Page 15 of That Last Secret
Do I clean some more?
I could organize my kitchen cabinets. Avery would be proud.
Do I go over all my notes?
No. The whole point of today is to step away.
Do I open my textbook and read over material we haven’t covered in class yet?
Emiline, stop.
Every thought is cut short when I hear a knock on my door. I check the peephole and find Brooke standing in the hallway. My eyes narrow in question because she never shows up unannounced.
“Are you okay?” I question, swinging the door open. My eyes scan her, and she’s wearing a tight mini dress and a pair of heels as if she’s ready for a night in town.
“Something has to be wrong for me to show up at my best friend’s house on a Friday night and drag her out because I know she’s sitting here contemplating studying things we haven’t even touched in class yet.” She raises an eyebrow from the doorway.
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “Well…”
“That’s what I thought,” she says, entering my apartment.
“You cut me off,” I defend with my hands on my hips. “I was contemplating reorganizing my kitchen cabinets.”
“And then you were thinking about studying some more,” she finishes for me, hitting the nail on the head. But I keep my face passive so she doesn’t catch on to the fact that she’s right. “Get your head out of the books. We’re going out before classes startback up again on Monday. I know you’ve been reading about gastrointestinal disorders the last few days, and it stops right now.”
I avert my gaze to the floor. She’s caught me.
“Ha! I knew it.” She laughs as she plops on the couch. “Go get dressed.”
I don’t move from where I stand as I watch her grab the remote from where it’s stashed in the end table drawer. I glance down at myself and note my oversized sweatpants that look like they’ve been through one hundred loads of laundry and Logan’s sweatshirt that, to my dismay, I have refused to take off.
I keep telling myself it’s because of the comfort, not because of the person who owns it.
“I’m not even remotely ready to go out,” I exclaim.
“I know,” she says with her eyes fixed on the TV as she flips through the channels before landing on the one that plays all the oldGrey’s Anatomyreruns. “I’ll wait for you. Ditch the Adam Sandler fromBig Daddyoutfit choice and put something hoton.”
I bark out a laugh and shake my head at her antics before retreating to my room. That’s when I notice my desk full of study material that I left open, and my stomach sinks, realizing that this might be a bad idea.
Aside from feeling guilty for not studying tonight, I’m also not the type of girl who goes out to a party or has these crazy nights out. I enjoy a drink or two with the girls if we go to dinner, but the bar or club scene is not for me.
But this is what I wanted today.
A day to do absolutely nothing school related.
I take a few calming breaths before I curl some of my hair and browse my closet for something to wear. I find an old dress I forgot I even had. Even the price tag is still attached. It’s asolid bright red, form-fitting dress that sits mid-thigh and has a decent-sized slit up the left side.
It’s actually kind of hot. Exactly what Brooke told me to wear.
“Almost ready?” she bellows from the living room.
“Just about,” I shout back.
I slip on the dress, throw on some perfume, and put on my favorite pair of nude comfort heels, which have red on the bottom to match the dress.
I finally step out into the living room, and Brooke immediately turns her head.
“Hell yeah,” She smiles and nods repeatedly as she gets up from the couch. “That’s the outfit. That looks hot.” She turns off the TV and grabs her purse while I grab mine and the key to my apartment. “I’m in the mood to dance. Let’s let loose before the second half of the semester. What do you say?”