Chapter 34

“Hey,” Bradley said, his voice wavering. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No, it’s fine,” she said, tossing a glance over her shoulder at her friends. “We’re done here anyway.” She stepped aside. “Come in.”

“Uh…” Bradley hesitated. “No, it’s okay. I can come back later.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Carissa grabbed his arm and practically dragged him into the room; then she shut the door behind him.

He stood awkwardly near the head of her bed, hands shoved in his pockets. His face was flushed, and his expression was wary. He looked frazzled. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but she had a feeling he didn’t want an audience for that conversation.

“Y’all having a party?” Bradley asked with a nervous laugh, his southern twang coming out unexpectedly.

Tiffany grinned, her gaze dancing from Bradley to Carissa, and her smile widened. Carissa narrowed her eyes and gave her friend a warning look. Not that a scathing look would do any good when Tiffany got into one of her moods.

“More like an intervention,” Cory said.

Bradley’s eyebrows shot up. “An intervention for what? And who?”

Tiffany laughed, her mischievous glee ringing out clearly. “For Carissa.”

“Tiffany!” Carissa snapped, but there was no stopping her friend now.

Holding up her hand to silence Carissa, Tiffany turned her entire focus onto Bradley. “It’s a relationship intervention. We’re trying to tell her that her break up with Danny is a good thing, and that she can’t cave just because he’s having some sort of personal crisis.”

Groaning with embarrassment, Carissa buried her face in her hands. She wished she could plug her ears, too, and drown out the rest of Tiffany’s words.

“I’m confused,” Bradley said.

“Danny’s father was in an accident, and he’s in the ICU. Doctors didn’t give a very good prognosis, so Danny’s rightfully upset. He’s leaving Friday to go home for a while,” Garrett explained.

Carissa lowered her hands and dared to peek at Bradley, but his attention was on Garrett, not her. That was a small relief.

“That explains a lot,” Bradley said after a moment. “I just saw Danny at the house, and he wanted me to tell y’all that he’d be gone for a while.”

Bradley’s gaze shifted to Carissa, pinning her in place. His eyes were an icy shade of blue-gray that she’d never seen before, and a shiver raced down her spine. She shifted nervously on her feet, but she couldn’t tear her gaze from his, even though she was wholly uncomfortable in that moment.

“He also told me Carissa was going with him.” Bradley crossed his arms and leaned one shoulder against the wall.

Carissa winced.

“And that is exactly why we’re here,” Tiffany said. “We’re trying to talk her out of going with him.”

Bradley nodded slowly. “Is it working?”

“Doesn’t matter if it is or isn’t.” Cory shrugged. “I already warned her if she goes, I’m telling Dad, and that isn’t going to work out well for her or Danny.”

Carissa rolled her eyes.

“Is that true?” Bradley asked, his attention still on her.

Shrugging, she averted her eyes to the floor. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” she mumbled.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Tiffany threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Then why the hell did you bother to call us here, Carissa? If you weren’t planning to take our advice, why ask for it?” Anger dripped from Tiffany’s words.

If Carissa didn’t act soon, she worried Tiffany would end up saying too much about things Carissa didn’t want Bradley to know about.

“Look, I’ve listened to what you all had to say, and I promise to consider it, but can you please give me and Bradley a few minutes alone?” She struggled to keep her tone even and not lose her temper when her friends were only trying to help.

“We’ll be in the lounge at the end of the hall.” Tiffany yanked open the door, and Bradley jumped out of the way so she wouldn’t hit him with how hard she yanked on the door handle.

Garrett gave her a sad smile, then followed Tiffany out of the room without a word.

Cory rested his hand on Carissa’s shoulder. “Don’t be stupid.” Then he walked out of the room, too.

Carissa was now alone with Bradley, exactly as she’d requested. Only, she had no idea what to say to him.

“I just need to know if Danny’s telling the truth,” Bradley said after several tense moments of silence. “Are you going home with him this weekend?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, thankful her friends weren’t around to hear her say that. “Danny’s very close to his father, and I’m really worried how he’s going to handle it if his dad doesn’t make it.”

Bradley nodded as she spoke, his expression morphing from neutral to disappointed to upset. “Then I guess I’ll see you when we both get back.” He turned and reached for the doorknob.

Carissa blinked with confusion. That was it? He was just going to leave? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Is that why you came here? To ask about Danny?”

His back to her, Bradley hesitated in the doorway. “Yes,” he said without turning around. “I said something to Danny about how he treats you. He accused me of wanting you, told me I was jealous, then said you were still his and you were going home with him this weekend.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat, but bile rose up, and she forced in a deep breath. She’d never given Danny a definite answer, but she should’ve known he would assume she’d say yes.

“I’m not his,” she said to Bradley’s back.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think Danny got the memo.” Bradley glanced over his shoulder at her, and his eyes were full of pain and longing. “Look, Carissa.” He finally turned to face her, though he kept his grip on the door. “I thought I could do this, but I can’t.” He shook his head. “I want you, but I need to know you want me, too. I won’t keep coming in second to a guy like Danny.”

She nodded, mostly so she could get her tear ducts under control. Her throat was dry, and she licked her lips. “I do want you, Bradley.”

He raised a brow. “But?”

“But…” She sighed. “I don’t know,” she admitted with a half-sob, half-laugh. “I want to be the kind of person who will be there for a friend in need, and right now, Danny is facing the possible death of his father. He needs someone to be there for him.”

“That person doesn’t have to be you, Carissa.”

“I know.”

Her thoughts flashed back to Garrett’s offer to go with Danny. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around Garrett doing that, though, especially without Danny knowing. Then again, Garrett was an adult. He could do as he pleased.

“Well, my invitation stands,” Bradley said. “I told you that you always have a choice, and I meant it. So, if you don’t show up, then I’ll take that to mean you chose Danny over me.”

Bradley spun on his heel and strode out of the room before she could utter another word. An involuntary gasp escaped, and she cupped her hand over her mouth. Deciding who she would go with was about a lot more than just a weekend getaway—she was choosing which guy she wanted to be with.

If Danny got his shit together and changed—really changed—then she could see things working out between them. But if he didn’t… She shivered and hugged herself, unable to consider what might happen if his temper went unchecked.

But if she just went to Texas with Bradley, they could spend some real time together, get to know each other better. The potential for a long and mutually respectful relationship was right there waiting for her. Bradley was the whole package—smart, sexy, funny, considerate, polite, rich, and her parents already approved of him.

Bradley was hands down the best choice, but Danny still held a large piece of her heart, and right now, he needed her a lot more than Bradley did.

***

Carissa spent the next day avoiding classes, her friends, her responsibilities, her cell phone… basically the entire world. She kept trying to justify all the reasons she should go with Danny, but no matter what she came up with, she couldn’t shake the of Bradley’s face when he’d walked out of her room yesterday. If she went with Danny, she was choosing to give up Bradley, and that wasn’t a choice she could live with.

By the time Friday morning rolled around, she’d finally come to a decision. At least, she was pretty sure she had. The smallest thing would cause her to reconsider and second guess her choice and her reasons for making that choice. But both Danny and Bradley were scheduled to leave in a few hours, and she was determined to be at the airport before either of them took off.

Suitcase open on her bed, she folded jeans, shorts, T-shirts, pajamas, socks, underwear, bras, and sundresses and packed them into the luggage. She then piled a few too many pairs of shoes into the suitcase, too. Hopefully, she could get it closed.

The door opened, and Tiffany walked in. She had her cell phone clutched in her hand. “Hey, I gotta call you back.” She ended the call, positioned herself in front of the door, and crossed her arms. “Why are you packing?”

“Because I’m leaving for the airport.” Adding her cosmetics and toiletries, Carissa closed the suitcase and barely managed to get it zipped.

“Why?”

Carissa tossed her friend an incredulous look. “You know why.” She glanced around the room for the bag she typically used as a carry-on.

“Who are you going to meet?” Tiffany asked.

“No one.” She turned to face her friend, one hand planted on her hip. “I’ve decided I’m taking the weekend to myself. I’m going to buy a ticket to somewhere warm, whatever’s available, and I’m going to focus on me for once.”

Tiffany narrowed her eyes, and Carissa held her breath. She’d never been very good at lying to Tiffany, a curse of them having known each other for so long. A silent stare-off ensued, and unease filled Carissa.

After a while, Carissa caved and sighed. “Fine. I’m still not sure who I’m going with. I figured I’d go to the airport and just see where I end up.”

“Carissa.” Tiffany groaned.

“No more lectures, okay? I know how you all feel about Danny, and I don’t disagree with you guys. I don’t. But this is a choice I have to make for myself.” Her bottom lip trembled with emotion. “So, please, just let me do this my way.”

Tiffany shifted on her feet, but she didn’t move away from the door. “What if you make the wrong choice?” She raised a brow. “What if you end up going with Danny, and he does something to you? I’m really worried about you, Carissa.”

Carissa frowned. “If I end up going with Danny, I’ll let you know, okay? And then you guys can call my dad or the police or anyone else, if you want. Hell, you can get on a plane and follow me for all I care.”

“Or you could just not go with him.”

“I might not.” Carissa shrugged, then heaved her heavy suitcase off her bed.

Once again, the knowledge that choosing Danny meant giving up Bradley slammed into her consciousness, and a cold sweat broke out along the back of her neck. Bradley’s sad face and pleading eyes filled her mind, and her heart clenched painfully. He was an amazing guy, and he deserved better than a girl who couldn’t let go of her emotionally and verbally abusive ex. Then again, she deserved better, too, and Bradley was offering her everything Danny couldn’t.

“Can you please move?” Carissa asked.

Reluctantly, Tiffany stepped away from the door. “You know I’m calling Garrett and Cory the second you walk out of this room.”

“I know.” Carissa smiled sadly. She paused in front of her friend. “And I love you for that. As my best friend, I’m begging you to have some faith in me. I know what I’m doing.”

Without waiting for a response, Carissa walked out of her room. Her heart was in her throat as she dragged her suitcase down the hall and onto the elevator. Her palms were sweaty, and her hands trembled as she pushed the down button. Her mind raced, and momentary vertigo swamped her senses. She leaned against the elevator wall and closed her eyes.

She knew what a relationship with Danny was like—she’d been living it for almost a year—and even if he did get the help he promised to get, what would prevent him from falling back into this person she didn’t like? Was that a risk she was willing to take? Because if she did, Bradley would be gone. He’d made his feelings clear—if she didn’t choose him now, there wouldn’t be a second chance.

The elevator came to a stop, and the doors slid open. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and rolled it out behind her. Her pace was quick as she walked toward her car. Even though she still had a little while before either flight left, she was suddenly in a rush to get to the airport, to finally make a choice and move on with her life.

The End