Billionaire Protector - Alexa Hart Page 0,20

to raise my head and say something, but I didn’t know what to say. I was embarrassed, and I was tired. I was tired of life reminding me of my own worthlessness. I was tired of getting glimmering glimpses of something good, only to hate myself more when I realized that I’d never stood a chance at actually possessing that “something” to begin with.

“What on earth happened, Anne?” Kate cried out in alarm, nearly running across the store to me. She had me wrapped in a hug immediately.

“I can’t... I can’t go on this date... It’s fancy... It’s in Denver... It’s a city party... Penn said to dress up... I’ve never dressed up for anything in my entire life! I can’t go, Kate! No one will want me there!” The words tumbled out of me, intermixed with tears and ragged breathing.

“Hush... Hush, sweetie,” Kate cajoled, holding me to her tightly. “You do realize that Penn wants you there, right?”

“He said there would be ‘a crowd’,” I continued mournfully.

“Who cares? You don’t know those people and you don’t owe them anything, Anne. Do you understand me? Not a thing,” Kate declared, holding me away from her and looking me straight in the face.

“I don’t belong there,” I returned, regaining a tiny ounce of composure.

“You belong wherever you want to be, Valerie Anne. Don’t ever let anyone tell you any different. Now let’s go find you a dress.”

“My God, Anne. I haven’t been feeding you enough,” Kate announced, letting the long, emerald green evening gown fall to the floor.

It was “a relic” she’d said, from her younger days. There weren’t a lot of choices in Kate’s closet, but we’d both thought that this dress was the most promising. It didn’t seem to shout out its ancient status too horribly loudly, and the green made my eyes stand out in a pleasing manner. However, it draped over me like a curtain, seeking out the voluptuous body that I didn’t currently have.

“You’ve fed me plenty. I’ve put on at least fifteen pounds in the last four months,” I assured her – and it was true. I was decidedly more filled out than I’d been when Kate had found me at that rest stop. The sad part was that I could stand to gain the same fifteen a couple of times over again.

Randall had always made sure there was plenty of food in the kitchen – plenty of food for me to cook for him. He preferred me small – bony. I’d nearly turned anorexic trying to keep him happy. At some point I had realized that what he actually preferred was to keep me as small and as weak as possible, and there hadn’t been a way around that. You couldn’t “secretly” get physically stronger – not under Randall’s watchful eye.

I was trying now, but it would take time, and as far as this party was concerned – that was something that I didn’t have.

Add it to the list, Val. Add it to the list.

“I’ve got it! I know exactly what we’ll do!” Kate exclaimed, suddenly pushing hangers left and right while Murphy and I watched silently. Murphy thought this was just about the most entertainment he’d had in a very long time, and he clapped his hands gleefully while Kate dug back into the recesses of her closet. “Here!” She suddenly reappeared, her short hair sticking out in static-cling spikes.

I eyed the garment in Kate’s hands. “Kate, that’s a skirt...” I tilted my head, looking at her with confusion.

“It’s a bandeau skirt, and we’re going to turn it into something better!”

Within five minutes, the solid black bandeau skirt had transformed into a fitted, flattering bandeau dress. Kate cinched a thin gold belt around my waist, “classing it up”, as she put it.

“Where did you wear that green dress to, Kate?” I asked her suddenly, a wave of random, dreamy curiosity washing over me.

Kate froze, the nude heels she was holding falling to the ground.

“Don’t you wish you knew,” she chuckled, pulling herself back together instantly and dismissing my question altogether. She pushed the shoes towards me.

“Try those. They’re a size too big, but we can stuff some tissues into the toe. They’ll fit like a glove, and no one will ever know the difference.”

I smiled, knowing at some point Kate would give in and share her own torrid history with me. Probably.

“As long as I don’t have to walk anywhere these will work fine,” I agreed, giving her a wink in addition to