Page 96 of Staying Selfless

I give her a shy smile before turning back to my fitting room.

“And if you don’t come out in that fucking green dress, I’m leaving without you!”

I do as I’m told, removing the sky-blue chiffon fabric. I run my hand over the cool satin of the emerald dress as it hangs on the rack, admiring the way it feels. It’s stunning, if I do say so myself. It’s also something I would have never had the confidence to wear. But the girl I am since I met Eli is a whole lot different than the one who left California.

I take the dress off its hanger before slipping it over my head. The satin glides over my skin before the hem lands somewhere between my ankles and knees. The midi hemline is offset by the overall fit of the sexy number. The straps are spaghetti thin, tying up my exposed back. The cowl neck swings perfectly, resting over my breasts, not showing too much but still alluding to what’s underneath. It hugs my every curve, dipping in at my waist before outlining my hips. The slit on the bottom half shows off my toned legs, ending mid-thigh.

I admire myself in the mirror, probably longer than I should, but I can’t help it. I love the way I look in this dress. The deep emerald plays perfectly off my burgundy hair, causing my green eyes to appear even more vibrant. The jewel-toned fabric complements the gold undertones in my skin, and the fit shows off every dip and curve I’ve been blessed with.

“Get your sexy ass out here!” All calls from the couch.

I break my stare from the mirror, finally leaving the dressing room.

“Holy shit.” Ali’s mouth falls open as I make my way to the multi-angled mirrors.

“Is that a good ‘holy shit?’” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“I’m attracted to men,” she says. “I feel like I should make that clear, but you’re really having me question my preferences right now.”

“You don’t think it’s too much?” I cock my head and admire myself some more.

“I mean, there’s a good chance that Maddison is going to try to put a baby inside of you when he sees this, so as long as you have your birth control ready, I think you should buy it.” Her tone holds no sarcasm. “Seriously though, make sure he’s sitting down with a glass of water or something when he sees you in this.”

I can’t help but laugh as my friend hypes me up.

“Logan, you look stunning,” Ali adds without the extra humor. “Buy the damn dress.”

I give myself one more longing look through the mirror. “I’m going to buy it,” I finally concede with a proud grin.

Chapter 26

Logan

“State number nine,” I note as we cross the state line into Wisconsin. Though we drove through Wisconsin on our way to Chicago, I’ve never stayed here, so I didn’t count it until today.

Eli smiles to himself as he continues to drive, his hand laced with mine over the center console. Thankfully, his injury is on his left ankle, so he’s still able to drive his truck, but this five-hour car ride to Gabe’s wedding destination worries me that Eli’s ankle will swell, seeing as he’s unable to elevate it.

“How did they decide on this spot anyway?” Ali asks from the backseat. “If Gabe is from Indiana and Liam is from Ohio, isn’t Wisconsin kind of a random pick?”

“Liam’s mom does this for a living,” Marc chimes in from the seat next to her. “She’s an event planner, I think. EJ, does that sound right?”

Eli nods his head through the rearview mirror for his brother to see.

“Apparently, she planned a wedding out here and thought it was the perfect spot, so the guys picked it.”

“A Valentine’s weekend wedding.” Ali drops her head back with a nostalgic sigh. “How cute and cliché.”

“The weekend choice was kind of my fault,” Eli admits. “This was my only bye-week on the schedule all year, so I think they planned around that.”

“That was sweet of them.” I softly smile.

“Yeah. I’m glad we can make it, but you know how my family is. No one was going to do something this important unless everyone could be there.”

After about five hours of drive time later, we make it to the final climb. As Eli’s truck weaves up the side of the mountain, I can’t help but stare at the winter wonderland outside. Finally, he turns the final corner as at least twenty snow-capped cabins come into view.

“Oh my god, this is beautiful.” My face is glued to the passenger side window, eyeing the wooden houses hidden behind large trees, dusted with fresh snow.

Even though my California bones are still having a hard time adjusting to this Midwest winter, I can’t deny that it’s absolutely stunning.

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