Page 11 of The One

“Can you imagine how Rhett will react when he sees you in it? That boy is gonna lose it. He won’t be able to keep his hands off you.” She sat on my bed and held it in my direction. “Put it on.”

She was right about Rhett. His eyes would probably bug out of his head if he saw me wear anything even close to that.

I’d been back in LA for about a week, and the only outfit he’d seen me in was the school uniform. But even when I wasn’t wearing the school-assigned khaki bottoms and polo top, I didn’t dress to stand out; I dressed for comfort. That was how I’d always been. And in the past, Rhett had never said anything about what I had on.

Why would it be any different now?

So, I replied to my sister, “No.”

I liked what I’d picked out to wear. I didn’t have any interest in putting on something tight and short that I’d have to pull down all night.

“Because?”

“Because it’s not me.” I took it from her hand and held it against her. “It’s way more you. Why don’t you wear it?”

She cocked her head to the side. “You don’t want to rock Rhett’s whole world?”

Every time she said his name, a tingle shot through my body, like the sparklers we lit for the Fourth of July, their endless stream of embers inside me.

My head shook. “I didn’t say that.”

“But you did by not wanting to wear the dress.” She eyed me down. “Girl, if you don’t want him in that way, I’ll take him.”

“You’re ridiculous.” I laughed. “I’m just saying, I don’t need to wear that to blow his mind.” I released the dress, and it fellinto her lap. “I’ve been in love with that boy since the very first time I saw him our freshman year. You know that. But I don’t want to be someone I’m not and have him go all wild for that person. This is me, Pen. A girl who wears jeans and peasant tops.” I shrugged. “And if he wants me, then he’ll accept that.”

“What do you mean, if he wants you?” She stood from the end of my bed and started taking off her shorts and tube top, dropping both to put on the dress.

“I don’t know … Rhett and I haven’t talked about any of that yet.”

Sure, we’d spent some time together at school, in between classes and at lunch, and he’d called me a few times at night while I was doing my homework. But we hadn’t had the conversation of what things were going to look like now—if they were going to look like anything at all.

With the dress on, she moved in front of my mirror and looked at me through the reflection. “You haven’t?”

“We’ve only been in school for five days, Pen.”

She laughed. “So?”

“So, he might be a little angry that we went over two years without talking, and then I popped back into his life on a random Monday, one month before school ends. He’s probably just feeling things out and making sure I don’t disappear again. Or maybe he’s not interested in me at all.”

She snorted. “Have you seen the way he looks at you? Because I have, and I can tell you right now, he’s obsessed with you.”

“You really think so?”

“Don’t tell me you’re doubting the connection you guys have?”

He wasn’t even in the room, and he was affecting me. As far as a connection, I doubted nothing. We had one—we’d alwayshad one. I just worried that I’d ruined things, and I wanted to talk to him about it when I saw him at the party tonight.

“Because if you are”—she pointed at her body—“you need to put on this dress right now.”

I waved her off. “I’m good.” She wasn’t convinced, so I added, “I swear.”

“You’re forgetting, as your twin, I have the ability to feel everything you’re feeling. When you’re nervous, I know.” She turned around and walked toward me. “When you’re happy, I know.” She put her hands on my shoulders. “When you’re doubting yourself, I’m doubting myself.”

I laughed. “Pen, you’ve never doubted yourself in your entire life.”

She smiled. “You’re right.”

“Wear the dress, and let’s go. Mom and Dad want us home by midnight, which means we have”—I looked at my watch—“four hours until we have to be home.”