Page 97 of Always Red (Chasing Red 2)

I hung up the phone and closed my eyes, imagining her beside me as I drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-six

Veronica

“I know exactly where we can get pretty dresses for cheap,” Kara chirped, hooking her hand around my arm. “If we’re lucky, we’ll find one that looks like a million bucks. But first, let’s get milk shakes.”

I could hear the excitement in her voice as she steered us to the nearest coffee shop, then spent hours dragging me into thrift stores and consignment shops. She loved finding a good deal, but when we couldn’t find anything, she gave up and drove us to the mall.

“So, you got your lover a present yet?”

I nodded. “I knitted him a beanie.”

“In the middle of fucking summer?”

She looked at me like I was some kind of alien. “You’re giving him that thing for his birthday?”

What’s wrong with it? She made it sound like a crime.

“Well, yeah. He can use it during the winter. He loves wearing beanies. Plus, I made it myself,” I argued defensively. I’d wo

rked hard making that thing. “Do you know how hard it is, knitting a beanie during exam week? I barely had time to finish it!”

She shot me a pitiful look. “Look, you’re my friend, so I have to be honest with you or this won’t work.” I scowled at her before she pulled me inside a nearby store. “Your gift-giving skills suck.”

I let out an exasperated noise. “I’m giving him the beanie,” I insisted stubbornly.

She sighed, defeated. “I guess you’re lucky Lockhart has everything already. And I guess…” She pulled a green dress off the rack and turned to me, narrowing her eyes as she plastered the dress to my front. After a brief contemplation, she shook her head and put the dress back. “Lockhart’s so addicted to you, he’d just think it’s charming that you blow at giving gifts.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” I persisted. “Besides, if he doesn’t want it, I’ll use it myself.”

I was giving him the beanie, and that was that.

“All right. I give up. We can’t all be perfect, I guess.” She flicked her hair behind her shoulder like the diva she was.

I shot her a sour look. “Geez, Kar. You’re so perfect that you should have a statue erected in your honor. And a flag with your face on it.”

She winked at me. “I know, right?”

When she pulled out another green dress—what was with her and green today?—I shook my head and told her it needed to be red. She rolled her eyes, and we walked to another section.

“So,” she said casually, plucking another dress from the rack and tossing it to me. She proceeded to another rack and I followed. “How big is Lockhart’s pickle?”

If I’d had a drink, I would have choked. “Kar!”

She rolled her eyes again. “Don’t think I didn’t know you guys were playing hide-the-salami in your bedroom yesterday.”

“Ohmygod.” I let out a strangled laugh, looking around to make sure no one had heard her. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment when I spotted the clerk trying not to laugh. “Kar, shut the hell up.”

She wiggled her eyebrows. “Try that on,” she ordered, shooing me inside the dressing room.

I locked the door behind me, goggling dubiously at the little piece of spandex I was holding.

“Give me one detail then.” She paused. “Is it true he can go all night?”

I bit my lip, blushing again—but for different reasons.

“You’re killing me here,” she whined.

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