CHAPTER NINETEEN
Cara
Everything around me seemed dull and faded after Edward left.
We’d just come back into each other’s lives again, and I found myself thinking about him all the time.
I just wanted to be with him. We talked on the phone and FaceTimed every time our schedules lined up.
We texted often. Over the next couple of weeks, we caught back up with each other.
We found out all the little details we’d missed out on over the past few years.
I knew I was in danger of falling in love with him all over again, no matter how little time had passed since we’d found each other again.
A knock on my dressing room door snapped me from my thoughts about Edward.
“Come in,” I called. I wasn’t quite finished with my stage makeup, and I was running a little behind.
The door opened to reveal Nora Hart standing there holding a flower arrangement. My insides froze when I saw it was her. I’d been avoiding her as best I could since the phone tracker incident. It wasn’t easy, though. We’d been a part of each other’s lives for years.
And the confrontation over her helping her brother track me down to send me flowers when they knew I was with another man…
well, it hadn’t gone well. She had sworn that she’d thought it was ‘sweet’ and would show me how much Monty cared about me.
When I’d tried to remind her I wasn’t interested in Monty in that way, she hadn’t understood.
“He’s rich, handsome, and totally gone over you.
What’s not to love?” she’d said, and the look in her eyes had been cold.
I’d been shocked. She’d completely changed her mind since she’d recently assured me she knew I wasn’t interested in Monty.
But it wasn’t just that. She had seemed…
different somehow. Not like the person I’d grown close to as we’d bonded as college roommates.
She’d been cold and standoffish when I’d told her that I’d removed her from my phone location feature.
I had thought I’d have an ally in Nora when it came to talking to her parents about my disinterest in dating Monty.
She’d made it clear that I didn’t.
I’d dropped it but stayed as far away as I could considering we saw each other for hours a day, most days of the week. I made excuses every time she wanted to hang out, and it seemed that she was clueing in to what I was doing.
She also seemed to be more interested in my life than usual. I wasn’t sure if it was because she was curious about Edward or if she cared that much about me dating her brother. Either way, it had made it difficult to hide things from her.
“Flower delivery for the gorgeous, insanely talented Ms. Cara Hargrave,” she said. The words she said were nice, but her tone had an edge to it that made me uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure how to handle her or the awkwardness between us that was growing more and more palpable every day.
One thing was for sure, though. I didn’t want her to read the card attached to the flowers, whether they were from Edward or some random person. I stood up hurriedly, almost knocking over my cosmetics tray.
Her eyes narrowed as they landed on something behind me. I turned to look and realized she was seeing the other bouquets in my dressing room, including the one her brother had sent me. Again. They were coming almost every day now.
“Wow. That’s a lot of bouquets. Who are those from?” She pointed to the largest, most extravagant arrangement.
“Monty.” I reached for the bouquet she was holding. “Thanks for bringing this to me.”
“I don’t get to know who this one’s from?” she pouted, pulling them just out of my reach.
I pasted a smile on my face. “Why would you want to know?”
“Can’t I be interested in my bestie’s life?
” She had a hurt look on her face that seemed like it might be genuine.
I glanced at the clock. I was definitely running behind now.
I didn’t have time to play this strange new game with Nora.
“Fine,” I said, hurriedly taking the card from the flowers and opening it.
Cara,
I wish I could be there to see you. You dance every night in my dreams.
Love,
Edward
It was such a sweet, romantic card, and I hated that I’d shared it with Nora.
“Whoa, ‘love,’ huh?” Nora’s eyes widened. “Is it serious already?”
I shrugged, not wanting to talk to her about him.
“Hmm.” She studied my face carefully. “Maybe he’s more into you than you are him? Monty would love it if that’s the case.” She pursed her lips and gave me an appraising look. “I guess I wouldn’t stand much of a chance with Edward, then, huh? If he’s that into you?”
I had to stop myself from gasping. Was she still trying to take a shot with Edward?
I took a deep breath and tried to maintain patience.
I had to work with her through the spring.
After that, I was out of here. “We’re just getting to know each other again after being apart for a long time. That’s all.”
Nora came and plopped down on the couch in my dressing room. I could see her in the mirror even though my back was to her.
I focused on putting my makeup on and did my best to ignore the intense stare she was giving me. “I’m not surprised by all of this.” She gestured around the room, indicating the flower arrangements. “You always got all the guys in college.”
What? I paused while putting on my lipstick. “That’s so not true. You were the one who got all the guys, remember? They thought I was too serious and never available. They all liked how…” I tried to think of a good way to say it, but she beat me to it.
“How I’d fuck them, and you wouldn’t?”
Well, that was to the point. “I guess. I was going to say that you were more fun, going out to bars and hitting frat parties.”
“Right. Well, I might have gotten more guys than you, but you always got the best ones. The ones I wanted.”
This was coming out of left field. “I dated maybe three guys you liked total.”
“And those were the ones I wanted the most. You’re good at taking away everything that’s important to me.”
I turned and stared at her. “What are you even talking about? I haven’t taken anything away from you.”
She lifted one slim shoulder in a half shrug as if she didn’t really care about what we were talking about. But the high color on her cheeks didn’t just come from stage makeup. She was mad. I was growing more and more uncomfortable around her.
I wanted her to leave. But how do you say, “Get the hell out,” nicely? It was times like this when I wished my personality was more like Livy’s. She would have handled Nora in about five seconds and never had another problem with her again.
But I wasn’t like Livy.
“Mom and Daddy want to have you out for dinner this week. What day works for you?” she asked aggressively.
My eyes shot to hers in the mirror. I didn’t have a ready excuse, but there was no way in hell I was stepping foot on the Hart estate. “Um… this week isn’t good for me. I’m really busy. I’m sorry.” I could hear the lie in my voice, so I knew she could, too.
She cocked an eyebrow. “Really.” Her voice dripped with disbelief. “Well, that’s a shame. Maybe another time.”
“Maybe,” I tried to smile, but I couldn’t force it. “I’ve got to hurry, Nora,” I said, pointedly looking at the clock.
“Right. I was here earlier than you again. I think Kelisha is starting to notice my dedication. You’d best be on your toes. Literally, haha.” She gave me a look, patted me a little too hard on the head, and left my dressing room.
I stared at the closed door for a moment. What was happening? Had she always been like this? It was hard to think I would have been friends with her for so long if she had been. Did she not know I wasn’t trying to compete with her? That there was room for both of us to be successful?
Someone doesn’t have to lose for someone else to win.
I sighed, not liking the uneasy feeling she’d left me with yet not being able to shake it off, either.
I swallowed hard and turned to finish. I had to be ready in the next fifteen minutes. I’d make it, but I was cutting it a bit closer than I liked to.
My hands shook as I tried to put my eyeliner on. This whole thing with Nora, the Harts, Monty… it was a lot. And I was sick of dealing with it.
“Just a few more months,” I said to myself, as I finished up. “Just a few more months.”
It might become my new mantra.
***
It was not my best performance. No matter how hard I tried to keep my mind on the story of the dance, to lose myself in the character, it just wasn’t happening.
I felt sure that the general audience wouldn’t be aware that I had just dialed in a performance, but I knew anyone who had ever seen me dance would be surprised.
So, I kept to myself after the encores were over and hurried back to my dressing room. I was ready to go home, and I didn’t need any questions about whether I was okay or not. And I didn’t want to talk to Nora.
After our conversation before the show, I would be even more vigilant in my bid to avoid her.
When I got home, I showered, changed into my comfiest pajamas, and sacked out on the couch to watch a rom-com on Netflix. I needed some mindless entertainment.
I was feeling down. I missed Edward, I felt a million miles from home, I was feeling a bit burned out on dancing, and a seven-year friendship seemed to be slipping through my fingers. So, when my phone buzzed and I saw that Edward had texted me, I was extra thrilled.
Edward: Do you have plans for Labor Day weekend?
Me: I have a couple of performances and a day off. Why?
Edward: I re-arranged some things so that I could come to Charleston then. Do you want me to?
Me: Yes! That sounds so fun.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. It seemed like Edward needed to see me just as much as I needed to see him.
Edward: Great. I’ll book a hotel. Recommendations?
Me: I know this great townhouse near a ballet studio…
It took him a while to text back, and I bit my lip. What if he hadn’t wanted to give up his personal space completely while in town? Was I being too forward?
Edward: You’d want me to stay with you? That would be amazing.
Whew. He was on board.
Me: Definitely. I can’t wait!
Edward: Just a few days and I’ll be there.