When Summer Ends

Branching Out

Grey dress, black dress, white dress, blue dress? I could not decide.

Dressing for church should not be this hard.

"Here," Rylie says, moving past me into the closet. She pulls the grey knee length dress from it's hanger as well as a whitewashed blue jean jacket. "These go great together." She smiles warmly at me, seeming to sense my nervousness.

"Thanks, Ry." I kiss her cheek before moving back into the bedroom and dropping my towel. Rylie leans against the doorway behind me, watching me in a way that makes me blush.

"I'd vote for you to wear just that," She says, gesturing to my naked body. "But I doubt the pastor would agree."

"With or without the towel on my head?" I reply with a laugh. Rylie puts a finger on her chin, pretending to think about it.

"With. It adds color."

"And shoes?" I ask.

"Definitely your tallest heels. They show off your endlessly long, perfect legs." Rylie replies, pushing off the doorframe and stepping towards me.

"Sounds like a great outfit that is sure to draw the least amount of attention to us." I giggle as she slides her hands along my waist.

"Fair point. But you'll still look stunning in the real outfit, so you'll get attention either way." She kisses me once before getting her own clothes together. I begin pulling on my clothes and then move into the bathroom to do my hair. I opt for a simple hairdo and straighten it before applying some makeup. When I come out of the bathroom, Rylie is all ready and just putting on her shoes.

"Ready?" She asks, and I nod.

The drive to church is quiet, and I work to calm my nerves. I had no reason to be nervous. None of these people knew us. We'd finally get to listen to the sermon without worrying about the whispers around us.

It turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The service is beautiful and I love the pastor's way of preaching. We also sit near the back with not many people around us and I don't worry about anyone seeing Rylie's hand in mine.

What I don't expect is someone to call my name as we're walking back to the car. I turn, and surprise ripples through me when I come face to face with Hadley. She wears a long, deep blue dress and heels, looking as pretty as ever. Jack stands next to her, his hands in the pockets of his black dress pants. He wears a white shirt and a tie matching the color of Hadley's dress.

Hadley pulls me into a tight embrace, and it takes me a moment to recover from my surprise and hug her back. I hug Jack next out of politeness, but I'm even more surprised at the comfort I find in his arms.

I'd never quite liked Jack, but I never knew why. In the months following my breakup with Gabe, I'd found out that Gabe was to blame for that. I'd begun to associate pain and fear with any guy connected to Gabe. My feelings for Hadley had also been partially to blame. It had been our Wrightsville surf competition last summer that I'd finally begun to really see Jack. He was truly a good guy. And after my feelings for Hadley had faded, I'd finally seen how good he was for her.

"How are you?" Jack asks softly.

"I'm good. Really good." I reply with a genuine smile. "How are you two?"

"We're good!" Hadley chirps. "Your mom said you were in Charlotte now, what are you doing out here?" She sets a hand on my arm, leaving it there for a moment longer than expected. Rylie notices, and I hold in my laugh when she moves closer to my side and laces her fingers with mine. Hadley's hand instantly drops from my arm.

"We just wanted a change in scenery. Our pastor was getting a little repetitive, so we thought we'd try somewhere else." Rylie explains sweetly.

"Isn't it a bit of a drive? I know your aunt lives in the middle of the city from when I went to visit with you." Hadley says, her eyes on me.