Page 82 of Chase
“Only one of the BEST boutiques. It’s a one-of-a-kind dress shop. Her stuff is amazing and it’s super hard to get one. Her fittings are appointment only and the wait list is years long,” Ally explains. Her eyes are bright, and her smile is contagious. Even Rhys smiles.
I watch him watch her.
We really need to find a way for him to get out of this crap with Ashley. I’m not overly keen on Rhys and Ally being together. But if it’s what they want, I won’t stop them.
“I don’t even want to know how much you’re paying for the appointment,” Ally says to Arden.
“It sounds a little out of budget for me,” Yasmin tells him.
“Hush. I’ll have none of that. Only the best for you girls.” Yasmin and Millie haven’t been around Arden for long enough to realise that when Arden does something like this, he’s paying for it. He’ll make a girl very happy one day. I just hope he doesn’t end up with someone who’ll take advantage of his generosity.
“Don’t hush me Chuck,” Yasmin sasses.
“I’ll hush you as much as I like,” Arden teases right back. I love listening to them banter. It does something seeing my best friend and my girl getting along, even if they are arguing.
I gently squeeze Yasmin’s hand, bringing her attention to me. “I wouldn’t even bother. You won’t win this.”
“Fine.” She huffs, while picking up her drink.
Ally moves over to sit next Yasmin to show her some of the dresses that Giselle has made.
“So, I was thinking I need to plan something big for the graduation ceremony,” Arden says.
“No. Mum will kill you.” Rhys chuckles.
“Non-sense. Mrs G loves me,” Arden retorts.
This turns Rhys’ chuckle into a full laugh. “You keep telling yourself that.” Mrs G does love us, but it’s fun to watch Rhys rile up Arden.
“She does,” Arden says with a tone of finality.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Rhys says while finishing his drink. Arden chooses to ignore Rhys.
“I was thinking we definitely need to do a speech and maybe a song?” Arden asks.
“Hell no.” Everyone responds at once.
“I’m not singing. Or speaking. You’re on your own,” I tell Arden and everyone else agrees with me.
“Fine, I’ll sing a High School Musical song on my own then.”
Ally spits her drink across the table. “You wouldn’t?” She questions. She knows Arden. She should know better. Once he’s said something, there is no way he isn’t following through with it.
“Watch me.” He says with an evil smirk.
Millie and Julia head inside to pick their room and watch a movie. There heads have been in their phones, both whispering and giggling.
“I can’t believe how much Julia has come around the last few weeks,” I say to Arden while the girls continue their browsing.
“I know, I’ve been proving to her that I’ll always be there, no matter what. I’m happy that she’ll have Millie next year when we’re gone. And that she’s been spending time with Mumma Nat.”
“She knows you’ll always be there. Mum’s been over the moon that she’s been visiting more often.”
“I know she knows deep down; I just have to keep proving it to her so she doesn’t push us away again,” Arden says, concern in his tone. It’s always going to be there, I think. Julia pushed us all away once, what’s to stop her from doing it again?
We just have to trust her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
