Alpine Embrace

Chapter 26

I stood at the top of the stairs, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

Chloe had left an hour ago to take Mia for a "Girls' Night Out" (which I suspected involved copious amounts of pizza and Disney movies), leaving the house eerily quiet.

I looked in the hallway mirror one last time.

The dress was... formidable. The midnight blue silk pooled around my feet like water. The crystals caught the light of the chandelier, shimmering with every breath. My hair, usually a chaotic halo of curls, had been tamed into sleek, Hollywood waves that cascaded over one shoulder. My makeup was darker, smokier, making my eyes look huge.

I didn't look like Kelsea the illustrator. I looked like someone who belonged on a red carpet.

I took a deep breath. It’s just a party, I told myself. Ju