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Chapter 33

BRIDGETTE

It was just another normal day for us.

I went to the office and demanded things from Lara--yes, her name finally stuck in my mind--like I always did before Cara would come to the office. The two of us decided we needed a new set of wardrobe for the weekend getaway we planned with the guys. It would not be out of state, but it would be somewhere quiet and relaxing. Quinn needed it, saying he wanted to get away from his family and friends for a while because they were still not getting over his decision to not go through with the wedding. Scott obviously hadn’t been on a vacation for years and he deserved one with me, of course. And Cara and I needed this one to hibernate. It was still sort of tiring to pretend we were somebody else no matter how normal we felt. Did I say that right? Well, it might just mean I really needed this break.

So, for five hours or so, Lara had been running around and typing on her computer to rush everything I ordered. And just after lunch, Cara arrived, beat from school.

“I didn’t get lunch. What did you have?” she asked, slumping her body down my office couch.

“I didn’t get one either. We can just grab one on the way,” I suggested.

Once I was done with my task, I told Lara to not wait for me and close the office at exactly four in the afternoon. I was too eager to go out shopping.

Cara and I went to the usual spots. I would try on clothes and she would scrutinize my choices.

“My body doesn’t really look good in that one, Bridge,” she said as I got out wearing very short shorts. “Can’t you choose something longer?”

I rolled my eyes. “Your body looks great in this,” I objected, turning around to look in the mirror.

“I don’t know,” she uttered, tilting her head to the side to look at me.

“I’ll get this,” I announced with a smile.

Cara just shrugged her shoulder. She knew she couldn’t do anything.

And like she had always been years before, she was a difficult shopping partner. She was the type who preferred to be the advisor, but when it was time for her to choose her own clothes and try them on, she could get really difficult. Of course, I would never allow my original body to be clad with boring fabric so I made it my responsibility to choose the right dresses for her.

“Can we go home now?” she asked dryly as the woman behind the counter threw our clothes inside a paper bag.

“Just one more stop,” I begged. I needed a good scarf, I thought.

“Quinn and Scott are waiting by the coffee shop, Bridge. They’ve been there for like an hour now,” she reminded me.

“Come on, they’re together. Those two always have a lot of things to talk about. And plus, what we’re doing is for them anyway.”

Cara looked at me doubtfully. “You’re such a shopaholic.”

I ignored her and grabbed our bags from the counter. “Come on,” I said, handing her own bag. “I need a scarf.”

CARA

Bridgette could get very excited whenever she was shopping. And it was almost always impossible to stop her. Years ago, it was the most tiring thing I would have to do with her. And that fact never changed in present time.

I let her drag me out of the store and down the side walk.

“What?” I asked her when she suddenly stopped.