Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 23 - Frisson

[3/4]

"Bri, I don't know about all of this," I mutter as I stare at my reflection in the mirror of Bri's walk-in closet. Surprise, surprise, they—well, mostly the girls and Vinny—convinced me to go out with them. Even though I'm not in the mood, a couple of drinks might help numb my brain. Which, honestly, would be a welcome effect.

Since I didn't wear anything appropriate to go out in, and there was no way I was going all the way back home, Bri insisted I borrow something from her closet. The girl has more clothes than an average store, so it wasn't a problem. However, if I had known that Bri and Em would pick out the most revealing dress they could find, I might have reconsidered and gone home to change into one of my own dresses.

They chose a rich blue satin halter A-line short dress with an open back, meaning I can't wear a bra. Although it doesn't show much cleavage, the way the dress is cut reveals a glimpse of side boob. "It's really revealing," I say, twisting and turning in the mirror to catch every angle.

"Well, yeah, that's what I was aiming for," Bri jokes as she puts on some earrings that perfectly match the simple but beautiful strapless green dress she's wearing. Against her olive skin, the color looks stunning. "You look like a million dollars, babe," she says, noticing the concern on my face.

"I look like an escort," I grumble. Mind you, I never wear anything this revealing. I feel practically naked.

"At least you look like an expensive one," Emily says jokingly as she walks into the closet, wearing a hysterical red dress with feathers on the ends. Somehow, she looks fabulous. If I were to wear that, I'd look like Big Bird from Sesame Street.

I sigh, giving the dress one last scrutinizing look. "I just don't want to be the centre of the attention."

"Sweetie, you have been cheated on. Soak up the attention you will get and realize that it wasn't you but that Will is just a stupid boy," Bri says, flashing me a reassuring smile. "Besides, you need this, so let loose and have some fun."

I nod my head at her, after her pep talk. She is right and what is the worst that can happen?

"What are you doing?" Em asks, watching me pull a sweater over my dress.

"I'm cold," I reply, though the truth is I need a lot more alcohol in my system to feel confident enough to show myself like this, especially knowing the guys—and particularly Luca—are downstairs.

"You are not wearing that to the club," Emily warns, then walks out of the room.

I sigh and look at myself one last time in the mirror. At least I have some color on my face, which is a huge improvement from earlier. I follow the girls, closing the door behind me. The voices of multiple people echo through the apartment. Ah, the guys are back. They left earlier to change as well.

As I round the corner, I stop dead in my tracks. Luca is standing with his back to me, dressed entirely in black. His tailored button-down shirt and trousers fit him perfectly, he's wearing sleek loafers and an expensive watch glints on his wrist. The fabric of his shirt stretches over his broad shoulders, showing his strong build. It should be a sin to look so good as he does.

For a moment, I just stare, taking in the sight of him. He turns slightly, and our eyes meet. His gaze travels from my face down to my dress, and I see a flicker of something in his eyes that I cannot place.

"She is not wearing that," Emily declares, noticing Luca looking at me in a sweater. "She's just being her insecure self again." She rolls her eyes and walks over to Vinny, who's pouring us all a shot.

"You made her look like an escort," Brianna says to Emily, as if it's the most obvious reason for my insecurity. "What else did you expect?"

"It's your dress," Emily shoots back, looking offended.