Page 26 of Riding the Curve

“You won’t need it today?”

He shakes his head. “I’ll be out in the back fields today, fixing some of the fences. Plus, I’m a little scared of your best friend. I have no doubt that little spitfire will follow through with her threat if you don’t show. If you love me at all, you’ll sacrifice yourself to save me.”

Bursting in laughter, I shove him out of the stall. “Alright, alright. I’ll go. Now get out of here so I can finish this before I head out!”

“Looove you!” he sings while climbing onto the saddle of his horse and trotting out of the barn.

An hour later, I finish mucking the stalls and take the longest shower of my life in the bathroom of my old room. Lyla is downstairs baking with Mom, so I’m glad I could slip in for a bit to get ready in here without using the hallway mirror like I did this morning.

For the first time in a while I put on a little bit of blush and mascara and add some defined curls into my wavy hair. Carson had an opinion on everything about me, from what I wore and the makeup I had to apply on my face, down to the nail polish that adorned my fingers.

Since I’ve been home, I’ve been able to choose things for myself again. Slowly, I feel like I’m starting to feel comfortable in my own skin again. There’s still a lot of healing I need to do, but this small step seems monumental. I search for my go-to frayed denim shorts and baggy shirt when something in my closet catches my eye.

My fingers trace over the delicate fabric of my sage green high school graduation dress. It’s simple, like me, but I still remember how truly beautiful it made me feel that night.

That feeling may also be due to the certain someone who brushed away my tears under the stars. The same man who whispered into my ear that someone with a heart as tender as mine deserved someone worthy of keeping it safe. The night I thought that ‘someone’ would be Em.

Goosebumps ripple over my skin.

Though I’m angry with Em, I can’t stop thinking about the airplane ride and every moment after. I can almost still feel his arms secured around me as he held me through my panic attack. Can still remember the look he gave me when he dropped me off, and the hope lingering in his voice when he left. It’s stirring up the feelings inside me once more that I’ve tried so hard to forget and let go.

Biting my lip, I take one more look at the dress. It deserves to be worn one more time, right?

Sliding into the dress, I adjust the thin straps over my shoulders, making sure they won’t slide. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I lace up my green Converse, then grab Ryleigh’s keys and my wallet.

Time to go hug the crap out of my best friend and pray she forgives me.

“Well, that was one heck of a hug.” Harper snorts, dusting the flour from her clothes and body. “Now get your crazy ass up and help me clean up this mess!”

“Yes, ma’am.” I salute as she swats me with her broom.

The moment I saw her crossed arms and raised brow when I entered the bakery, I was reminded exactly how much I have missed seeing my best friend in the flesh. I leapt over the counter and squeezed her so tightly that we lost our balance, crashing into the bag of flour behind us. I couldn’t help myself.

“Sorry, I couldn’t contain my excitement.” I chuckle.

“Ha!” She scoffs. “You sure did a good job ‘containing’ it over the two weeks you were hiding from me!”

Wincing, I apologize again. “I’m so sorry. You’re right, you should have been my first stop.”

“Uh, duh!” She laughs and tries to swat me once more.

“Yikes!” I scamper out of the way, grabbing another broom from the wall to defend myself. She rolls her eyes with a scoff, and we both get to work cleaning up the mess.

We have the small kitchen cleared in record time. Thankfully, one of Harper’s employees tells her she’ll take over while we catch up. So we make coffees and take a seat in one of the little booths in the back corner of the bakery.

The steam swirls off my cinnamon dolce latte as I lift it to my lips and sip. Rich, spicy deliciousness glides through my body, warming me up from the inside out. I needed this, more than I knew.

Silver flashes in front of me as Harper waves a fork. The fluffy, glazed cinnamon roll on the table between us whispers my name. Slicing off a huge forkful, I devour it.

“Mmm,” I mumble between chews. “One bite and I’m already reliving the first time we ever made them. Remember the day we met in home economics class?”

“Absolutely,” she grins, scooping more of the roll onto her fork. “I could never forget the day I met my best friend for life.”

“Thank you for always being there for me, Harper. You helped me through so many hard times while I was away. Sometimes I think you’re the only reason I survived New York for so long. I’ll forever be grateful for that.” My eyes begin to get cloudy as I cover her palm with my own and squeeze. “I’ve been so far away for too long. I wish I could have stayed here a little longer after you parents passed. I still feel guilty for having to leave to go back to school. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you like I should have been.”

A tear slips free, falling down the curve of my cheek. Harper grabs her napkin and pats it away. “Hen, I’m the one that forced you to fill out that application! I would have been upset with you if you didn’t finish your final year of culinary school just to stay with me. You’ve always been there when I needed you most. Distance didn’t make our friendship weak. In fact, I think it did quite the opposite. I feel like we grew closer, because we continued to make a fighting effort to stay in each other’s lives.

“To me, that is the definition of a friendship that will last a lifetime. You’ve always been more than a friend to me, Hen. You’re my family.”