Page 95 of Hateful Prince

“Because. I. Know. You.”

I huffed and made quick work of opening the box before pulling out dress after dress. Rich fabrics, sequins, beading, layers, ruffles, and... crinoline greeted me.

“Six? You said a few.”

“It’s more than a couple and less than a dozen.”

I swallowed down my protest, knowing it would only fall on deaf ears. “A corset, Keeks? How the hell am I supposed to strap myself into this one?”

“That’s a you problem. Save it for last. Do the blue velvet one first.”

“You are really fucking bossy for someone I can hang up on.”

“And you’re whiny for someone who knows I’m never wrong.”

I muttered under my breath while wriggling myself out of my leggings and Booktrovert sweatshirt—in case you were wondering, a booktrovert is a person who prefers the company of fictional characters to real people. Relatable, right?

A soft buzzing began under my skin, and I turned my focus to the ghost standing in my bathroom door. Even Myrtle was interested in the fashion show. “If you laugh, I will exorcise the shit out of you,” I threatened.

“I want to see the sparkly one on you. It’s been ages since I wore anything that sparkled.”

“Who are you talking to?” Kiki asked. “Oh, wait. It’s a ghost, isn’t it? That’s going to take me a while to get used to.”

I laughed and pulled out the blue velvet number. “I’ve kind of forgotten no one else can see them. Well, except for Cain, I guess,” I mused, pulling up the body-hugging gown. It was made for a woman with curves, accentuating the dip at my waist and the flare of my hips. It had a sweetheart neckline and two delicate little sleeves that slipped off my shoulders to fall prettily on my arms.

“Good to know when I die you’ll still be able to talk to me like this, then.”

“Bite your tongue.” Turning around to face the camera, I struck a pose. “What do you think?”

Kiki was prepared with a notebook and a permanent marker. “It’s a solid eight.”

I ran my hand along the soft fabric. “Really? Just an eight? I liked this one.”

“I’m holding out for a sleeper hit. Do the green one next.”

“No, sparkles,” Myrtle argued. Though it was a bit of a one-sided argument, seeing as Kiki couldn’t hear her.

Still, I felt torn. Reaching for the sparkly silver gown, I waved it around. “What about this one?”

“Ugh, fine. But be quick about it.”

“You’re the one who picked six dresses.”

“Just hurry up. I have a hot date.”

“Seriously?”

“With my yoga instructor. But it’s hot yoga, so you know, it counts.”

I laughed, and we chatted away as I tried on dress after dress. The velvet and, surprisingly, the soft pink cupcake-like ballgown with the corset were the two top contenders. Until I reached the final option.

I pulled the emerald green silk situation out of the box. There was beautiful hand-beaded detailing along the waist, and I could already tell there were cutouts of some description, probably around the sides, based on their placement.

Kiki squeed and clapped her hands. “This is the one I’ve been waiting for.”

“Really? I never would have guessed.”

As I shimmied into the gown, I understood why she was so excited. With its high neck and cap sleeves, it was unlike any of the others. The skirt fell to the floor in a graceful pool of green, and the skin from my shoulder blades down to the small of my back was exposed. There was also a smaller, diamond-shaped cut-out between my breasts and the top of my belly. It was flattering as hell, taking my curves and making them look ripe and inviting.

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