Sweet Little Lies (Angel Sands 3)

Brooke grabbed her cup and took a long mouthful of Americano. After all these years, Ally knew exactly how she liked it – dark with some sweetness, and only a splash of warm milk. Truth was, she needed the caffeine kick.

“Sit down.” The third stylist pulled out a chair and Ally slumped onto it. Within moments she was wrapped in a black gown and Marie was running her fingers through her golden locks, asking her questions about how she wanted her style. When they’d finally agreed, she took her off to wash her hair.

“Hurricane Ally,” Ember said, grinning at their friend. “She never changes, does she?”

“Would we want her to?” Brooke asked.

“No way.”

In the past few years, having their hair styled together before the gala had become a tradition. Usually Brooke’s mom would join them, making a fourth along the wall of mirrors, but her seat was conspicuously empty.

“She’s not coming?” Ember asked, following Brooke’s gaze.

“I don’t think so.” Brooke swallowed. “I tried to call her last night but she didn’t answer. I left a voicemail.”

“And she hasn’t returned it?” Ember’s expression was full of sympathy. “That’s hard.”

Brooke nodded. “I guess I’m getting a taste of my own treatment. One way or the other I’ll see her tonight.”

“Do you think she’ll come?”

“Of course. It’s

one of the biggest dates in the Angel Sands calendar. She wouldn’t miss the opportunity to catch up with everybody. Plus it’s for a good cause. She might not be talking to me, but she still does a lot of work for charity.”

“She’ll talk to you. I know she will.” Ember reached out from under her hairdressing cape and grabbed Brooke’s hand, squeezing it tight. “She loves you.”

“What did I miss?” Ally asked as the stylist brought her back over, a black towel wrapped around her head like a turban. She slumped into the chair again and grabbed her coffee.

“We were talking about Brooke’s mom.”

“Oh thank God. I thought you might be talking about Aiden without me here to listen.”

Brooke shook her head as Ember coughed out a laugh.

“Seriously. I need all the details. How are things going between you? Have you slept with him again?”

“Ally!” Ember looked around. Nobody was listening except the stylists, and everybody knew they took all secrets to their graves.

“Too much?” Ally asked.

“Yep.”

“In that case, you can at least tell us how you feel about him.”

Wow. She wasn’t expecting that. In a weird way the question felt more intimate than asking her if she’d slept with him again. Because while the sex was good – okay, amazing – her emotions were all over the place.

“I really like him,” she whispered, already knowing those words weren’t strong enough. She loved him. She could feel it in every cell of her body. Loved the way he took care of her, the way he looked at her, the way he had a special smile he gave only to her. Every time she saw him it was as though the two of them were in a bubble nobody else could penetrate.

“She loves him,” Ally said to Ember, who nodded and earned herself a squeal from her stylist.

“Yep.”

In the mirror she could see her own stylist nodding in agreement. Traitor.

“Have you told him?” Ember asked.

“No!” She wanted to shake her head, but knew it could end in disaster.