as we head to the daisy store. In the distance, there are the

whispering sounds of the waves washing up on the sand.

“And some sandals too,” Seth adds, and he braces me by the

arm as I trip over a hole in the sidewalk.

I nod as I regain my footing. “Sandals do sound nice.”

We rummage through the racks outside for a while, but

don’t find anything that is “Callie first-time-dress-worthy,” Seth

tells me. We wander inside, out of the sun and into the cool

temperature of the air conditioning. The cashier is reading a

magazine behind the counter and she glances up before returning

her attention to her reading.

Seth fans his hand in front of his face. “It’s hot here and it

smells like cherries.”

“I think the temperature is actually normal here,” I point out.

“It’s just that we’ve come from one of the coldest places in the

world.”

He shoots me a doubtful look as he starts flipping through a

T-shirt rack. “In the world?”

I walk up to one of the circular racks in the center of the

small shop and run my finger along the tops of the hangers. “Okay,

maybe in the country.”

He laughs and I join in as we flip through the hangers. Each

time he holds up a dress, I shake my head and decline. It’s not like

they’re all ugly; it’s just that I really don’t want to wear one. I want to stay in my clothes and keep covered up, except maybe my feet.

It feels like if I put a dress on then I’m going to go back to that

day.

I wander over to the flip-flop section and pick up a pair with

pretty purple jewels on the top. I check the size and they’re the

perfect fit. I’m about to head up to the register to pay when Seth

strolls up with his hands behind his back.

“Okay, I think I found one,” he says, stopping in front of me.

He has a sucker in his mouth and I wonder where he got it from

but I don’t ask because with Seth sometimes being confused is

better than understanding. “But before I show it to you, I want you

to clear your head.”

“Clear my head.” I riffle through one of the racks holding

more sandals.

He nods, taking the sucker out of his mouth. His lips are

stained red and so are his teeth. “Shut your eyes and clear you

head of that place you keep going to every time I hold one up,

because if you do it, I think you’re going to love this one.”

The store is vacant except for the clerk, who’s very distracted

by the magazine. I’m glad there’s no one, otherwise I’d feel silly. I close my eyes, inhale through my nose, and then exhale through

my mouth. “All right, trying to clear head in T minus five seconds.”

He laughs at me and then pinches my arm. “Don’t just try to

clear your head. Clear your head.” I feel him shift as he moves

closer. “Here, do this. Picture Kayden.”

I peek one eye open. “I don’t think that will clear my head. In

fact, I think it will cloud it even more.”

He shakes his head and pops his sucker back into his mouth.

“No, it won’t. I promise.” His voice sounds funny as he rolls the

sucker into the pouch of his cheek.

I sigh and shut my eyes, picturing Kayden and his gorgeous

green eyes. His amazingly perfect smile and his soft, deliciously

tasty lips. Yeah, his lips, those might be my favorite part. My head

is clearing. “All right, I’m thinking of him.”

“Now think about how much you trust him.”

“Okay…” My mind promptly floats back to that night when I

lay under him, helpless but unhindered as he held me, kissed me

passionately, felt me from head to toe, our sweaty bodies united.

He took me to a place I didn’t think existed and made me feel

things I never knew I could.

“He’s not going to let anything happen to you, Callie,” Seth

says in a soothing voice that steadies my nerves. “And neither will

Luke and I. You have three strong guys. You’re not alone and you

don’t need to hide anymore.”

I get what he’s saying and it overwhelms me. For six years I

felt so alone in the world, hiding in my room. But now I’m here and

I have Kayden, Seth, and even Luke. I’m not alone. I have friends.

Tears start to sting at my eyes and one drop slips down my cheek.

“You’re the best friend in the whole world,” I say, holding

back the tears as I open my eyes. “And I mean that.”

“I know you do.” A smile lifts at his lips and he brings his

arms out in front of himself, showing me the dress he picked out.

“Ta-da.”

It has thin straps and is a few different shades of purple, kind

of like tie-dye, and there’s a lacey trim along the top and bottom

of it. It looks like it’s made of silk, but it’s not low-cut and it looks like it will go to my knees.

I run my fingers along the soft fabric and check that the size

on the tag is correct. “You think this is the one? The one to cure

me of my fear?”

“No, I think you’re the one to cure you of your fear,” he says,

waving the dress at me. “This will just look really good on you and

it matches the shoes.”

I glance down at the purple flip-flops in my hand and then

back up at the dress. “Yeah, they do kind of match,” I say and he

waits for me to take the dress. Finally, I snatch it up and head to

the counter.

“Aren’t you going to try it on?” Seth meanders around the

racks after me.

I pile the dress and the shoes onto the counter next to the

register and tub of pens with furry ends. “No way. Not until I get

back to the house.”

He rolls his eyes and then backs away toward a section of

shorts. The cashier takes her time getting up from the chair and

she heads to the register, yawning. Then the phone rings and she’s

backing up toward it.

“Just a second.” She holds up her finger and wanders over to

the phone on the corner desk.

I wait patiently with my arm on the counter and my hand on

the dress. I remember when I was younger and I used to wear

dresses all the time. I would run around and play catch in them

and would always skin my knees.

“Maybe you shouldn’t play catch,” my mom would say to me

all the time. But I refused to listen because I loved feeling like a

princess who could play sports. I would run up and down the

football field, letting my tiny legs carry me as my dress and hair

blew in the wind. I was so happy and I realize it’s probably one of

the last times I’ve ever felt so carefree.

The cashier laughs as she says something into the phone.

“No way. Are you freaking kidding me? He did not.”