Page 99 of Study Buddies

We started in the men’s section. It didn’t take long to locate a pair of black trousers that fit Lucas remarkably well—though he let out a low whistle, surprised by the reasonable price in spite of the quality. I found him a crisp white button-down and a black tie in another aisle.

“Black?” Lucas asked, brow furrowed. “Wouldn’t a patterned tie or something be better?”

I shook my head. “I can’t wear a black dress to my mother’s wedding if I want to avoid a scene, so you’ll have to rock the black tie. Think of it as a small protest.”

He blinked, then shrugged. “All right.”

I smiled, pushing the tie into his hands. “Trust me—you’ll look great.”

He nodded, adding it to the pile in the cart, but I saw the hint of a smile on his face, and realized that he wanted to look good for me. That was an endearing thought.

Once Lucas had everything he needed, I headed for the women’s section. Lucas watched as I worked my way rapidly down a row of stylish dresses. “Speed shopping,” I said when I caught his eye.

“You look like you know what you’re doing.”

“Yeah. I do.” But suddenly, I worried that had come out wrong. “It’s not like I’m one of those women who live to shop. But I do like wearing nice clothes, and I especially like finding something amazing that’s been overlooked by everyone else. There’s no way I could afford any of these dresses when they were new, but when I’m in a store like this, it feels like if I can search long and hard to find a hidden gem, then I’ve sort of… earned the right to wear it. If that makes any sense.”

“It does.” He put his hand on my shoulder.

“Oh god,” I said sharply, and he jumped back as if he’d hurt me. But I couldn’t focus on that because the dress hanging in front of me took my breath away.

It was the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t stop staring. My mind raced as I focused on it, but then, with effort, I made myself move on. It wasn’t appropriate for a daytime wedding.

A few minutes later, I spotted a pink-and-rose sheath dress that had a designer label. The silky material swirled with rose-gold watercolor-style patterns, and I held it up against myself.

It was sleeveless and form-fitting and came down to just above my knee. It seemed like too much to ask to find a dress I liked and perhaps one that Lucas would think I looked pretty in, but his eyes gleamed as he took it in.

“You should definitely try that one on.”

His reaction pleased me. “I’ll just be a minute.”

Minutes later, I examined myself in the mirror, lifting my hair out of the way to get the full effect of the dress. It fit well, hugging my curves, but the fabric hung loosely around my chest, and I knew the reason why.

I poked my head out of the dressing room. Lucas was sitting in a chair a half dozen feet away, scrolling on his phone, but then he looked up.

“Um… would you mind zipping it? I can’t quite reach it.”

His cheeks flushed as he walked over, and for a moment, I wondered if he used to go clothes shopping with Natalie.

I stepped over to the three-way mirror, and he moved in behind me, his body radiating warmth. I lifted my hair, and his fingers brushed my shoulder blades, sending a tiny shiver across my skin as he pulled the zipper closed. His hand lingered briefly, gliding along the silky fabric before settling on my shoulder.

He cleared his throat, looking at our reflection in the mirror. “Wow, Tori. You look… really good.”

The dress was pretty, but I couldn’t help appreciating how he was standing so close. In the mirror, we looked like a couple. It was an oddly intimate moment.

Finally, I shook my head to clear it. “I think this is it. I’ll go change back.”

But I didn’t move. The sight of him behind me was more enticing than the dress—though I liked both.

Finally, I turned to go back into the dressing room, but he stayed put, blocking the way. “Don’t you need me to unzip it?”

Oh. My mind was really scattered today. “Yes, please.”

Lifting my hair again, I waited for his soft touch, shivering when it came. He pulled the zipper down halfway and stepped back.

I argued with myself while I changed into my own clothes. Lucas was being so amazing, especially after our argument last night. I didn’t want this closeness with him to end—but there was something I needed to do that had the potential to ruin it.

He smiled as I added the dress to the shopping cart.

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