Hard To Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

around with a beautiful
strapless floor-length satin dress. “Red is perfect for you.” Cassie
grinned widely. The dress was incredibly gorgeous.
“Red . . . But then I’ll stand out,” I said.
“That’s the point.” Cassie chuckled. I screwed my lips and
stared a little longer at the dress. The bustier top had a silver
filigree embroidered design over a dark-red satin. The skirt
billowed out slightly, a wave of ruffles pinned by a single white
jewel buttoned to every layer.
“This is gorgeous, Cassie,” I gasped holding it in my hands,
quickly peeking at the price tag. “It’s too much.” I handed it back.
“Shush up. If you want it, it’s yours.” She handed the dress to
the saleswoman helping us. “We need some accessories to match,”
she said. The saleswoman nodded and gestured for us to follow.
Cassie picked out a pair of red-and-white jeweled dangle earrings,
a short layered beaded necklace, black-and-red bangles and a
wraparound beaded bracelet to match the necklace and a little
black diamond-studded clutch purse.
“For the shoes and mask we’ll have to go to a different store.”
Cassie placed everything on the counter.
“What about you?”
“Oh, I have had my dress for over a month.” She smirked.
I nudged her with my shoulder, smiling, feeling the sting on my
cheeks. I hated feeling out of place in her world. It wasn’t as
though my parents weren’t as rich as all of them. Our wealth
arrived later in life. When I left for L.A., I didn’t want my parents
to continue to support me. I wanted to prove that I was capable of
doing it on my own. However, without Matt I probably would
have moved home after six months of living on my own. My
breath hitched in my chest. Just the thought of him brought tears to
my eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Cassie said as she turned and noticed my
watery eyes.
“Nothing.” I smiled and wiped the tear that managed to escape.
“You sure? Shopping isn’t therapy for everyone.” She touched
my arm affectionately. “However, drinking is.” She smirked.
“I’m fine.” I laughed.
The saleswoman eyed us.
“Good.” She hugged me then spun me around. “Now go try it
on. It’s easier to pick out shoes and a mask when you have the
dress with you.” I sucked in a deep breath, nodded and took the
dress with me in the change room. “I just know you are going to
look amazing.” When I came out, both the saleswoman and Cassie
gasped. “Yes.” She nodded. “This is your dress.” The saleswoman
nodded.
“Are you sure?” I scrunched my face.
“Absolutely.” Cassie grabbed the dress and handed it over to the
saleswoman. “As always, you are the belle of the ball.” She
hugged me excitedly. The saleswoman took the dress, slipping it
into a thick plastic cover to protect it.
“I don’t recall ever being the belle of the ball,” I stated.
“That’s because you’re modest. You always had a dance
partner. You always had a date. You never attended a party alone.”
“That doesn’t mean I was the belle of the ball, Cassie.” I sighed
heavily.
“Do you have amnesia, girl? Because I remember it vividly like
it was yesterday,” she said with a roll of her eyes. I scoffed and
shrugged it off. I never thought of myself as someone beautiful. I
was average, if that. Brown hair, long and curly; grey eyes—
boring. And I was thin, and it didn’t matter what I ate—I never
gained an ounce, and it showed. However, I was busty, and maybe
that’s what the boys liked back then. I shook my head at the
thought. The saleswoman handed me the bag of accessories after
she filled it. Cassie carried the dress for me.
When we got back to her car, Cassie hung the dress in the back
seat. She suggested we go for coffee before shopping for the shoes
and mask to go with my dress. We drove up the block to the
nearest coffee shop.
“You want to talk about it?” she asked, taking a seat by a large
window.
I scoffed, “I said I was