Page 55 of A Love That Broke Us
This dressisawful. And honestly? I do look like I’m about to join a cult. I don’t even know how it ended up in the try-on pile—probably Megan’s doing.
Megan and I have gotten really close over the past two years. She and Kevin don’t live far from us, and we double-date all the time. The guys wanted to hit the slopes again today, but honestly, I was tapped out. Whether Megan and Amber were too or they’re just appeasing me, I’m not sure, but they rallied for a girls’ day. We found a littlebridal shop nearby and figured, why not? Wedding dress shopping sounded way better than falling on my ass all day in the freezing cold.
We’ve been at it for a couple hours now, and I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard—though, to be fair, Jensen makes me laugh daily.
I haven’t found the one yet, but I’m still hopeful, and I’ve definitely found plenty of worst-case scenarios.
“Is it time to try another store? Or should we take a break?” I ask, turning to face them.
Amber glances around. “I don’t know if there are any other bridal stores in this town.”
Megan bursts out laughing again. “I can’t even take you seriously in that dress. Let’s grab an early dinner, then shop for the wedding night instead. Pretty sure we all need a break. And we can all benefit from some new lingerie and toys.”
Amber perks up. “Ooh, I like that idea.”
I avoid the mirror at all costs so I don’t bust up laughing again. “Alright. That’s a great plan. Meg, find us a place to eat, and Amber—help me out of this damn dress.”
“On it.” Megan holds up a finger, already reaching for her phone.
Amber steps behind me, starting on the tiny hooks down my back. “So… have you and Jensen picked a honeymoon spot yet?”
“Not yet. We’ve narrowed it down to Thailand or Bali, but we haven’t made a final decision. I’m just excited to go somewhere new with warm weather, beaches, and no wedding planning.”
“Thailand is amazing,” Megan chimes in. “But I haven’t been to Bali. I’ve heard great things though. Either way, you can’t go wrong.” She glances down at her phone. “Oh! I found a place. It’s called The Grove, and it’s only a seven-minute walk.”
I step out of the dress and reach for my pants. “Seven minutes in this weather is seven minutes of torture.”
“Oh, I know. It’s actual hell… We’ll walk fast.” Megan slips her phone into her purse and stands as I tug my shirt over my head. I do a quick sweep of the dressing room, making sure we didn’t leave anything behind, then the three of us grab our coats and head out.
And somewhere in those seven minutes, I realize these aren’t just my friends—they’re my sisters.
I walkinto the living room wearing leggings and a cozy sweatshirt, my bag of goodies from earlier clutched in one hand, and fall into the couch. Megan’s already camped out on the other end with a glass of Merlot, her bag resting in her lap like it’s prized treasure. Amber’s in the kitchen, dumping popcorn into a giant bowl. She douses it in melted butter, gives it a heavy sprinkle of salt, then grabs the bowl and a glass of wine and joins us—her bag already saving the seat in the middle.
We had an amazing dinner and then hit up this lingerie and sex toy shop called The Cheeky Boutique. Totally cheesy name, but the store was amazing. We all tried on lingerie, laughed our asses off, and made a pact to each buy three things: something to wear, something for him, and something new to try. There was one rule—no peeking. Nobody could see what the others were buying until we got home.
Now we’re sitting here, bags in hand like a bunch of kids on Christmas morning, itching to see what’s inside. Megan has the movie—Beaches—paused and ready to go on the home screen. She and Amber nearly lost it when I admitted I’ve never seen it, so apparently that’s happening tonight because Ihaveto see it.
The boys are still out, extending their day on the slopes into a full-blown guys’ night. Naturally, that means they’ll all stumble in drunk, which might actually work in my favor. I’m a little nervous about some of the stuff in my bag, and part of me is worried I’ll feel dumb trying to pull it off. But if Jensen’s not totally sober, maybe I won’t overthink it. Maybe I’ll just let him take the lead and feed off his adventurous energy.
My phone vibrates in my lap.
Jensen
Hey babe, we just finished dinner. Heading to a bar with live music. You sure you don’t want to come out? I miss you and that sweet ass of yours.
I smile to myself, thumb hovering over the screen.
Haha, I miss you too! I’m sure. We’re all cozied up by the fireplace. Just don’t be out too late… Got some new toys to try out.
Amber glances over, holding out the bowl of popcorn. “What are you grinning at?”
“Oh, nothing. Just Jensen being Jensen… you know, cute.”
Megan makes a face, scrunching her nose. “Ugh, I forget you both fuck my brothers. This suddenly feels like a terrible idea. Do I really want to know what you bought to seduce them?” She mock gags.
We all crack up, and I dig into my bag, pulling out a butt plug and holding it up between two fingers.
“Wait, so do younotwant to hear about how your brother is obsessed with the idea of doing anal, and I’ve yet to brave the butt stuff?” I say, half laughing, half cringing at myself. I take a breath, showing off the plug. “Starting small. But… I want to give him that fantasy.”
