Page 45 of Deathless & Divided

“She looks like a well-priced hooker,” Abriella replied, roaring with laughter.

“I didn’t say it was nice. I said it was something else.”

Lily didn’t even bother to hide her own snickers as she took inventory of the slinky silk number in the mirror. It was held together by thin silk and two small straps and was weighted down with heavy jewels along the neckline. A slit at the side cut the ivory fabric all the way to the top of Lily’s thigh.

The wedding dress was sexy, to be sure, but it was not Catholic material.

“Oh, God,” Lily said, eyeing the piece. “Could you imagine Dino or Theo’s face?”

“Can we take a picture just to send for a joke?” Abriella asked.

Lily posed and let her friend snap a quick picture. Abriella typed a message before dropping her phone back into her bag.

“Next,” Abriella ordered.

“Not the style we’re going for,” Evelina said to the store manager. “Think classic, not classless.”

The lady nodded tightly before ushering off to find another dress.

Despite loathing the very idea of spending hours in a dress shop searching for that perfect dress to wear, Lily’s friends had convinced her to give it a try. It hadn’t turned out to be such a bad thing, really.

Lily brushed her hands down the silk. “I do like the feel.”

“You can do silk,” Evelina said. “Just not like that.”

“Or,” Abriella drawled with a leer, “You can do silk for the wedding night.”

Lily turned away from the girls, not wanting them to see the heat in her cheeks. She forgot about the goddamn mirrors she faced.

“Hey, what did we miss?” Evelina asked.

“Nothing,” Lily said maybe a little too quickly.

“Oh, I’ll tell you what we missed,” Abriella replied, her reflection showing her knowing grin. “Sunday morning, Tommy got a phone call.”

Lily spun on her heel. “Mind your business, Ella.”

“You were with Tommas on Sunday morning?” Evelina asked.

“Early before I skipped back to mine and Alessa’s apartment. I had to arrive at church alone, you know.”

Of course, Lily thought.

Abriella was playing with fire and when that happened, somebody always ended up with burns.

“Anyway,” Abriella said.

“Ella, please,” Lily pleaded. “Just leave it alone. It was nothing.”

“All right.” Abriella tossed her hands up in defeat. “The bride is always right. We mustn’t anger the DeLuca princess.”

Lily’s gaze narrowed. “You’re one to talk, Trentini Queen.”

Abriella snorted. “Cute.”

Evelina didn’t look as though she was about to let it go like Abriella had. “What aren’t you telling me, Lily?”

“It was nothing,” Lily assured. “I was drunk, Damian came to the club and didn’t want to take me home to Dino like that—”