Take My Dress Off Read Online Free

apologize.” I turned back to him. “I’m just being stupid, I’m just…”
    “…a girl who’s in love with someone who doesn’t deserve her,” he said finishing my sentence. He wiped the tears from my face with his thumbs. My tears returned from his kindness.
    “C’mon,” he said. He put his arm around me, pulling me tightly to his side. During the last three weeks we had gotten to know one another and it was comforting to lean on him. We went down the ramp, off the stage, and behind a black curtain to the restrooms.
    “Get yourself together. We’ll go back and you can get this over with.” I nodded and went in. An older woman was drying her hands at the sink. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was all puffy and blotchy. Gross!
    “Are you okay, dear?” asked the woman. I nodded.  She smiled back sympathetically, put her rings back on and left. Great, now old ladies were feeling sorry for me. I splashed water on my face and patted dry with a paper towel. I was truly a basket case. I was crying over losing a guy that I never had to begin with.
    This. Had. To. Stop.
    I heard raised voices as I pushed open the door. Dillon was standing across from Chaz, his arms crossed as Chaz glared at him.
    “She needs to come out of there. Maddie’s getting pissed.”
    “She’ll come out when she’s ready,” said Chaz. “Quit hassling her.”
    “What’s going on?” I walked up and stood between them.
    “Maddie’s having a cow,” said Dillon. “We need to get the last set done so we can get out of here on time.”
    “Fine,” I said numbly and brushed past him.
    After getting read the riot act about responsibility and maturity from Maddie I took my place next to the piano with Dillon and stood like a wooden doll. More like a puppet. Dillon’s puppet.
    “What the hell?” mouthed Danielle as she glided by with Chaz. He leaned down and whispered into her ear and she nodded, shaking her head as she looked back at me with disgust. Dillon had the sense not to push me and didn’t try to act out our endless love as Ann Wilson and that Loverboy guy poured their hearts out to each other.
    “It better look awesome next time you two,” glared Rory. I heard Dillon suck in his breath and knew that he wanted to throw me under the bus.
    “Trouble in almost paradise?” Donny raised his dark eyebrows. “Seriously guys, you’ve really got to go full out or we’ll all look stupid. Whatever it is, work it out.”
    “Don’t worry, we will. Right, baby?” Dillon smirked as he squeezed me to his waist.
    “Of course, honey.” I smirked back and punched his arm.

Chapter Three
    I groaned. “Is this really the last box?”
    “Yes, you can put it down next to the bed,” said Jen brushing away the sandy blonde hair stuck to her face. Jen and I had met at the ranch where I boarded my horse. She and I had quickly become friends. Her parents were divorced and she lived with her father, Rex. Today I was helping Jen move into their new house, a sprawling, brick, ranch style home on five acres in Fallbrook. I planned on hanging out with her all summer because she had a pool.
    “This is great, Jen. I’m so jealous that you have a pool. And your horses are in your backyard!” I had always dreamed of having a place in the country but Maddie was not a country girl. She had a hard enough time settling in the suburbs of Vista.
    “You can bring your horse over for the summer if you want, there’s plenty of room.”
    “You better ask your dad and makes sure it’s okay,” I warned, though I knew Rex wouldn’t care but Maddie would say no. Jen was so lucky, she did whatever she wanted. Rex treated her like an adult. She had just turned eighteen and was headed off to college at U.C. Davis in a few months.
    “Want some iced tea?” Jen snapped me out of my thoughts. I followed her into the kitchen and gazed out at the sparkling pool as she poured the tea. “This has got to go.” She pointed at the refrigerator.