"Whoa," Emery said, putting her hand out. "Stop moving in on my woman."
I couldn't help it. I laughed. It was the first time since I'd left work that I'd done anything other than frown or cry. It felt … nice.
"Success!" Julia said.
"I knew shopping would work," Emery agreed.
Then, they gathered me up and hurried me to the dressing room. Their arms were full of almost exclusively black apparel … and I had one dress. I wasn't sure if they thought I'd bolt if we took too long to look or what. They seemed anxious to get me healthy. To see my smile and hope that I would turn back into the bubbly friend they were used to. I just … wasn't sure I would be able to do that. Not yet at least.
Still, I humored them. I slid the sleek material over my head and down my narrow hips. It cut low in the front and had a relatively high slit up the right side. When I stepped out of the dressing room, I was shocked to see the transformation. The girls were right. This was my color.
"Oh my God," Emery muttered. "It's not even fair. Your genetics are unreal. Why were you given all the good genes? You're as bad as Kimber."
I laughed. Emery's sister, Kimber, had been prom queen in high school, and they were night and day in appearance. I looked more like Kimber than Emery ever had. In fact, in high school, it had felt more like the three of us were siblings, and I wasn't an only child.
"You have to get it," Julia said as soon as she stepped out of the room.
"I have nowhere to wear it, and I'm sure I can't afford it."
"Look," Emery said with a sigh, leaning against the three-way mirror. "We're all really worried about you. I know how much this job meant to you."
"I really don't think that you do."
"Heidi, I've known you my whole life. I know that you have wanted to succeed in this forever."
I shook my head. "You don't know everything, Em."
"What? What don't I know?"
"My dad," I choked out. "My dad used my college funds."
"He used your … " Her mouth hung open. "Oh. Oh God."
"What?" Julia asked. "What am I missing?"
"He used my college funds on drugs and shackled me with student loan debt and then some," I spat angrily. "So, I needed the job more than anyone even knew. And, now, I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Heidi, I'm sorry," Emery said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was handling it," I said with a sigh. "And now … now, I'm not."
"Well, I think you should talk to Jensen. We talked, and I know he's worried about you and Landon. He's been going out and drinking every night with Austin and Patrick. We all know that's not a smart decision."
"I don't want to hear it," I said, holding up my hands.
"Well, I'm sorry. You need to. Jensen has been trying to get ahold of you. I know that he wants to apologize to you about how this was all handled and that they're looking into the circumstances behind it."
"Em, just stop."
"Come on, please. Talk to him."
"I already texted him back."
"I know," Emery said with a frown. "But-"
"There is no but to this conversation, Em. I know what you're trying to do. But I do not want to talk about Jensen Wright or Landon Wright or any of the Wrights."
"But it isn't their fault," Emery said.
"It isn't? I wasn't just fired from the company that they own and operate?"
"You were, but-"
"Are you really going to try to stand there and defend them to me?" I gasped. "You, of all people?"
I turned around and walked back into the dressing room. I didn't want to have to deal with this shit. My body was shaking from the effort to not explode. I loved Emery to pieces, and I knew that she meant well. I hadn't wanted to yell at her. But she had been talking nonsense to me, and she fucking knew it.
"I'm not defending how it all went down. It was shitty," Emery said through the dressing room wall. I could hear the desperation seeping into her voice. "But I know none of them knew that it was happening. They weren't even aware that you were fired or that you were dating Landon until after it all happened. You need to talk to someone. If not Landon, at least talk to Jensen."
With my clothes back on, I hung the dress back on the hanger and stepped out. "No."
"Heidi-"
"It's over, Emery. I got fired because of Landon. No matter how you try to twist it around, that is what happened. It's on him. Don't you remember that Landon who shattered your heart, lied to you, and ignored you for months? This shouldn't be that hard for you to grasp."