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“Are you ever going to tell us what happened last night?” Lex asked Carrie the next morning when they were having breakfast down at the dining hall with Asher.
“What do you mean?” she asked even though she was pretty sure she knew what Lex was talking about.
“Don’t be like that, Care,” Asher gently admonished. “We both saw you and that guy talking earlier last night. When you left and then came back there was something wrong. We know you too well for you to try to hide anything from us.”
Carrie ran a hand through her hair in defeat. “Fine. Things were going really well. I just got cold feet, I guess. Couldn’t make myself go through with the plan. I’m sorry,” she lied.
“This had nothing to do with whatever you saw on your phone right before you disappeared?” Lex looked at her knowingly.
Damn it, Carrie thought to herself. She should’ve known that they would be watching her like a hawk. She’d hoped that she wouldn’t have to tell them about the texts from David. She didn’t want them to think that she was weak or see her as a little girl with a crush that just couldn’t seem to resist him when he came calling.
“David might’ve texted me,” she whispered shamefully.
“Might’ve?” Asher asked her with a raised eyebrow.
She just sighed in response.
“So much for Operation Forget Clarke,” Lex said in a way that Carrie couldn’t tell whether she was disappointed or not.
She shook her head. “I was having a genuinely nice conversation with Jacob. But when I got that text from David, it was like, I don’t know, the wind was knocked out of me or something. I just had to get out of there,” she feebly excused.
“What’d the text say?” Lex asked.
“He was just checking to make sure that I was settling in alright.”
“See? I think that there’s something there. Why else would he be checking in on you?” Asher asked her.
“John could’ve asked him to,” Carrie told him with a shrug. She didn’t want to admit that that same question was running in a loop in her head ever since she received that message in the first place.
“But didn’t you say that the two of you texted off and on last year?”
“I know,” she said strongly to Lex. “I’m not getting my hopes up. He just sees me as his best friend’s little sister. I don’t see that changing any time soon.” No matter how much she wished differently.
“Are you still up for the operation?” Lex asked gently.
With a heavy heart, Carrie nodded her head. She couldn’t keep hoping that David would one day look at her and see someone he couldn’t live without, but that was pure fantasy, and this was her reality.
She needed to move on.
Before it was too late.
~~~
THE NEXT DAY, SHE WAS just putting on her clothes for the day when her phone went off on her dresser. She smiled when she saw that it was Rory (she was dating John’s friend, Jace). The two of them had hit it off during the last few months of the previous school year. Carrie was still really close to all of the girls in their group—Rory, Luna, and her brother’s girlfriend, Taylor.
“Hey,” she greeted her friend.
“Hey. How’s it going up there all by your lonesome?” Rory joked.
“I’m thinking I might just survive this year.” She laughed. “What’s up?” The girls all had their group chat, so they rarely called each other. Therefore, she was very curious as to what Rory needed to talk to her about.
“So, feel free to say no, but Jace asked me to call you and see if you would do this for him.” Carrie’s curiosity peaked, and she stayed silent as Rory continued. “See, his little sister is coming in as a freshman, and he’s worried about her. Big brothers, am I right? He’d feel a lot better if he knew someone that could check up on her and make sure that she’s doing okay”
“He wants me to, like, babysit his little sister?” Carrie couldn’t help but think that this was a fairly strange request.
“No. If you could text her and just tell her that you’re around. Maybe go out to coffee sometime. Make sure that she’s adjusting to the whole college thing. That would be awesome.”
“I can do that. Text me her number and I’ll see if she’s interested in a meeting.” Carrie could easily remember how terrified she was when she began attending college. She’d had no friends other than her brother. College could be extremely intimidating.
“What’s her name? I can’t recall it.”
“It’s Isabelle, but she goes by Izzy,” Rory answered.
“Alright, sounds good. I’ll make sure she’s doing okay.”
She said goodbye to Rory, and just a few minutes later, her phone pinged with a message. She put the number that Rory had sent her into her phone and composed the message.
Carrie: This might sound a little strange. My name is Carrie Lewis. My brother is friends with your brother, and he just wanted me to see how you were doing. Maybe coffee later?
It didn’t take more than a few minutes for her phone to notify her that Izzy had texted her back.
Izzy: Of course, he did. You don’t have to do that. Everything’s going fine on my end. But thanks anyway for the offer.
Carrie responded back.
Carrie: It’s not a problem. I was terrified when I started here. I can answer any questions or lend an ear if you just need to vent about anything. My offer for coffee still stands. :)
Izzy: I’ll say it again, you seriously don’t have to do this, but I’ll accept your offer. It might be nice to get some insider information before the semester starts.
Carrie: Meet me at the student coffee shop around two o’clock.
Izzy: I’ll be the nervous freshman waiting :)
~~~
CARRIE AND LEX HAD unpacked the rest of their boxes, so by the time two o’clock came around, they were finally moved in, making the dorm feel more like home.
“You’re sure this freshman isn’t going to, like, lure you to her car and kill you?” Lex asked when Carrie was getting her things together to go to the coffee shop.
She rolled her eyes at her friend’s question. “I’m pretty sure she’s not going to kill me. I’ve met her brother, and he seemed completely normal.”
“Ted Bundy’s siblings were probably normal too. I’m just saying...”
“Alright. I’m leaving,” Carrie announced before sending a wave toward Lex and hearing her laughter in response.
Great, she thought to herself. Now I’m going to be worried about being murdered. Thanks, Lex.
Why were they friends again?
Ten minutes later, she was feeling kind of foolish while walking into the shop. She hadn’t thought to ask Izzy what she looked like or what she would be wearing, so she would know who she was. It would have been a great idea since the student coffee shop tended to be crowded at any given time.
Just as she was about to take her phone out to send Izzy a text, she heard her name called from across the room. She turned to see an attractive girl with long, wavy, blonde hair in a thick side braid sporting a cute brown leather jacket and a red scarf tied around her throat.
“Izzy?” Carrie asked when she was close enough to the girl that she didn’t have to shout.
“Yeah. I’m assuming you’re Carrie?”
Carrie smiled at her. “How did you guess?”
“Jace showed me a photo of you, so I wouldn’t meet with the wrong person.” Izzy laughed.
Carrie nodded her head. “Of course, he did that.” She couldn’t help joining in on Izzy’s laughter. Jace had everything covered. “Let me grab a coffee and I’ll be right back.”
Just a few minutes later, she was back and sitting across from her.
“So, you said your last name is Lewis? That makes John your brother, right?” Izzy asked, and Carrie nodded her head. “I’ve met him a few times when they’ve come to visit with Jace. He seems like a really good guy. Jace told me about his girlfriend having a son. How’s he doing with that?”
Carrie didn’t mind talking about her brother; she was jealous of his love story. He and Taylor were the ultimate couple goals. He’d gone into a diner to get out of a bad rainstorm and met Taylor for the first time. Immediately hooked, he kept going back every day, and eventually found out that she also had a six-year-old son from a previous relationship when she was just a teenager. Since the father had passed away before he was born, John had kind of stepped in as a role model for the boy. Carrie was extremely proud of him and could tell that he loved his little family.
“He’s doing very well. He and Christopher get along great and I can tell that he’s so in love with Taylor. I won’t be surprised when he finally pops the question. There’s no one else better suited for him.”
“That’s nice to hear.” Izzy took a sip of her drink. “So, thank you for doing this. I hope Jace didn’t pressure you into texting me. I know he can be a bit of a worrywart.”
Carrie shook her head. “They didn’t force me to do anything. I’m happy to be of any help. Are there any questions that you’ve had bouncing around your head that you’re dying to know the answers to?” Carrie asked with a loud laugh.
“Have you ever had a roommate that you just didn’t click with?” Izzy hesitantly asked her.
Carrie shook her head. “When my best friend and I enrolled here, we both requested to have each other as roommates, so I got to bypass the awkward roomie situation. Do you not get along well with yours?”
Izzy shrugged. “I don’t know. Ryan’s just very quiet. I don’t think she’s spoken more than a handful of words to me since the first night. I can’t tell if she’s extremely shy or if she doesn’t like me.”
Carrie put her hand on Izzy’s in a gesture of comfort. “College can be an overwhelming time for some people. It can be hard to acclimate to sharing a room with a total stranger. Trust me, I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of students having to share a room with someone that they truly hated. Give her some time. Maybe things between the two of you will grow to be better by the end of the year.”
“And what do I do if things aren’t better?”
“You can always talk to the housing office and request a room change next year.”
Izzy sighed, running her hands over her face. “You’re right. I just need to get through the next year.” She sounded like she didn’t have much faith in herself.
Carrie gave her an encouraging smile. “You will. The year goes by faster than you can believe.”
That’s how they spent the next hour. Carrie answered all Izzy’s questions while they talked. Izzy seemed like a pretty awesome girl. Carrie could tell that the two of them were going to become great friends. By the time they got up to leave the shop, Carrie felt like she’d known Izzy for much longer than just an hour.
“If you ever need a room to hide in, you’re welcome to come to our dorm. Lex and I would love to have you,” Carrie told her as they hugged goodbye.
“I will definitely be taking you up on that.” She hesitated before asking, “Do you want to do this again?”
Carrie nodded her head eagerly. A girl could never have too many friends. “Next time I’ll bring Lex with me so you can get to know each other. You two will get along great,” she reassured her.
“I’ll text you sometime this week to set a date. Is that okay?”
“Of course. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Carrie walked back to her room feeling ecstatic at how their coffee meeting went. She made sure to text Rory that Izzy was doing fine and that Jace had nothing to worry about. She responded just before Carrie walked into her dorm building with a thank you and a thousand smiley faces. Guess Carrie wasn’t the only one feeling happy today.
~~~
DAVID WAS STILL GETTING used to his job. He was a paralegal at a small law firm, working for a tough lawyer, Mr. Daniel Mitchell. He was who David had aspired to be after he finished law school—a man that took no nonsense from anyone and was a force to be reckoned with in and out of the courtroom. He was in his early sixties with gray hair and steel gray eyes. He had a wife and a teenage son at home, but he would always tell David that his first love was the office.
David was on his couch that Sunday night looking over legal documents pertaining to the divorce case he and Mr. Mitchell were proceeding over. He sat back and ran his hands over his face in exhaustion, but he knew that he was nowhere near ready to go to bed. He still had ten pages to read and summarize to be ready for his morning meeting with Mitchell the next day.
This was his life now. He missed hockey. He missed the smell of his skates, the sound of the crowd when he emerged onto the ice, and the feeling of the cold air on his face. He also missed the camaraderie he had with his teammates. It was at times like this that he wondered if he had picked the right major when he’d applied for college.
He’d thought his whole life that he wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up. He’d never wanted anything else, but when he looked at Mitchell and saw how overworked he was, he wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing.
He had no one to talk to about his doubts. His big sister was always busy chasing leads as a head journalist at The Gaines Times, and he didn’t want to talk to his mom or stepdad about his thoughts—he didn’t want to disappoint them. He could normally talk to his friends about anything, but they were busy these days. They were either working or spending time with their girlfriends. Especially John, who had stepped into the role of dad for his girlfriend’s almost seven-year-old son, Christopher. It wasn’t right for him to pull them from their busy lives just to bitch about his own.
However, there was one person he could talk to. He just shouldn’t want to.
Carrie Lewis deserved someone better than him. Someone that could give her his undivided attention. If Mitchell was anything to go by, he wouldn’t be able to do that and he didn’t want her to feel like she came second in his life.
Not that she wanted to be in his life.
But he was drowning in paperwork and self-doubt, and he knew that she would understand even if she had never been in his position.
It was with a gnawing in his stomach that he reached for his phone, scrolled to her name, and pressed ‘call’. Part of him hoped that she wouldn’t answer, but after just a few rings, her soothing voice came through the speaker.
“David?” He could hear muffled noise that sounded much like a television before the sound of a door shutting cut the sounds off.
“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” he said.
“No, Lex and I were just watching cringe-worthy reality television. Just trying to enjoy the last night before classes start. What are you up to?”
“Sitting on my couch, eating takeout and wondering if I made a huge mistake in wanting to become a lawyer.”
“Uh oh. Tell me all about it. What’s making you doubt yourself?” she asked softly. He wanted to reach through the phone and run his hands through her hair—something he’d imagined more times than he could count. To appease his twitching hands, he ran them through his own hair which wasn’t nearly as satisfying, but would have to do.
“Do I really want to sign my soul over to this profession? The guy that I’m under right now barely even goes home to his family. He’s told me how the office always comes first, even over his wife, and I just don’t know if I could do that to a woman.”
She seemed to hesitate before asking, “Is there a certain woman that you’re thinking of?”
Was he crazy to think that there was a smidge of hope in her voice?
He sighed. “No. I just always pictured myself with a family. Not anytime soon, but it was always in the cards. But now, what if I give up this dream? What am I going to do with a law degree? It’ll be useless. And don’t even get me started on how depressing it is to be trying divorces all damn day. It would make any person lose hope in the possibility of love.”
“Slow down, David. Let’s start at the beginning. You don’t have to make any decisions right now. You still have a year to go until you have to go to law school, right?” He hummed an affirmative before she continued. “If you’re still feeling this depressed about the possibility of becoming a lawyer then you will find something new because I know you, David. No one is as strong-willed as you are. If the law isn’t your future then you will find what is.
“And if you think divorces are so damn depressing, find a field that interests you. There’s got to be hundreds of positions that you could do. You could do adoption, criminal, or even be a tax lawyer. You will find something because you, David Clarke, are a man that knows what he wants and goes for it.”
He smiled as he listened to her little speech. By the time she was done speaking, he was pretty sure his heart had grown and he felt a strange warmth spreading from his chest to his cheeks. If he didn’t know any better, he would say that she had made him blush, but that wasn’t the case. Nope, not the case at all.
“You always seem to know what to say,” he told her softly when she seemed to run out of words.
He imagined her shrugging her delicate shoulders. “It’s nothing. I just know you, David.” Wasn’t that the truth? he thought to himself. He didn’t even think John knew him as well as she did.
“You certainly do.” He hesitated as he thought of what else they could talk about. He didn’t want her to get off the phone yet. He would listen to her talk for hours if he could. “Are you nervous about classes tomorrow?”
She sighed. “Not really. At this point, I know what to expect, so that’s nice. But I’m not looking forward to the homework that I’ll be doing every night for the next nine months.”
They proceeded to talk about her courses, her insecurities when it came to her major, and what she was going to do after graduation. They talked about their families and their friends. David couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on the phone with a woman that he truly enjoyed talking to this long. When he heard her cute, little yawn through the phone, he pulled it away from his ear and nearly dropped his jaw to the floor when he saw that they had been on the phone with each other for an hour and a half.
“I should probably let you go so you can be relatively rested for school tomorrow,” he told her in a dejected voice that spoke of how much he did not want to do just that.
“Yeah. Are you feeling better about work now?”
Believe it or not, the fist that had felt like it was squeezing the shit out of his heart for the past few weeks didn’t even feel like it was there anymore.
“I am. Thanks for everything, Carrie.”
“Of course—” Another cute yawn interrupted her, and they both chuckled into the phone. “Well, I better get to bed before I end up falling asleep on you. Goodnight, David.” The way she said his name had him aching to hear it while she was writhing under him in ecstasy. His cock hardened in response, but he quickly pushed that thought aside. Now was not the time to be thinking those kinds of thoughts.
“Goodnight, Carrie.”