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I wonder if she’s been speaking with Lauren. A wave of jealousy flows through me at the mere thought, and I clench my jaw, wanting to ask Lauren and not wanting to come off desperate. Most likely they are talking. Maybe they’re even talking about me and how much I suck as a friend.
“Have you spoken to Charlie at all?” I grimace as the words escape me, feeling like an idiot for not being able to contain my curiosity.
“No,” Lauren says hesitantly. “Not at all. I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer. Do you need her for anything?”
I groan, unable to contain my frustration. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“Is something going on, Rachel?”
I look up at my ceiling, wanting to smack myself for asking Lauren. I should have kept my mouth shut. “No, it’s nothing, Lauren,” I finally say. “I’m trying to pick out the perfect outfit for tomorrow. I finally get to see Hunter and I have no clue what to wear.”
“I can help!” Lauren says, her tone filled with excitement. “I would be happy to help!”
I sigh and shake my head. “No, it’s fine, Lauren. I will just—”
“I will hang up and call back on video chat!”
“Wait, Lauren—” Before I can say anything more, I hear a click followed by the dial tone.You must be kidding me?I think while staring at my phone, watching it light up and buzz. I make a face, tempted not to answer, but then, that would be extremely rude. Lauren is trying. I have to hand it to her. After all these weeks of trying to ignore her kindness, she has really grown on me. Still, after everything we’ve been through, I don’t know if I can trust her. She did take Josh’s side after he assaulted me, then tormented me during my internship in Paris.
Despite all that, I find myself answering the phone, staring into the video, seeing her dark hair tied up in a bun, wearing a purple sweater. She looks like she’s been studying all day. Is she still in her apartment? Should she be home with her family?
Lauren smiles brightly. The act looks forced, but how can I blame her? It’s not like we’ve had the best interactions recently. “Hey!” she says while waving into the camera. “So, what are the options?”
“I have nothing,” I say while standing, waving to the room she can’t possibly see. “I have a room filled with clothes and nothing to wear.”
“A typical girl’s first world problems,” Lauren says with a nod. “I’m sure you have something. How long is your flight?”
“Almost three hours.”
“That’s not so bad,” says Lauren while angling her body closer to the camera.
“But it’s at eight in the morning. I want something that’s sexy and cozy.”
Lauren nods. “Don’t we all.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Ugh. What am I going to do?”
“Do you have any oversized sweaters?”
I purse my lips while I look around my room, finding a large black sweater that is definitely oversized. I put my phone down on my desk, leaning it against a book and angling it so Lauren has a clear view of most of my room.
“I have this,” I say while holding up the sweater close to my body.
“Is it long enough to be a dress?”
I shrug. “Perhaps. It might be too short, though.”
“Try it on and see.”
I move to a corner of the room Lauren cannot see and change out of my sweatpants and T-shirt into the sweater. The fabric feels soft against my skin, and it’s nice I don’t have anything constricting me. However, the sweater ends mid-thigh, a bit too short for my tastes. Maybe I can find some biker shorts to wear underneath.
“Oh! That looks cute!” Lauren shouts when I move in front of my mirror, turning from side to side. “Do you have any boots?”
I crouch down to pick up my black thigh-high boots, careful not to expose my bottom to Lauren. I hold up the footwear in front of the camera, watching Lauren nod. “Yes, try on those,” she calls.
