Wanderlove by Belle Malory Page B

hardly made sense to me. Who could possibly forget someone like Gabe? He was much too striking. I knew that I could never forget someone like him.

TEN
     
     
    “Lola!”
    I smiled at Dakota’s excitement as she hurried in through the foyer, dropping her bags to the floor.
    “I’m so happy to see you’re still here!” She threw her arms around me in hug so wrenchingly tight that I couldn’t breathe for a moment.
    I laughed as soon as she let go of me. I had missed Dakota’s cheerful nature. “You didn’t think I would be?” I asked curiously.
    She shrugged and said, “The gypsy life is hard to let go of. We don’t all have the strength to stick around in one spot for very long. And I guess I’m a little surprised you decided to stay. You struck me as a wanderer.”
    I considered what she said. “I suppose I am a little surprised at myself,” I admitted. “I’ve never stayed in one place so long before. But I don’t feel that horrible restlessness I usually do at this point.”
    “Well, I , for one, am certainly happy you don’t feel it. It’s nice having you around.”
    I smiled, flattered. “What brings you into town so early?” I asked. “I didn’t expect you ‘til Thanksgiving.”
    “I decided to skip two of my classes so I could come home early. I always attend the Fall Festival and the Constantin party. It’s the talk of the town, you know. Nothing much else happens on Clearwater Beach.”
    I’d been hearing people gossip about the Constantin party at school. Apparently, the town held a festival along the beach every year and the Constantin family threw a huge party at the same time. I’d seen for myself the extravagances being shipped next door. Giant tents were set up. Truckloads of food were unloaded. Laborers were even putting together small carnival rides. It was impressive by anyone’s standards. Still, I refused to go.
    “So I see you’ve started school at Frightwell,” Dakota mentioned, breaking into my thoughts. “And I also see you’ve been…” she shut her eyes, searching for something and tilting her head. “Have you been doing volunteer work?” she opened her eyes now, perplexed.
    “How did you know? Did Miriam tell you?”
    “No,” Dakota grinned. “I saw it when I hugged you.”
    I scrunched my brows together, shaking my head. “No wonder you’re so affectionate. Especially when it gives you the chance to spy on people.”
    Dakota grabbed her suitcase and headed for the hallway. “I couldn’t possibly know what you’re talking about.”
    I laughed, despite myself. And then I stopped short. Thankfully, Dakota was already in her room at that point. I abruptly realized everything I might have let Dakota see about me. Everything about my father, everything about Gabe. . .it was too much of a risk. As much as I would hate it, I knew I should take extra precautions to stay away from Dakota while she was here. Because she couldn’t find out that I betrayed my father. And she definitely couldn’t find out about my inexplicable feelings for Gabe, which completely betrayed Annika. I would absolutely die of shame.
    “Come in here, I have something for you,” Dakota called from her room.
    I stood in the entryway, trying to not move anywhere near her. I watched as she removed a garment bag from her suitcase and carefully unzipped it. She pulled out a silver dress, holding it up so I could view it.
    It was beautiful. Shiny, intricate jewels on the hems of the capped-sleeves formed a pattern up across the shoulder. The bust of the dress was tightly woven, which would cling closely to the wearer’s torso and would probably reveal a racy amount of décolletage. From the hip downwards, it flowed into a shimmering pool of silver silk, which would cut right above the knees.
    “It’s for you,” she informed me. “I picked it out at the mall in Tampa. Do you like it?”
    I was stunned for a moment, trying to comprehend that Dakota was giving me this beautiful dress.