Page 38 of It Should Have Been Me

8. Catalina

Isabella pulls my hairback so tight my eyebrows lift higher. My hair is secured in a high ponytail and then she uses a tiny bit of gel to smooth out the frizz and make it look sleek.

“I look a little cheap.”

“Very cheap,” Tommy agrees with a nod. “If I sold you for a dollar, I’d probably get change.”

I give him an unimpressed scowl before I stand up to walk to the mirror for a better look. JP’s words from our earlier conversation play on my mind as I take in my reflection. “JP was right. The whole outfit is very unbefitting and unsophisticated.”

“We’re not going to a cocktail party...or a ball,” Isa retorts. “You’re not supposed to look sophisticated. And he said that although he did not approve, you still lookhot. Also, unbefitting isn’t even a word that should be used in this century.”

She knows exactly what was said on the call because she and Tommy did not leave my side the entire time. They actually spoke to JP more than I did, so I still haven’t had a chance to tell him about Scott. It is officially on my to-do list for tomorrow.

“Besides, we’re going toGrit,” Tommy adds. “The name should tell you that you are adequately dressed.”

It’s a simple outfit, but undeniably eye-catching. Tight, black skirt that stops midway down my thighs, black over-the-knee boots, and a white camisole that doesn’t quite cover the edges of my black lace bra. This is an old skirt of mine, but I’m definitely more filled out than I used to be because it’s not just tighter now, it’s much shorter. I’ve thought about changing it a few times, but it makes my legs look longer than they actually are. I look...tall, which is a rarity, and that in itself is amazing.

Isa adjusts her breasts in her tight red dress, scooping them up, then pushing them together. “Should I wear this with a push-up bra?” she asks.

“If you push them up any more, they’ll be part of your chin.” Tommy walks over to Isa to help adjust her cleavage.

“I don’t understand the dynamics of your relationship,” I say as I apply eyeliner. “How is Dylan okay with him...touching you like that?”

“Dylan knows that I have absolutely no interest in her. We’ve been friends for years, so he knows how we are with each other. Besides, Izzy is the furthest thing from my type. If I had to be completely honest, Dylan’s sister, Dana, is probably more my type than your sister.”

Isabella’s head snaps up from her makeup bag to glare at him. “That was a very random comment.”

Tommy shrugs. “What? She’s really cute. I’m not gonna pretend as if I don’t see it just because your fiancé is super-protective of his sister and could hospitalize me with one punch.”

“It was the way you said it that was weird.” Isa waits for him to explain himself, and when he doesn’t, she turns her attention back to me. “I think it’s just about trust. Like, when you were dating Scott, he was fine with you being friends with Connor.”

I giggle, thinking about Scott’s reaction to Peter this morning and we’re not even dating anymore. “Yeah, but Connor would be a dead man if he even thought about touching my boobs.”

Tommy comes to stand behind me, using gel to style the front of his hair. It’s sandy blonde at the roots and green at the tips, which complement his sea-green eyes. Just like my sister, he is very eccentric with his hair color. “Dylan iscrazypossessive when it comes to any other guy,” he says, turning from left to right to make sure the sides are neat and sleek. “Do you remember how many fights he got into in high school because of this ho?” He gives my sister a playful wink. “He’s just not like that with me because he knows there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Hey.” Isa’s eyes light up. “Let’s make this a topic of discussion on our show next week. Boundaries when it comes to friends and?”

“It’s our last week, IzzyB. We have a full lineup. With the farewells and tributes and best moments from previous shows, we’ve got no time, but I like where your head’s at. Let’s incorporate it into our new show when we move over.”

Isa beams with excitement. “I still can’t believe we got that show. I just hope we don’t lose our spark because we have to tone down our language.”

“We’re still fun without cussing, aren’t we?”

“It’s debatable.”

“You know what? It doesn’t matter. We got the breakfast show, babe! That’s a prime-time slot and we’re going to kill it because we won’t allow ourselves to fail.”

Watching their happiness puts a smile on my face and yet somehow it seems abstract, like I can only witness it. I’m not a part of it.

“Speaking about Connor,” Isa says. “When are you gonna see him?”

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