Chapter 15

With a grin, Brody entered the apartment and glanced over his shoulder at Jackson, Lex, and Kai in the hallway. “What can I say? No one can stay angry at Eleon for long.”

Jackson laughed. “You played the press like a first-chair violinist. Masterful.”

“A man does what he has to do.” Brody yanked off his too-tight boots and wiggled his toes. Freedom. “Nothing I said was untrue.”

The impromptu press conference hadn’t been flawless, but he hoped others would view Cara more favorably after he’d told them how she’d dressed up as Lyra, located memorabilia to give to Slayter, and given the boy her own copy of the first movie’s script.

Cara sat at the dining table with Rizzo. Her laptop was open. She’d removed the pink face paint. Now her skin was completely natural. So beautiful, but she seemed stressed, opposite of how she’d been at the hospital after their kiss.

“What’s going on?” Brody asked.

She glanced at Rizzo. “You tell him.”

Brody touched her shoulder. “Tell me what?”

“Caitlin is evicting Cara,” Rizzo said. “Everything needs to be out of the condo by tomorrow night. There’s no lease so a thirty days’ notice isn’t required.”

Cara rubbed her face. “I called Caitlin. She watched your press conference. She thought she should have been included in the visit.”

“She chose not to come.” Brody sidled closer to Cara. “It’ll be okay.”

As soon as the words were out, he wanted to take them back. Caitlin continued escalating the situation. Given her movie hadn’t tanked, their charade would be ending soon. The lasting effect on Cara, however, worried him. Her job prospects and now her living arrangement had been affected. He wanted to help her, if she’d let him. “I’ll call Caitlin.”

“Go ahead, but she doesn’t care about anything other than her movie opening better than expected. She won’t talk to our parents, either.”

Brody had to do something. Ideas flashed in his mind. He could find Cara a job in Los Angeles until a librarian position opened up. She could stay at his place. She’d have everything she needed. And he’d have her.

“Need anything from me?” Brody asked.

She peered up at him. “A kiss?”

The hope in her voice poked at his heart. “Happy to oblige.”

Brody leaned over and kissed her on the lips. He wanted to linger, but he remembered the other four who were there.

He straightened. “Let’s move up our wedding date.”

Cara glanced at the security team before her gaze rested on him. “You think we should?”

“I don’t want to wait.” That might be the only way to stop Caitlin from doing something else to hurt Cara. They could break up, end the charade on their own, and then date for real.

“Why not?” Cara half-laughed, although the way her eyes gleamed suggested she might also cry. “The Bay View House’s dress designer has something for me to try on tomorrow.”

“Let’s hope it fits.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll call Sariah and see if she has any openings.”

♥ ♥ ♥

The next morning, while Rizzo and Kai met the movers at the condo, Cara prepared for Hannah’s visit to try on a wedding gown. After she made her bed, she hung the white robe on the hook in the bathroom.

Talk about crazy.

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. Being unfriended by all but a handful of her Facebook friends and former coworkers had 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.

Hannah unzipped a pink dress bag. “Nothing better.”

Cara hoped to discover that for herself someday. With Brody, she’d gotten a taste. She wanted…more.

If only he wanted what she did, could see how much they could have if they were together.

That was the story of her and Brody from the time she realized freshman year of high school that her feelings for her best friend went deeper than friendship. Brody going out with different girls, or talking about another he wanted to date, had led to many tears and heartbreak. The worst had been the night he’d called her to see if she thought Caitlin might say yes if he invited her to a dance. That had been as hard for Cara as seeing the two of them kiss on the red carpet.

I’m calling about homecoming.

For a minute—okay, a nanosecond—Cara had thought he was asking her to be his date. A dream-come-true-thrill had shot through her. Toes wiggling, she’d bounced around her bedroom like a human pogo stick, imagining the two of them dressed up—her in a sparkly dress and him in a suit. Only that fantasy had come crashing down with what he said next.

Do you think Caitlin would go with me?

He’d wanted to take her sister, not Cara.

She hadn’t been asked to the dance by anyone. Caitlin had told her only losers attended without dates, so Cara didn’t buy a new dress, get a mani-pedi with her mom, or have her hair styled into a fancy updo at the hair salon like Caitlin. Cara had stayed home instead.

Alone.

She’d watched Stephen King’s Carrie.

Attending the Academy Awards with Brody had been her homecoming dance. Her prom, too.

But maybe things wouldn’t always be that way. Putting on this wedding gown today could be a rehearsal for when she was a real bride. A sign that it would happen sooner rather than later.

“Let’s get you in the dress,” Hannah said.

The inflection on her final word probably sent brides into fits of giddiness. Well, normal brides. Not fake ones like Cara.

“Can’t wait.” She tried for an excited tone, but her voice sounded flat.

Hannah tucked her dark hair behind her ears. “One of my favorite parts of this job is seeing a bride in her dress for the first time.”

“I’m sure that’s a special moment.”

“I would usually have you wear heels, but since this dress has a shorter hem due to the picnic theme, bare feet will work.”

“Good, because I have no heels to wear.”

Other than the low heel pumps she’d planned on wearing to her interview, Cara’s dressier shoes were packed away like everything else she owned, locked in a storage unit. She would soon be homeless, family-less, and almost friendless.

Because of Caitlin.

No one would ever know the truth about what Cara did or didn’t do. She would be forever known as gossip fodder, the woman who got pregnant and stole her twin sister’s boyfriend. The worst part was that most people who knew her, either from work, college, or growing up, believed she was capable of doing those things.

Her.

Cara O’Neal.

The librarian turned book concierge.

She wasn’t an orphan or a waif, but she felt alone in the world despite having parents and a sister. At least she had Brody and Loki.

Maybe she could adopt another cat. Well, once she found a place to live.

Hannah pulled out a white dress. “I was scouring through thrift stores and consignment shops when I found this new arrival. I didn’t check the size—just knew I could use it to mix old styles with new innovations. The dress happens to be your size. That made my job easier. And the tea length is perfect for a picnic wedding.”

“That’s a lot of white fabric. So much the dress resembles a…fluffy cloud.”

“There’s a lot of tulle and lace but wait until you try on the gown.” Hannah gave an encouraging smile. “Trust me, the dress looks much different when you’re wearing it.”

Cara trusted the designer. “I’m sure it does.”

Hannah held up the wedding gown. The confection of lace, beading, and tulle brought tears to Cara’s eyes. The lace neckline was high and trimmed with pearls and crystals. The skirt was also decorated with the same pearls but had slightly larger crystals that shimmered underneath the lights.

“Okay, not a cloud. Breathtaking.” Cara’s voice cracked. She could tell Hannah put her heart into each design, whether she was starting from scratch or altering an old dress. Though the designer would be compensated for her efforts, this gorgeous creation would go unworn. “A-amazing.”

Hannah helped Cara into the dress. Sticking her hands through the armholes, she hoped the dress looked okay, but not great. She wanted to remain distant, be more of an observer than a participant in the fitting, because knowing a bride wouldn’t walk down the aisle wearing the dress made her sad.

“Almost on,” Hannah said.

The sleeveless dress had a lace bodice with beading and a full skirt that gave it the cloud effect. Pretty, but her heart didn’t go pitter-patter.

Thank goodness.

Hannah buttoned the back. “This part takes the longest.”

“I’ve got all day.” Well, until their appointment at City Hall that afternoon.

The minutes passed.

“That was the last one.” Hannah stepped in front of Cara. The designer beamed. “A nice fit. We could take in the waist an inch, but not too much more. We want you comfortable on your wedding day, not struggling to breathe.”

“Whatever you think is best.”

“Let’s go into the bathroom where there’s a mirror. You need to see yourself.”

On the way, the skirt swooshed around Cara’s lower calves. She stared at the mirror, and…

Gasped.

Hannah clapped. “Beautiful.”

Mouth open, Cara stared at her reflection.

The dress was…magical.

Beautiful didn’t begin to describe each amazing detail. Talk about a dream-come-true gown.

She’d longed to feel like a princess. In this dress, she did.

“Are you a fairy godmother in addition to being a wedding dress designer?” she asked.

Hannah laughed. “I should add that to my business card.”

“Do, because you are.”

Cara turned to the right and left. The skirt flowed and sparkled with the change in position and lighting. The lace bodice fit, not too snugly, but accentuated her chest and waist.

“It’s perfect.” She examined herself from every angle. “So pretty.”

She laughed, giddy with excitement and anticipation. Thinking about wearing this on her wedding day, she hummed “The Bridal March.”

Wait until Brody sees me.

And then she remembered.

Not real.

She wasn’t a real bride. She wasn’t going to be one. Not anytime soon.

All of this was fake.

But staring at her reflection, she knew…

Being a real bride—Brody’s bride—was what she wanted. To marry her best friend.

Somehow, she needed to stop pretending and go after what she wanted, except…

Cara had been pretending for years. Always doing and being what her sister and parents needed. Brody, too. Never doing what Cara needed or wanted.

This couldn’t continue.

Not the wedding charade.

Not denying her needs and what she wanted.

Not taking any chances.

She had to change, but how? Could she do it?