Page 67 of A Little Bit Engaged
No place to call home, but Cara would have a wedding dress.
The Bay View House could accommodate a wedding on Friday. They’d made a reservation to get a marriage license this afternoon. They both had to show up with their driver’s licenses, and Jackson said he’d get them to City Hall for the appointment without the paparazzi following.
She only had to keep up the pretense of getting married for two more days. Tomorrow was the rehearsal. And the day after…
She shivered.
Don’t think about what happens then.
Cara’s phone beeped with a text notification. She read the harsh words written by a former library coworker. This hadn’t been the first one she received. They’d been arriving since the news hit, but she’d been ignoring the messages. Easier said than done when friends were deserting her to join #TeamCait. Yeah, that hashtag had ramped up after the smoothie incident.
The social media attacks had been cruel, but being unfriended by all but a handful of her Facebook friends and former coworkers hurt worse. She didn’t dare check her Instagram and Twitter accounts for fear she’d been unfollowed by everyone she knew.
A handful of people were sticking by her: Geoff, Renee, and Moe. Cassie and Troy, too. All had been texting her. Troy had even spoken with Brett Matthews. The two men had offered her a place to hide out in Portland, Oregon, if needed. That had been unexpected and appreciated.
Loki meowed.
“I know you want to go home.” She rubbed the cat. “So do I.”
But she had no idea where home would be.
Or what would be left of her life once she got there.
Cara folded a sweater. “We’ll just have to start over.”
Maybe Brody was right. San Francisco was so expensive. It might not be the place to do that. She sat on the bed. “Where else would we go?”
Loki nudged his head against Cara as if sensing her unease. He might be pampered, but the cat knew her moods and never left her alone when she was sad.
“I wish I knew the answer.” She scratched behind his ear and was rewarded by purring. “At least we still have Brody.”
Sweet, kind, funny Brody.
Hot kisses and fairy-tale daydreams with Brody.
She’d enjoyed planning a wedding and living with him at this apartment, but the way he’d cared for her after being covered in smoothie and seeing him with Slayter had changed everything. She’d fallen completely under Brody’s spell once more.
A magical, intoxicating spell.
Dangerous, yes, but she couldn’t help herself. He’d been her lifeline through this past week, and she’d clung tightly. She wasn’t ready to let go.
A knock sounded. “It’s Hannah.”
Cara opened the bedroom door. “Thanks for coming over.”
“No problem.” Hannah’s smiling face glowed. “Though I thought your security team was going to put a hood over my head.”
“They are overprotective.”
“As they should be.” Hannah held up a dress bag. “I’m excited to show you what I came up with.”
Cara nodded. “I can’t believe you managed to do anything. The time is speeding by.”
“That’s what happens with a short engagement, but the length of time doesn’t matter when you know it’s true love.”
“True love.”
A sigh welled inside Cara. She would settle for any kind of love. Who was she kidding? She’d take a strong case of like. Spending this time with Brody made her realize how much she wanted to be with him. That was the part of this situation she wished would change. That they wouldn’t go their separate ways when the pretend engagement ended.
