Page 52 of Three Pucking Wedding Dates

Taking a deep breath, I make up my mind. Reid and Iris seem genuinely excited about this trip, and maybe it would give me the distance I need to sort through my feelings. “Alright,” I agree, my voice wavering slightly. “Let’s do it. Let’s go to Honolulu.”

“Yay!” Iris squeals, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. “This is going to be amazing, Oakley! You won’t regret it!”

I return her embrace, hoping she’s right.

Iris claps her hands together excitedly. “Alright, now that we’re going to Honolulu, we absolutely need new outfits! Let’s go shopping!”

“Shopping?” I raise an eyebrow, glancing over at the half-finished breakfast spread on the counter. Shopping was nevermy favorite pastime, but with Iris’s energy, it might not be so bad…what am I talking about? It’ll be worse.

“Come on, Oakley,” Iris urges, grabbing my arm and giving it a playful shake. “We have to look fabulous in paradise! You know I won’t let you go without the perfect wardrobe!”

“Fine,” I concede, chuckling at her determination. “But let me finish making breakfast first.”

“Deal!” Iris agrees, bouncing on the balls of her feet like an excited child. “I’ll wake up Avery. It’ll be just like the old days…me dressing you up.”

How exciting.

27

OAKLEY

Ilean against the wall, arms crossed and eyebrows raised, as I watch Avery and Iris enthusiastically rummage through racks of swimsuits and barely there clothing. The colors and patterns blur together in my mind, making it hard to focus on any one item.

“Oakley!” Avery calls out, holding up an eye-catching, barely there bikini. “How about this one?”

The minuscule scraps of fabric look more like a pair of elastic bands than an actual swimsuit. My cheeks heat up just imagining myself wearing it.

“Uh, no thanks,” I say, shaking my head. “I’d feel naked in that thing.”

“Aw, come on, Oakley. It’s perfect for you!” she insists, giving me a cheeky grin. “Besides, isn’t being naked kind of the point? It is a bathing suit.”

“Avery!” I exclaim.

“What she means is, you’ll be turning heads,” Iris corrects her.

“Turning heads isn’t really my priority,” I retort, feeling my sassiness rise. “Plus, I’m pretty sure that bikini is giving me a wedgie just by looking at it.”

“Fine, fine,” Avery relents, rolling her eyes playfully. “We’ll find something a little more…modest for you.”

Iris chimes in, giggling. “Don’t worry, Oakley. We’ll make sure you have the hottest wardrobe, even if it’s a bit more covered up.”

“Yeah, we’ll make you a hot nun.” Avery grins.

“Thanks, I think,” I mumble, trying to hide my relief.

Though I appreciate their enthusiasm, shopping with the girls is a completely different experience than when I went with Reid and Gray. Everything was simpler with them, less about flaunting and more about finding what made me feel comfortable and confident.

I’d rather be with them.

I watch Avery and Iris disappear into the racks of swimsuits again, a sigh escaping my lips. I’ve never been one for shopping, but their relentless energy makes me feel like I’m being dragged along in a whirlwind.

“Oakley,” Iris calls out, poking her head around a display of neon bikini tops. “You look like you’re at a funeral, not swimsuit shopping. Lighten up!”

“Sorry,” I mumble, trying to force a smile. “I guess I’m just not really in the mood for this.”

“Come on, Oak,” she insists, walking over and looping her arm through mine. “This is supposed to be fun! You can’t spend the entire trip in jeans and a T-shirt.”

“You sure?” I roll my eyes.

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