First World(55)

What was he doing in my room?

I looked down at my nakedness – laughter burst from me again. I was literally gasping for breath. Lucy would die when she heard this. Shaking off the mirth and shame, I entered my dressing room.

“Oh, hell, yeah.” My exclamation echoed around the massive room.

It was brightly lit, a large chandelier, the centre piece, casting soft shadows. Built-in wardrobes lined the walls, and clothes hung everywhere. Walking deeper into the room, I paused – the entire back wall was dedicated to shoes – each displayed in its own little cubby. I stopped counting at fifty pairs. It took effort, although not as massive as Lucy’s would be, but I dragged myself from the shoes and continued toward the back where there were floor-to-ceiling drawers and little nooks.

I opened the first drawer. Panties, in every color and style. I picked up a scrap of lace that seemed to be missing most of the back part. Luckily there were plenty of other styles. I grabbed a pair of lacy ‘boy-leg’ panties in a bright turquoise green. I found a matching bra in the next drawer. Everything was my size. How Lallielle knew that was beyond me. With underwear taken care of, I now had to find something to wear amongst the thousands of clothes. I needed comfortable, easy to run in.

Moving with determination, I perused the imposing row of clothes. The first section was long formal dresses, the next shorter cocktail dresses. Who in the world would need this many evening dresses? You’d have to attend an event once a week.

Further along I paused at a large section of jeans. Flicking through, I grabbed a gorgeous pair, dark denim with numerous ripped sections covered in a purple lace. The material was softer than I expected. It didn’t feel like denim. Pulling them on and zipping them up, I found they fitted perfectly. Dream-weaving wasn’t Lallielle’s only skill. I found a pair of to-die-for, tight, over-the-knee boots. They were soft black leather and worlds away from my old pair in the bathroom. They had a couple of silver buckles running up the side.

Now to find a shirt.

I moved to the casual clothes and pulled a royal purple top off a hanger. A tank top in simple cotton – ribbed and baby soft. Whatever material they made clothes from, or what they washed them in, was amazing. Dressed now, and semi-ready to marry my wardrobe, I walked toward the doorway. Just before exiting, I noticed a row of coats. New York would be freezing, maybe even snowing. I grabbed a mid-thigh trench coat. Thick and black, with a zippable lining, it would be plenty warm.

I left without another glance. For once I let my red curls hang heavy down my back. I’d tie it back later. I ran down the hallway, focused now. Time to find Lucy.





Chapter 11





They were already standing with their packs on. Lallielle turned at my entrance, and a dazzling smile lit her face.

“My goodness, Aribella, you look stunning.” She took Josian’s hand. “Your hair is amazing. It’s as if you took both of our coloring.”

Considering I hadn’t checked the mirror before leaving, I wasn’t sure what I looked like. But my hair felt silky and smooth. It was working for me today. With curls you never knew what you were going to wake up to.

Josian disengaged from Lallielle and moved forward. Before I could react, he engulfed me in a hug. There was nothing tight or overpowering about it, despite his size. Instead it was comforting, gentle and warm. The world disappeared for a moment. I could have used this hug millions of times over the years. Shaking my head, I pulled away.

His eyes were narrowed and his brow creased as he stepped back. “Sorry, Aribella, I couldn’t help myself. Walkers are demonstrative people, and right now you look so grown up. Just the perfect mix of Lallielle and myself.”

Lallielle stayed back, her expression neutral. Remembering the pain she encased in her mind, I felt a strange need to offer her a token. Taking a deep breath, I stepped around Josian and walked toward her.

“Josian had his chance; it’s only fair that you have one too.” I held my arms open. I was going for sainthood or something.

Without hesitation, she threw her arms around me. Unlike Josian, she held me tightly; I might have heard one or two soft sobs. Another set of arms encased both of us. Josian again.

“You had your chance. Don’t be a hug-hog,” I mumbled into my mother’s shoulder.

He laughed, the comforting rumble surrounding me.

Eventually I managed to extract myself.

Brace stood near the back door, watching me. As our eyes met, I blushed immediately, reminded of the naked incident from upstairs.

His returning smile was full of heat, but the slight nod spoke volumes of his approval, like I needed it.

“Okay, time to go to Earth.” Josian moved next to me. “Picture a safe place for us to go. I’ll find a doorway close by.”