Page 140 of Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals 1)

“It’s okay,” Lenora says. “I’ve got it.”

“What?” I whisper. I can barely see.

“I’m buying it.” She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “So wipe those tears, Margo girl. You’re getting the dress.”

I stare at myself in the mirror.

It’s a lot.

My own mother would’ve swatted me away from this whole store. Wouldn’t she? We wouldn’t have gone to the mall in the first place. She was a personal chef. Money was always tight. I got new-to-me jeans and shirts at thrift stores. Shoes on clearance. Toys that had been donated.

We lived in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods, yet we struggled to fill our fridge.

And Lenora tells me she’ll buy a five hundred dollar dress that I’ll wear once. She does it without batting an eye.

Riley pulls me back into the changing room. I step out of dress, still in a state of shock. I blink and blink and can’t think of anything to say.

“This is how they operate,” she whispers. “She’s trying. Money is nothing to them.”

I twitch. “Where does their money even come from? How much could they possibly make on her salary and Robert’s?”

Riley grins. “Clearly, you don’t know your foster parents.”

I raise my eyebrow, but Riley just shoves my clothes at me and slips out the door.

By the time I’m in my clothes, she’s in another changing room. Lenora has my dress bagged and over her arm.

Lenora grins at me, tapping my nose. “I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Thank you,” I murmur. “I really, really appreciate it.”

Riley’s door cracks open, and she slips out.

We both ooh at the same time.

The fabric is slinky, hugging her body like a glove. She’s as thin as the popular girls, even if she hides it most of the time. The black dress has a deep, plunging neckline and widens below her hips.

She does a little shimmy. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful.” Lenora winks. “And spicy.”

Riley tosses her hair back. “I think I’ll knock Eli’s socks off.”

He officially asked her while I was home recovering, apparently. And she said yes, amongst a sea of jealous onlookers. It was quite the spectacle. Singing, a marching band, the lacrosse team surrounding Riley and lifting her.

Still, she tries on two more dresses before she declares herself satisfied with the first. We walk out of the store with our arms linked—the three of us, me at the center. There’s a warm feeling in my chest, and it’s easy to ignore the pain in my abdomen.

We get pretzels and browse around a few stores. I hesitate picking out jewelry. There are some things of my mom’s I could get. I’m sure they’re in her room in our old house. Going in to get them would probably give me a panic attack, but...

It would be nice to wear her earrings or necklace. Feel closer to her.

Riley holds up a stunning necklace dripping in crystals. “I’m getting this,” she announces. She tries it on, holding her hair up and turning every which way.

“I love it,” I tell her.

She grins at me.

As we’re leaving the store, someone shouts my name.

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