Amy snickered. "Dead on."
Bantering with Amy was like getting swept into an ocean current. It was so quick and thrilling that Claire could—for a second—ignore the danger.
"You look amazing," Emily reassured Amy. "Now we just have to find a dress for Claire. And one for me." She frowned down at the zebra-print. "I think this is too safari chic for Hanover Falls."
The fact that she'd said "we" didn't escape Claire. Apparently, their shopping trip had just turned into a shopping trip plus one. The surprised happiness that flooded her was so electric, she expected to get a shock when she reached for the dressing-room doorknob.
"I'm going to go change," she announced, stepping back into the cubicle and shutting the door. She leaned her forehead against the dusty slats and took a long, slow breath, forcing herself to calm down. To slow down. I'm just going to focus on finding a dress.
Claire turned to face the pile of clothes in front of her. The red and black and silver fabrics passed under her gaze, but her eyes stopped when she spotted a sliver of green near the black. Dark green, the same color as the heart of the pine trees deep in the forest. Just looking at it made her feel calmer. More controlled. She reached for it instinctively.
It was long and one-shouldered—silk with a floaty piece of organza skimming down from just underneath the bust. Claire licked her lips. It was going to work. It was going to be perfect. She could tell from the little tingle in her fingers as she slid it off the hanger.
She shucked off the blue dress and stepped into the green one with the same confidence she had when she stepped into the woods.
She pulled the zipper up and turned to look in the mirror. A shiver of excitement passed through her as she stared at herself.
It was amazing. The color set off her pale skin and dark hair, and the flow of the dress made her look strong and elegant and slender all at once. Plus, the single shoulder and gathered bust helped hide the fact that she wasn't well-endowed enough to hold up something strapless. As long as she wore heels, it wouldn't even need to be hemmed.
Barely suppressing a gleeful and hopelessly girly squeal, Claire opened the dressing room door.
"Hey, Emily! Guess what?" she crowed.
Emily poked her head around the edge of her own door. "Wha—whoa." Her eyes widened. "Oh, hell yes. That is so your dress. That is so so so your dress. Unfair! How did you find it so fast? You look unbelievable!"
Claire glanced over at Amy, who was standing on a little dais while a bent-backed woman slid pins into the hem of her dress. Amy's mouth had fallen open in a sort of shocked admiration.
"Claire, it's fantastic!" She shook her head happily, her curls bouncing around her shoulders.
Claire looked back at Emily and grinned. "It's pretty knockout, huh?"
"You two are already done!" Emily frowned. "Okay, let me hurry this up, and then we can all go look for shoes and stuff." She shut the door, leaving Claire and Amy smiling at each other.
Claire caught herself, dropping her smile and ducking back inside the dressing room. She caught the briefest glimpse of surprise and disappointment on Amy's face before she shut the door. Claire slid out of the dress, ignoring the twinge of sorrow in her middle. She promised herself she was going to be more careful. No more getting swept away. I cannot juggle another friend right now.
She pulled on her jeans and looked at herself in the mirror. She had to focus on what she had already. On not risking Emily. On not losing Matthew. And on keeping her left ear whole. The three of them stood in front of the jewelry display, the rows of fake pearls and glittering rhinestones making Claire's eyes ache. She'd already bought her dress and a pair of shoes and a purse—she was on shopping overload.
"Hey, I have the best idea!" Emily picked up a pair of crystal-studded earrings, holding them up to her ears. "Why don't you both spend the night at my house tonight? We can make it a real, old-school slumber party. We could stop and get ice cream on the way. Plus, we can talk about where we want to go to dinner before the ball and stuff."
"I'm in," Amy said, riffling through a rack of fancy hair clips. "I'm going to need a major sugar fix after all this."
Emily frowned and looked at Claire. "Oh, crap. You have a date with Matthew, don't you?"
"Yeah." Her disappointment was as sharp and unexpected as a bee sting. "I wish I could cancel and hang out with you two instead. Especially now that you've mentioned ice cream. I'll be craving it like crazy all night."
"What's with all the weird cravings?" Emily asked. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been eating a ton more meat than usual." Emily turned to Amy. "She's, like, an antivegetarian. Are you just doing that to piss Lisbeth off, or what?"
Amy cleared her throat. "There are lots of reasons to have weird cravings." A dark-winged shadow fluttered across her face.