Dark Secrets (Dark Secrets #1)(173)
Author: A.M. Hudson

“Hi, Mike,” Emily said, her cheeks going pink.

“You back for another shaking?” he joked.

“I’ll pass,” she said sheepishly. “You know, you look kind of different when you’re not mad with worry.”

Mike laughed. “Yeah, guess it’s easier to see my face when I’m not towering over you, badgering for information on missing girls.” He cast a raised brow my way.

Emily giggled. “It was okay. You didn’t actually shake me.”

“Okay, enough small talk.” I grabbed Em’s hand. “Come see your dress.”

Mike laughed as we rushed past him, then slammed my bedroom door behind us.

“Now, close your eyes—and stay here.” I held out a warning finger.

“Can’t go far with my eyes closed,” she said.

I left her by my bed while I ran to the wardrobe to get the green dress, and came back, holding it against my body. “Okay. You can look.”

Emily’s eyes lit up and her mouth popped open as she ran toward me—well, to the dress. “Oh, my God, Ara. This is perfect. Where did you get this?”

“Had it for ages.” I shrugged.

“Can I try it on?”

“Of course, dummy, that’s why I asked you over. Here.” I handed her the dress and directed her to my wardrobe. “I hope it fits.”

“It looks like it will,” she said, her voice muffled under a shirt or something.

“Yeah, we’re the same size, so it should be fine.”

“I can’t thank you enough for this, Ara. I just haven’t found anything I love enough to wear, but I think this—” She stepped out and her beauty struck me. “Might do?”

“Emily?” I couldn’t help but to rush over and hug her. “How perfect is this on you—oh my God!”

She readjusted the shoestring strap on her shoulder and spun slowly to show the low back, scooping down just past the purple cotton undies she had on today, while the shimmering emerald green hugged her curves, making her skin look like liquid satin.

“I hate you, you know.” I sighed enviously, folding my arms. “It never looked that good on me.”

“Aw, I’m sorry, Ara. But I do love it,” she said.

“Well, then, it’s yours.”

“Mine? Ara, I can’t—”

“Yes, you can. I want you to have it. It was—” I shook my head, looking for the right words “—meant for you.”

“Thank you.” She reached out; I hugged her again. “I’m so glad we’re friends.”

“Me too. Come on—” I took her hand, leading her to the door, “—we have to show Mike.”

“Wait.” She pulled back a little. “Are…are you sure it looks good? I mean—”

“Em. It’s great. Stop worrying.” I stuck my head around the corner. “Mike?”

“Yeah?” He flashed a really sexy grin, stopping just as he was headed down the stairs.

“What’d you think?”

When I pulled Emily around the corner, Mike tilted his head to one side. “Wow. Yeah, that’s a great dress. Do a spin,” he said, twirling his finger in the air. Emily spun around. “I don’t know, Ara. Perhaps I’m marrying the wrong girl.”

Emily’s head whipped up; she looked at me, her mouth falling open. “Marrying? Did he say marrying?”

I shot a death glare at Mike. “Um, yeah. We’re…Mike asked me to marry him,” I said, fraying my fingers to show my ring.

“Oh my God,” Emily squealed, grabbing my hand; Mike rubbed his ear with his finger. “When did this happen?”

“Yesterday.”

“Wow.” She pressed both thumbs to my ruby, becoming seemingly smaller from the shoulders down. “And…what about David?”

“Um—”

“He’s—out of the picture,” Mike said softly, but very politely.

Emily’s eyes screamed her true thoughts. “Well, that’s just, like, so great, Ara. I’m so happy for you two.”

“I’m just gonna…” Mike jerked his thumb toward the stairs and walked a few steps backward before fleeing with the speed of a man in trouble. Oh, wait—he was in trouble!

“Emily?” I closed my bedroom door, then spun around to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“What have you done?” her voice trembled.

“I already told you, Em.” I sat on the bed, shifting Emily’s jacket out of the way. “David and I broke up. Why are you so surprised?”

“Because, you were supposed to meet again one day, on a windy autumn morning, and fall in love all over again. Not go and marry another man!” She pointed to my door.

“Em?” I chuckled. “This isn’t a fairy-tale.”

She looked at me for a long moment, then threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know what to say to you, Ara. You know, he loved you. Why should kids or careers or anything stop you from being together?”

“It’s not just the kid thing.”

“Then what else is there?” She sat beside me.

“He…he has things in his life that he doesn’t want me a part of—that I don’t want to be a part of.”

“Like what?”

I raised a brow at her. “Em, come on, you know David’s got secrets.”

Her eyes narrowed. “So, you can’t love him if he has secrets?”

“No, it’s not that.” I stood up. “It’s that I can’t be with him now I know those secrets.”

She stood too. “Are you kidding me? His inner demons are stopping you from being together?”

“Yes.” In a roundabout way.

“That’s not love then, Ara. It never was.”

“Shut up, Emily. You don’t anything about what I felt for him.”

She doubled back a little.

“Look, I’m sorry.” I dropped my arms to my sides and slumped on the bed. “I’m just tired of people thinking they know my heart.”

“I wasn’t saying I did. I just…I just don’t get it, you know. You wanted him so bad. I remember you telling me you’d give anything if he’d just ask you out. What changed?”

“The heart.” I shrugged.

She shook her head. “I gotta know.”

“What?” I asked, confused, as she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.

“I gotta ask him.”