more than this | grayson dolan (book one)

fifteen

I closely follow behind Lanie as we walk through the mall. It doesn't surprise me that this is one of the largest buildings I have ever been in, everything on the north side is big. She happily steps into a store and turns to look at me with a bright smile.

"Okay, what type of style are you going for? Do you want to be elegant and chic, or more casual yet sophisticated?" I feel like she's speaking an entire different language when she talks about fashion.

"Casual, but not sophisticated." I sternly inform her while gulping.

"No offense, but your style is pretty basic." She eyes my t-shirt and shorts.

"None taken. As you already know i'm not big on fashion." I chuckle while shaking my head.

"We're changing that today, I want to pull you out of your comfort zone." She grins as she walks further into the store.

"Don't go too crazy." I groan as I follow her.

"I know you hate dresses but we're going to need to start with that. Rompers and jumpsuits are a second option."

"I don't hate dresses, I just never wear them." I wasn't raised into the world of fashion and makeup, so I never took an interest in either. I get my casual street style from Jake which i'm perfectly fine with.

"That's what we're going to fix." She lets out an innocent laugh as she looks through some racks. "This event is at a very classy dining hall so we can't have anything too revealing."

"How are you so good at this?" I laugh as I watch her focus on the clothes.

"I live for anything beauty related, it's been my passion for years." She stops looking through the racks and stares back at me. "I got accepted into a fashion school in New York City."

"Wow, that's amazing." I smile at her.

"I still never told Ethan." She bites on her lower lip as she looks back at the rack.

"Why not? He's going to be thrilled."

"I know it's only a few hours away but I hate the idea of leaving him." She lets out a tiny sigh.

"Lanie, you have to do what's best for you. Ethan will support you no matter what." I try to give her some words of wisdom, even though i'm that last person who should be giving relationship advice.

"I'm afraid to lose him. I guess that's how I know my love for him is real."

"What do you mean?" I tilt my head as I listen to her words.

"You know you love someone so deeply when the thought of losing them scares you. Long distance can pull a relationship apart no matter how strong it is." She looks down at her sandals with a sigh.

"New York is only a few hours away. Plus, Ethan is absolutely crazy about you. There is no way he would let distance or time ruin anything." I step closer to her and place my hand on her arm.

"You're right." She lifts her head back up with a small grin. "Thanks Stella."

"No problem." I grin back as I look down at the rack. "So, what are we working with?"

She glances down at my body before scanning the racks again. She pulls out a long navy dress and a tighter red one. Before we head toward the dressing room, she takes a white lace dress off the hanger and hands it to me. "Try these on."

I nod and take the items out of her hand. Once i'm alone in the dressing room, I try the navy dress on first. I instantly cringe at the way it looks on my body. I hate how long it is and it doesn't suit my style at all. I take it off and try on the slim red one. It's a hot dress, but seems a little too flashy for the atmosphere we're going to be in.