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Chapter 29

BRIDGETTE

Surely he would understand, right? He would believe me, right?

“Cara?” he asked when I found it hard to speak.

“Don’t call me that, please,” I said in a rush. “I’m not Cara.”

Scott frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Please, promise you won’t say a word as I speak. Just listen to me.”

He looked at me for a long time and then he nodded. “Okay.”

“I’m not Cara. My name is Bridgette Finn. I mean, this is Cara,” I said, waving at my body--Cara’s body. “But inside is not her. Oh my God, I’m doing this wrong,” I uttered as I stood up and started pacing the room. “Months ago, something happened. Cara and I can’t explain it. We met one night after ten years and then we had a fight in the middle of the street.” I looked at Scott, his face unreadable as he stared at me from the couch. “We didn’t separate as friends in high school because of the things I did and when we met, we just fought. And then we were in an accident. Someone ran a red light or something. I can’t really remember. What I remembered next was that I woke up in her body and she woke up in mine.”

I was afraid to look at him so I closed my eyes as I tried to remember everything that happened since Cara and I woke up in that hospital.

“Ever since that day, we decided to live each other’s lives while we find a way to deal with our situation. We didn’t know who to go to. Hell, we are not even sure if we know how to go back. So there, I did her job as a nurse but she was guiding me throughout the working hours. She was in the phone with me throughout my shifts. And in return, she handled my work and faced my clients as a wedding planner. I know you shouldn’t believe me because I wouldn’t even believe myself if I am in your shoes. But I am telling the truth. I had wanted to tell you a long time ago but I was afraid.”

When I opened my eyes, I didn’t search for Scott. I studied the floor as I pulled at my shirt. I needed something to hang on to.

“So here I am, acting as Cara this whole time.” A very long silence followed. When I could no longer help it, I forced my eyes to look at him, but I couldn’t read anything from his face. I gave an awkward smile worthy of an Oscar award. “It’s time you say something--anything.”

It seemed that my last words turned the “on” button switch in him because he suddenly blinked. But when his eyes finally escaped from his trance-like moment and when they finally looked into mine with clarity, my heart sank and crushed at the same time.

His voice was deadpan when he said, “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?”

“Scott, I know it is crazy,” I rushed on with desperation. He had to believe me. He just had to. “I know I may sound really crazy right now, but I’m telling the truth.” I put everything I had in that last word, every convincing power I managed to master in my wedding planning years. Everything I had left in me, I wrapped around that very word.

But he just sat there looking, disbelief on his face. I felt a thousand strings wrapped themselves around my heart and then slowly tighten that I couldn’t breathe.

“I have to go for now, Cara.”

The strings were tighter now and I couldn’t move. Why did he have to say that? Couldn’t he just sit there and talk about how crazy my words were? Couldn’t he at least say to my face that he didn’t believe me? Why did he have to go? But he just had to, didn’t he?

“Bridgette,” I said in a broken whisper, nodding my head. The tears fell down the carpet and I balled my hands to keep them from reaching out and cling on to him to beg him to believe me.