* * *
The next morning I awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs and for a second thought Mom was home, but then remembered Carrie had slept over. I squinted at the clock on my nightstand.
Holy Cow! It was almost 10:30!
I couldn’t believe how late I’d slept and threw the covers off, wondering how long Carrie had been awake. Hopping out of bed, I thought about Nathan as I crossed the hall to the bathroom. What was he doing at this very second?
A few minutes later, I stared at myself in the mirror and groaned. My face looked paler than normal. I splashed some cold water on it and pinched my cheeks in a poor attempt to bring color to them. It didn’t work. I grimaced at my ghostly image while running a brush through my tangled hair. I decided to pull it up into a messy bun until I took a shower and told my growling stomach I’d feed it in a minute.
“What a wonderful surprise,” I said, entering the kitchen. Carrie was pouring coffee into two mugs and adding cream to them. “When did you get up?”
She handed me my coffee. “Oh, about an hour ago. I went to check on you, and you were dead asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you. How are you feeling by the way?” She picked up a couple plates off the counter with bacon and egg sandwiches on them. “I hope you don’t mind,” she added when she saw me looking at our breakfast. “I was hungry and thought you needed some real food.”
“Not at all,” I said, scraping a chair against the tile floor and sitting down, “my house is your house, and I appreciate you doing this. And you’re right. I do need to eat. I feel okay, just hungry.” I took a bite and chewed slowly. The bacon and egg flavor popped delightfully against my taste buds. “Mmmmmm, this is awesome, Carrie. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said in a garbled voice. She tried to smile, but her mouth was too full. She looked like a chipmunk storing food in her cheeks.
I laughed. “You must be hungry too.”
She nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “I am.” She set her coffee mug down and picked up her sandwich. “Oh, your mom called. She said she’ll be here on Monday for a few days.”
I shifted in my seat, eyeing her warily. “Did you tell her what happened last night?”
“No, I didn’t. I told her you were sick, so I stayed the night to make sure you were okay.” She paused and smiled. “She said you’re lucky to have such a good friend and thanked me for being there for you.”
“I am lucky,” I said. “You’re the best.”
“I told her about Nathan.”
I was in the middle of swallowing my coffee and sucked half of it down.
“You did?” I said in between coughs. I couldn’t believe she told Mom about Nathan. I mean, Nathan and I just met. It wasn’t like we were a couple. And yeah, it would be cool if we ended up dating, and there was that hope somehow things would work out and he did turn out to be the one. But I didn’t want to get roped into a conversation about it with Mom. That would be too weird. Besides, she lost that privilege with me a long time ago.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you choke, but yes, I told her.” She waved a hand in the air. “It’s no big deal. She’s happy you’re seeing someone, and she wants to meet him.”
I imagined Mom talking to Nathan. She’d drill him with questions, of course, but after she got to know him, I was certain she’d like him. But to be honest, a part of me still couldn’t believe this was happening to me, and I had my doubts. I mean, why would Nathan want me? I was damaged goods. I wasn’t even good enough to have my own mother want to be around me. So why would he be interested in me? Unless, the whole soulmate thing was true, and we were meant to be together. Or, simply, we were just meant to be together. I liked that theory much better because if soulmates were true than a person could be searching for one for a lifetime and may never find him or her. But then again, maybe everybody had more than one. Maybe your soulmate could even be your best friend, like Carrie and Tree were mine.
Carrie took our plates to the sink, and I loaded the dishwasher. The silverware clinked as I threw them in the holder.
“You know, I think you’d make a good roommate,” I said, giving her a sideways glance.
“I don’t know. I can be neurotic.” There was a playful warning in her voice.
“I have a freaky side nobody knows about,” I challenged, grinning.
She turned and leaned against the counter.
“Really? And when did we become best friends?” She arched an eyebrow.
“Ahhh, in kindergarten,” I said, closing the lid with my foot.
“And now you’re telling me this? Unless, you’re talking about only dating two guys in your entire life and never going all the way,” she teased. “You didn’t even go all the way with Brayden.” She shot me a look as if I committed a crime against humanity.
Brayden was our other best friend who moved to California two years ago. We dated for about two years, and when his mom told him they were moving, it hammered us. We’d decided not to pursue a long distance relationship and had shed many tears over it.
I stuck my tongue out. “Well, I live vicariously through you.”
“Not anymore, because now you have Nathan,” she said.
I grabbed the dish towel and threw it at her. “Shut up. I don’t have Nathan.”
She laughed and threw it back at me. “Not yet, but you will have him anytime you want.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
She walked by me and flipped around. Her eyes were wide, hands beside her face, fingers wiggling. “You bewitched him, Paige, and now he’s under your spell.”
I laughed and playfully shoved her shoulder. “Yeah, right, you goof.”
Rubbing her shoulder, she stuck her bottom lip out like a pouting child. “You mean girl,” she said in a baby voice. “I no play with you anymore.”
“You’re a brat,” I said, still laughing.
Her face broke into a smile, and she winked. “I’m going to go take a shower.” She skipped out of the room, and I stared after her, hoping she was right about Nathan.