Free Sweet Agony (Sweet Series Book 1) by Jessie Lane Page B

she finally appeared in the entrance of the living room, smiling nervously, it took everything in me not to drop my jaw open in shock.
    Ginny had on so much makeup she looked like she was auditioning for the job of a hooker! I might have blown it off as a girl who liked her cosmetics a little too much and was trying to come into her own; except, Olivia busted her by asking why she had makeup on at all.
    She quickly cut her eyes in my direction, and a bright red blush spread from her cheeks to her neck. My mother instantly admonished Olivia for what she had said, and my sister apologized then tried to play the whole thing off as she gave her friend a hug, during which my girl tried to momentarily hide her face behind the shoulder of her taller best friend, presumably so I couldn’t see her.
    Rather than feeling bad for Ginny, though, a smile spread over my face, and when Ginny saw that smile, she blushed a little more in apparent mortification. I sort of felt bad for making her feel worse, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for one simple reason: my girl still wanted me.
    I didn’t have a thing in the world to worry about.
    Ginny
    Sixteen Years Old
    Could a hole open up in the floor and swallow me now, please?
    I was so embarrassed I just wanted to run out the door and go home. If it weren’t for the fact that this was my first chance to see Lucas since he had left to go into the Army, I would. However, there was no telling when he would be able to come home for a visit again, and as a result, I had to take advantage of the day.
    That didn’t mean I wasn’t ready to kick my best friend’s butt for throwing me under the bus, which must have been broadcasted plainly on my face, because she winced at the glare I gave her as she handed me a makeup removing cleansing cloth.
    “I am so sorry, girl.”
    “You should be!” I snapped back as I snatched the cloth out of her hand.
    Olivia threw her hands up in the air. “Come on, already! I get it; I screwed up. But can you really blame me? You walk through my front door, looking like the makeup counter from the department store threw up all over you, and you didn’t think anyone would notice?”
    Shrugging my shoulders, I looked away from her and into her vanity mirror, instead. Using the cloth, I wiped over one of my eyelids, only to see the special makeup remover cloth had only taken off some of the green eye shadow. Sighing in frustration, I started to scrub my face in earnest.
    “What in the world were you thinking to use green, Ginny?” Olivia asked, sounding somewhat horrified.
    I shot her another glare. “It’s Christmas! I was thinking I was being festive, you fun killer!”
    She shook her head and popped a fist on her hip.
    Looking up to the ceiling, I silently prayed someone would save me from her over-the-top, Italian attitude.
    “No. Just no.” She wagged her finger at me through the mirror. “Festive is wearing an ugly Christmas sweater or one of those idiotic antler headbands. Festive is not caking on bright green eye shadow and red lipstick so it looks like you were slapped in the face by kindergartners who were finger painting.”
    She ignored my gasp of outrage and bent down until her chin sat on my shoulder and our faces were side by side in the reflection of the mirror. “Listen to me, Gin, and listen well. If my brother can’t wake up and see you for you , all the makeup in the world isn’t going to help. You shouldn’t have to change who you are for any guy, even if you love him.”
    My anger melted away at her advice. Sometimes, Olivia acted harsh, but she was the most genuine person I had ever met. While I felt silly for trying to be something I wasn’t in an attempt to impress Lucas, I had to admit my best friend happened to be right.
    All of this makeup was not me. Being a simple girl, I didn’t like anything caked on my face. I found myself more comfortable in my bare skin, so to speak. I’d only put on makeup in the hopes that,