Building Faith (Long Beach Series Book 2) Read Online Free

now.
    “Tell me I’m a rude bitch.”
    My eyes widen. “No, I don’t think—”
    “Oh, shut it,” she says, waving a hand at me. “I’ve clearly got a lot of work to do. Go change,” she says with a hint of exasperation mixed with affection. It's that hint of affection that lets me know she's not trying to be mean.
    I still don’t budge from where I stand. “What’s wrong with this?” I ask with confusion as I look down at my tee shirt and shorts. I haven't got a clue what her problem is with my clothes, and I'm beginning to feel a bit offended. Not everyone can look as attractive as she does.
    Zoey’s lips visibly tighten. “Your ex favored baggy shit, right?”
    My answer is complete silence. It’s better than admitting it out loud, and I have a feeling I know where she’s going with this conversation.
    Disgust flickers across her face. “I bet you’ve got a cute figure under those clothes, and he wanted to keep it all to himself. Possessive bastard. Go get your purse; we’re erasing everything he’s made you into.”
    A lump forms in my throat, and I try to swallow it down. This is what I need, a nudge—or in Zoey’s case—a shove to find myself. “Did Caleb put you up to this?”
    Zoey’s head tilts. “What makes you think that?”
    “I need help,” I confess while I fight back a bit of shame for not being able to confidently control situations. “It’s hard for me to make people aware of what I want.”
    The fact that I lack the ability to do something as simple as share my opinion when I disagree with someone is so incredibly disheartening. Somewhere inside me is a little voice that's screaming to be let out. It wants to be heard. I know there is a part of me that aches to be woken up. So how do I wake that part of myself?
    Zoey strides over and her gaze settles into mine. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. And I’m warning you, you need to learn to speak up for yourself, or I’m going to bulldoze right over you.” She smirks slightly before saying, “Trust me, you might not be as…open to what I like. Better to speak your mind, or you’ll find yourself someplace that’s going to push you to your limit. I don’t half-ass shit. Now, do you want to come with me and see what I have planned?”

* * *
    I can’t believe I am doing this.
    “I think it’s too small,” I protest as I tug at the hem. More like the little dress is far too short for my liking.
    “Hold still, or I’m going to burn you,” Zoey warns as she expertly rolls a long strand of my pale blonde hair around the curling iron she’s holding. Her brown eyes meet mine in the bathroom mirror, and she gives me one of ‘those’ looks that I am growing accustomed to. “The dress fits exactly as it should. As for the length, quit worrying over it. It’s longer than mine, and it’s the perfect length to show off those legs of yours. I knew you were hiding a cute little figure beneath the baggy shit you called clothes.”
    I sigh inwardly and resign myself to wearing the scrap of material that Zoey insists is a dress. My eyes run over my reflection in the mirror, and I feel self-conscious. The dress is actually really pretty, but I’d rather it be on someone else's body than my own.
    It’s a pale, buttercup yellow color and is sleeveless. When we went shopping a couple days ago, Zoey insisted on helping me pick out some lingerie along with my new clothes. I’d drawn the line at the skimpy stuff she wanted me to buy, and instead I bought the simpler, less racy stuff. Tonight, I am wearing a white, lacy bra that is padded. It gives the fantastic illusion that I actually have breasts—though not as large as Zoey’s full C’s. I have to admit, I do love the bra, though. It definitely helps fill out the top part of my dress. My waist is naturally small, and a narrow, gold belt is cinched around it while the loose material of the skirt sways slightly a little above my knees.
    I frown down at the gold, strappy high