Carly’s black hair and Goth clothing were gone, as was the fake, platinum blond that she’d had since middle school. Instead, Carly had gone back to her natural light brown hair, and a genuine happiness shown from her eyes that Bri had never seen before. She couldn’t stop gaping as Carly sat on the couch in her apartment, actually playing with the twins. Bri shot her dad a questioning look, but he just smiled and shrugged before turning back to his conversation with Summer and Rachel. Left with no explanation for the girl sitting next to her, Bri could only continue to gawk.
“I know it’s a big change, but you don’t have to keep staring at me like I’m a freak,” Carly laughed, without a trace of her usual contempt.
“I’m sorry. It’s not that I think you’re a freak, I’m just trying to figure out how all this happened.” Bri motioned at her cousin with awe.
“Well,” Carly smiled. Actually smiled. “It wasn’t exactly easy. I was in a really bad place, for a really long time. I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted. Everything I thought I wanted seemed to blow up in my face, and I didn’t understand why all of this crap kept happening to me. And then I’d look at you, and how everything always seemed to work out for you. I kind of hated you for it.” She grinned sheepishly. “But then, I finally started to think about why that was, and I remembered some of the things you’d said to me. I finally figured out that I didn’t like the superficial bitch I’d become. It wasn’t who I really was deep down, and I didn’t want to be that way any more.”
“Wow, really?” Bri asked, still skeptical.
Carly nodded. “I stopped trying to please and appease everyone else, and started living for me. Then I moved back home to Arizona with mom, and that’s when things really began to change.”
“Oh yeah? How so?”
“After moving back, I reconnected with Dalton, and everything just kind of fell into place after that.”
“Dalton?”
Why did that name sound familiar? Bri has a sudden vision of Carly strutting around Venice Beach in her skimpy bikini, taking calls from a fake boyfriend in a pathetic attempt to make Cole jealous.
“Oh my gosh! Your fake boyfriend?” Bri laughed. “You mean that guy was real?”
“Of course he was real.” Carly shot her an indignant look. “I told you that before. He just wasn’t exactly my boyfriend at the time. He was just a friend who I’d taken far too much advantage of.” Carly’s eyes dropped. Her shame and regret were obvious, and Bri actually felt bad for her.
Wait, what? What kind of upside down, mix up world had she just fallen into?
“Dalton and I have been friends for a long time,” Carly continued. “After I got back, we started hanging out again, and then things progressed from there. He was still the same funny, sweet guy I remembered, and he’d grown up to be kind of a hottie.”
“So, you two are together now?” Try as she might, Bri couldn’t keep her shock out of her voice.
“For two years now. It’s not always easy, and it’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for us.”
Floored, Bri couldn’t come up with a response.
“I’m sorry, Bri,” Carly continued, taking her hand. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I was always so jealous of you, and I wasn’t very nice. I know that, and I feel terribly about it. Dalton has helped me realize what kind of person I want to be. And in order to be that person, I need to make amends with you. Do you think that we could start over, maybe try to be friends?”
Who was this girl in front of her? The Carly Bri remembered didn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else. She never would have apologized or admitted she was wrong. Had she really changed so much over the years, or had aliens taken over her body? Bri wasn’t sure which scenario was more plausible. But as she looked at her cousin, she saw the hope shining in Carly’s eyes, saw the sincerity on her face, and knew that she had really changed. This was a whole new Carly, and she was asking for another chance.
“Um, yeah, I guess.” Bri’s eyebrows were in her hair, and she was sure she had a wary, confused look on her face, but Carly just beamed.
“I’d like that.”
“Okay, then.” Bri floundered for a minute, trying to come to grips with the new reality she found herself in. She and Carly had never been close, and hadn’t had much in common before- Carly being a spoiled, conceited skank and all, and she was having a hard time coming up with something they could talk about. She jumped on the first thing she could think of.
“So, you and Dalton, huh? Do you have a picture?”
Smiling, Carly pulled out her phone and pulled up a picture of a nerdy looking guy with brown hair and kind eyes. He was cute, in a lost puppy sort of way, and Bri grinned.
“Well, I hope things work out for you two.”
“They will,” Carly replied confidently, and Bri found herself jealous of her cousin’s assurance. “The best thing about Dalton is that he knows me, all of me. I don’t have to hide or pretend around him. He sees all my strengths and all my weaknesses, he knows the good and the bad, and he loves me in spite of it all. I can be myself around him and know that he’ll love me, no matter what. I’ve never had that before. It’s a rare gift.”
“Yeah,” Bri cleared her throat. “It is.”
Bri spent the next two days showing her family around New York. They went to the top of the Empire State Building, visited the Museum of Natural History, and the girls took a trip down Fifth Avenue to do some shopping. She’d had time, therefore, to prepare for the question she knew would be coming. Still, it hit her like a punch in the gut.
“So,” her dad finally broached. “The boys were asking if they could visit Cole while they were here. Would it be alright with you if they went to see him?”
“Um, yeah,” she managed to reply. “Why would I care if they want to hang out with Cole? I’m sure they miss him.” Her voice cracked a little and she tried to cover it with a cough.
Connor, not missing anything, gave her a small smile.
“The boys don’t want to miss out on time with you, so they were wondering if you’d come with them to visit Cole.”
“What?” she squeaked. She hadn’t spoken to Cole since he’d walked out of her apartment. She didn’t know if she could handle spending time with him right now.
“I know it will be hard for you. I know things between you aren’t great right now. But you’ve had plenty of time to get over being angry at each other. You don’t have to be friends, but do you think that you could be civil for an afternoon? For the sake of your brothers who love you both, and have felt a little caught in the middle of all of this?”
Guilt squeezed her heart, and Bri found herself nodding. Cole was Liam and Logan’s favorite person in the whole world, aside from her of course, and they’d felt guilty and awkward trying to balance their love for their sister and her ex boyfriend. The least she could do was put aside her misgivings and give them an afternoon with their family. Because no matter what happened between her and Cole, her brothers, as well as her dad and Summer, would always consider Cole family.
“Okay,” Bri nodded. “I can do that.” She just hoped it was true.
The next day, Bri stood outside the ESPN studio, staring at it with trepidation. Her brothers, on the other hand, were bouncing around with excitement.
She smiled as they kept running up to the windows, peeping through the glass in search of Cole. Faced with the exuberant rambunctiousness of two ten year old boys, Bri felt her spirits lifting, despite the turmoil bubbling around inside of her.
Cole walked up a few minutes later, and any lightness Bri had gained evaporated.
The boys rushed up to him, and Cole, smiling and laughing, returned their boisterous hugs. Cole hugged Connor and Summer as well, before turning to Bri.
“Hi,” he said, looking as awkward as she felt. He quickly turned his attention to her aunt and cousin. “And who is this?”
“This is my Aunt Rachel,” Bri introduced. “And you remember my cousin, Carly?”
“Carly?” Cole’s eyes bugged and terror washed over his face. Bri couldn’t help her laugh.
“Hi, Cole,” Carly stepped up, grinning.
Trying to regain some of his composure, he swallowed thickly before smiling. “Hello, Carly. It’s, uh, been a long time.”
“Don’t worry,” she laughed. “I’m not going to start yelling or attacking you. I’m well past all of that. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Yeah, you too,” he replied dubiously.
Carly laughed. “I’m not quite how you remember me, huh?”
“Not even close,” Cole managed to smile.
“A lot of things have changed since those days on the beach.” Carly eyed Cole and Bri speculatively. “But some things are still the same.”
“Okay then,” Cole cleared his throat and turned back to the boys. “Are you guys ready for the tour?”
“Yeah!” they screamed in unison, and the group followed Cole into the building.
Cole gave them a tour of the ESPN facility and the boys ooh-ed and ahh-ed at everything they saw, their excitement visibly mounting with each step. Bri shot her dad a bemused look.
“ESPN is their favorite channel,” he shrugged. “Sports Center is a constant background noise in our house. I blame that guy,” he nodded at Cole, who turned and grinned.
“No Nickelodeon or Disney Channel for my boys.” He high fived Liam and Logan.
As they made their way through the studio, Bri was amazed at Cole’s reception. Everywhere they went, people called out to him, just to say hi. He knew almost everyone’s name, and those he didn’t remember had no idea from the way he treated them. He was gracious and charming, and so much like the old Cole that Bri’s heart ached.
Cole introduced the boys to all of the commentators and anchors, all of which seemed happy to stop and talk for a minute. He showed them the studio and the control room, and the twins were in heaven.
They turned a corner and ran into Reggie as he was walking down the hall. The boys’ faces lit up, and Bri thought her brothers were going to burst from excitement.
“Cole, my man,” Reggie and Cole exchanged a fist bump. “Hello, Bri. Nice to see you’re visiting this guy at work for a change.”
“Yeah, I thought it was time I returned the favor,” she replied, ignoring Reggie’s knowing smirk.
“You know Reggie Walters?” Both Liam and Logan turned star-struck eyes on her.
“Yeah, his band plays down at the pub where I work.” Bri grinned as she saw the look of hero worship Cole had been getting all day transfer to her. “Your sister’s a lot cooler than you thought, huh?”
“Uh-huh,” they both nodded.
“Don’t tell me I have some fans in this lovely group?” Reggie turned to the boys and regaled them with stories about his adventures. The boys hung on his every word, and even after Reggie left to do whatever it was Reggie did during the day, the broad, dazzled smiles didn’t leave their faces. She couldn’t remember when she’d seen her brothers so happy.
After the studio tour, Cole took them to his favorite hot dog vendor for lunch, and then they headed down to Central Park. Cole pulled out a football from the duffle bag he’d grabbed before they left the studio, and he and the boys started playing. Bri, Carly, and the adults sat on a blanket, content to watch and soak up the warm sunshine.
“You know,” Carly leaned into Bri’s ear. “I know you two are broken up or whatever, but he’s still got it bad.” She raised her eyebrow at Bri. “You do, too, I think.”
“Whatever, Carly,” Bri brushed her off, not wanting to get into that conversation.
Carly watched Cole thoughtfully for a moment. “I want you to be happy, Bri. You deserve that. If you’ve found someone who makes you happy, you shouldn’t be so quick to throw him away.”
“You don’t understand, Car,” Bri sighed. “It’s not that simple.”
“But, it should be,” Carly persisted. “People make mistakes; nobody’s perfect. But people can change, too. I’m living proof of that, after all.” She gave Bri an ironic lift of her eyebrow. “Take a lesson from me. Don’t be so dead set on what you think you want, that you ignore the true happiness staring you in the face.”
Aunt Rachel and Carly decided to take a walk and explore the park, and Connor slid into the empty spot beside Bri.
“So, when do we get to meet him?” he asked.
“Meet who?”
“This guy you’re marrying. It is customary for the parents of the bride to meet the groom before the wedding, you know.”
“Oh, right.” Startled, Bri realized that she’d forgotten all about Adam. She hadn’t talked to him in a few days- a situation he was probably not happy about, and with her family in town and her playing hostess, she’d completely forgotten about him.
Her eyes immediately snapped to Cole, rolling in the grass with two boys on top of him. Maybe there was another reason she’d forgotten about Adam.
“Um, he’ll be there at the graduation ceremony tomorrow,” she smiled. “You can meet him then.”
Her dad eyed her. “Is there something wrong? Are things okay with you two?”
“Of course they are. Why would anything be wrong?” she tried to scoff, but it came out choked.
“I don’t know. It’s just that most girls are excited to introduce their fiancées to their parents. Most girls are excited to get married, for that matter. You don’t seem to be.”
“Wow dad, don’t hold back,” she huffed. “What do you want me to say? Adam and I are just going through a rough patch. This whole wedding thing is stressful, that’s all. Things are just fine.”
He watched her a moment. “You know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to?” she demanded, but her eyes shot involuntarily to Cole. Angry, she turned a belligerent look back on her dad.
“I don’t know, pumpkin. You’re the only one who can answer that.” He gave her a small smile. “I just want you to be happy, that’s all.”
“And don’t I seem happy?”
“No,” he replied, his eyes turning sad. “You don’t seem happy at all. You’ve lost your spunk, your feistiness, your joy. Now, I don’t know if that has to do with Adam or… someone else,” he glanced at Cole, “but you haven’t been you for a long time.”
“I’m still me, dad,” she mumbled, feeling tears well in her eyes. How did he do it? Her dad had been there for three days, and he’d already insightfully determined the whole of her problem, and its causes. She’d laugh if it weren’t so sad.
“I know you are, sweet pea. We just haven’t seen it for a while, and I’m worried about you.” He reached over and smoothed her hair. “You need to do what will make you happy. Don’t worry about anything else. I seem to recall a conversation we had some years ago, in a situation very similar to this one. Do you remember what I told you back then?”
“You told me not to be afraid, and to listen to my heart.”
“And you remembered,” he smiled. “I think that spectacular bit of advice applies now just as much as it did then. You still have time.”
“Have time to what?”
“To make the right choice.”
She looked over at Cole, still rough housing with her brothers, and felt her chest tighten. “Do I?” she whispered.
“Of course you do.” Her dad hugged her. “You have all the time in the world.”
Chapter 24
The Columbia graduation ceremony was everything an illustrious institution commencement program should be, complete with the graduation march, famous keynote speakers, and all the pomp and circumstance Bri expected. Her family was there cheering for her, and Adam had come too, as he’d promised he would. Despite the awkwardness between them, and the fact that he was still upset with her for shutting him out, Adam was gracious and attentive with her family. He spent the afternoon talking with her dad and stepmom and getting to know her brothers. He was kind and reassuring, letting her
know that despite the funk she’d fallen into recently, he was still committed to her and their future. It was a wonderful day, practically perfect, but it felt hollow somehow, like something was missing. Or someone.
Finally finished with her master’s degree, and with her wedding coming up in a month, Bri decided to give herself some time off before starting her job at Bedlam. She was set to start the middle of July, which gave her just under two months of freedom before jumping into the world of adult responsibility.
She also needed time to get packed up and moved into the apartment Adam had found for them. The plan was for both of them to be moved in before flying out to California for the wedding. Aside from the trepidation and panic at finally moving in with him, having to leave Becks and Gracie behind was really upsetting her. She’d loved the time she’d shared with them in their small apartment. It was the first time Bri had really felt like she was out on her own, and she didn’t want to lose that independence. Plus, she’d grown quite attached to her two quirky roommates, and she would miss not seeing them everyday.
But if moving out was daunting, it was nothing compared to the shock of reality that hit when her wedding dress arrived. She and Becks had scoured New York, but due to her short timeline, there weren’t many dresses to choose from that could be ready in time for her June wedding. She’d finally settled on a simple V-neck lace gown with a small train. It was pretty, but Bri had never been overly excited about it. Becks had been more enthusiastic about the whole process than Bri had. But any ambivalent feelings towards her dress instantly disappeared as she hung it up on her closet door. Fear washed through her, and her stomach clenched so hard she felt nauseous. She just stared at it, unable to make herself take it out of the garment bag. She didn’t want to touch it; she didn’t want to go anywhere near it. It wasn’t a deceptively innocent dress hanging in her room, it was a stark reminder of a reality that was looming closer and closer; a reality she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
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