Page 51 of Unravel You

“I’m pretty sure I would remember. No.”

“I’ve seen you somewhere.” She glanced up for a beat, cocking her head. “You’re Derek’s fiancée. Valentina.”

Oh shit. This monument of a women knew Derek. “That’s me. How do you know him?”

She smiled at her hands. “Through a mutual friend at the country club. I recognized you from the social media announcement. The paper posted a few pictures of you.”

I groaned. I hadn’t realized they would post pictures so soon on social media. The announcement wasn’t coming out until next week. But I should have known. The local billionaire getting married was big news. “Right.”

“Well, let me say, you’re more beautiful in person. The picture didn’t do you justice.” She raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow. “I’m Rebecca Smith, by the way.” She offered me a hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

The saleswoman returned with some decent options for Anabelle and ushered her to the dressing room.

“I should go with her.”

“Yes, of course. I have a few things I want to try on myself.”

I followed Anabelle to the back of the store. She had a pink dress clutched to her chest. “You’re still set on a pink dress.”

“I like that color.”

“You feel comfortable in that color. But that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to bust you out of the box.”

“Are you okay?” She reached for my hand. “I’d be worried if someone like that knew about me and my fiancée. It was a little creepy, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. A little. Go get the dress on. Derek’s already texting me.”

“Okay.” She slapped the curtain out of the way and went into her dressing room.

I sat on the sofa set against the wall facing the trifold mirror. Rebecca waved at me as she took the dressing room next to Anabelle’s. I had nothing to worry about with her. I couldn’t let Anabelle put silly ideas in my head. Not to mention she hadn’t said she knewknewDerek.

“She’s not you.”His words echoed in my head. After having sex in the woods and then in our room, I believed him. Not every hot woman was after Derek.

Movement in Rebecca’s direction caught my eye. When I peered at her through the sliver between the curtain and the dividing wall, the long red-and-purple bruises on her back made me gasp. I covered my mouth and scooted over on the seat, away from her line of sight.

What the hell? What happened to her? I shot to my feet and went into Anabelle’s dressing room before Rebecca came out of hers.

“What do you think?” She met my gaze in the full-length mirror.

“We need more skin.” I leaned my head toward her and whispered, “Rebecca’s back is covered in really nasty bruises.”

“Oh my God. Who’s Rebecca?”

I rolled my eyes. “Jessica Rabbit.”

“Oh.” She furrowed her brows. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. I mean, obviously not. But what do we say? How do we help her?”

Anabelle gripped both my shoulders. “Valentina, unless she says something to us, I don’t think we should pry. You can’t help everyone you meet.”

She was right. Rebecca could have just taken a fall while doing a million different things. Why did my mind go there right away? I touched the side of my face. I’d been there before, putting up with the abuse from someone I thought loved me.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It just took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting that. You know.” I wiped my hands on my pants and plastered on a grin. “You should try on the dress she recommended.”

---