfit. No freaking way can he turn you down in this.”
I swallow hard, my throat bobbing as I stare at myself. The plum dress is stark against my skin, making it look like snow. My green eyes are bright, even without makeup. The color of the dress brings the color out naturally. My small waist can actually be seen, and the dress stops mid-thigh, curving over the natural bubble of my butt.
“Wow,” I marvel, feeling beautiful. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m a real, grown woman, getting ready to go get what she wants.
“Oh, he has no idea what is about to hit him,” Blaire grins.
Only time will tell, but I certainly hope so.
Rowan
I check my phone for the tenth time to see if Everly has texted me, but it’s been radio silence for hours, which is unlike her. The only time we go that long without talking is if we are sleeping. A part of me is worried about her. This isn’t normal.
“Rowan, are you listening?” Brittany, a senior this year, interrupts my thoughts by rubbing her hand down my chest. I take a step back. I don’t want her touching me. I don’t want any girl touching me. The only one that matters isn’t even here.
I plan on telling Everly how I feel about her tonight. It has been a long time coming, and I’m not sure if she feels the same, but it will be worth the risk. If she doesn’t, it’ll hurt, but I know that no matter what happens, we will still remain friends.
“Brittany, you’re a nice girl. I’m just not interested,” I repeat, for what seems like the hundredth time.
She throws her drink down, and the beer soaks my boots. Great, now I’m going to reek of alcohol when I’m not even drinking. “You’re a stupid man, Rowan Michaels. Any guy here would want me.”
“Then go to them! I don’t know how many times I have to tell you I’m not interested, Brittany. I’ve been nice about it, but that didn’t seem to work,” I sigh, rubbing my temples with my fingers. I’m getting a headache.
“You’re such an ass!”
She twirls on her heels because who the hell wears heels in the damn woods, and wobbles away.
Maybe I should go. Everly isn’t here, and it doesn’t seem right to celebrate without her.
“Hey, Rowan. Isn’t that Everly?” Liam, one of my good friends, points to a girl getting out of a red Toyota Camry.
That is her car, but the person getting out of it can’t be her.
“That can’t be her,” I shake my head.
“Yeah man, that’s Blaire, isn’t it? I’d know that hot little punk goth babe anywhere.” Liam takes a sip of his drink as we watch the two ladies come forward.
I lick my lips, and my heart races when I see Everly. She’s in a tight, purple dress. It hugs all of her curves, and her hair is up in a messy bun, showing off the elegant curve of her neck. Her skin is illuminated by the glow of the fire, making her look almost ethereal like she is out of this world.
“Holy shit,” I gasp, slapping Liam’s shoulder as I watch her stop and talk to a few people.
“I’ve never seen her wear something like that. She looks good. Are you finally going to ask her out?” Liam mutters, never taking his eyes off Blaire.
Blaire is a cute girl, but I just can’t get past the black lipstick. Besides, all my attention has always been on Everly. How could it not be? Her long, creamy legs are so easy to imagine wrapped around my waist as I lay her down for the first time.
Our first time.
That is something she doesn’t know about me. I know she is a virgin because I’ve never seen her kiss or date a guy. She’s seen me date other girls, but I never had sex with any of them. It never felt right. I don’t know why I bother trying to be with other girls. None of them ever compare to Everly. I think it’s because I don’t want it to ruin our friendship, but something more is there. We just have to be brave enough to discover it.
Another reason why I never took the leap is because I know what happens when people go to college—and on other sides of the country, on top of that. We will drift apart. She will find some fancy New York City boy and forget all about me. And that’s why tonight must be the night I tell her how I feel. I want it to be memorable, just like the last decade I’ve shared with her. A part of me hopes we won’t drift apart. Maybe we can be the exception to the rule.
But the only way to know is to do it. And now, it is time to take some sort of action.
Wait. Where did she go? She was there. She was just right there, walking toward me. I spin around, looking left and right, but Everly is nowhere to be found. I see Liam sitting on a tree stump trying to schmooze on Blaire, but she seems just as interested as a mouse wanting to be friends with a cat.
There’s no way Everly would drift far from Blaire. It’s one of their rules. They’ll be roommates in college, for fuck’s sake. They can’t even be without each other for a minute.
I look around again and
