The Men Next Door

Ch 27 - Campbell

"You look like you're packing for two years, not two weeks," I joked as Addy folded yet another outfit and placed it neatly on the bed next to her suitcase.

It was the Friday before Christmas, and her flight back home to Connecticut was taking off in just a few hours, but she hadn't packed a single thing until I showed up at her apartment. Fast forward thirty minutes, and the definitely-not-going-to-count-as-a-carry-on bag was filled with enough clothes to cover an army in the tundra.

"Oh hush," she huffed, heading for her closet. "I need another nice outfit for pictures. Should I bring this dress —" she held up a flowy, satin fabric, followed by a velvety one that was nearly identical "— or this one?"

I scrunched up my nose. "I hate the feeling of velvet. Gives me chills, and not in a good way."

Addy shrugged. "It's warmer than the satin, so I think I'm going to bring it anyway." She pulled it off the hanger, then made it a whole three steps before she went back for the other one. "Actually, you know what? I'll just bring both."

"Why'd you even ask me if you already knew what you were going to do?" I laughed.

Addy paused with both dresses draped over her arm, and a thoughtful look crossed her face. She didn't say a word when she moved toward the bed again — or when she rolled up each dress with a delicate sort of precision, or when she leaned against the top of her suitcase to force it closed — and my chest tightened with dread as her unusual silence lingered in the air around us.

"Is everything okay?" I asked carefully.

"I just... I asked about the dresses because your opinion means a lot to me," she started, turning to face me. Her arms crossed protectively over her belly while her shoulders raised with a deep inhale, and suddenly, my heart felt more like a mini kick drum than an organ. "And I know we haven't been friends for that long, but I really love spending time with you, and I hope we never lose that."

"Why would we lose it?" I asked, pressing against the pounding artery below my thumb. Vera had flagged every easy friendship as a hungry tiger in disguise, and convincing my anxiety that Addy was harmless was proving difficult — especially when she was being so cryptic.

"I need to tell you something before I leave for the airport," she revealed, cutting off my useless pulse check. She lifted her suitcase off the bed and wheeled it to the living room, and I followed her into the open space like a needy toddler.

"That sounds... ominous," I observed as she propped her luggage against the front door.

"Promise me you won't be mad."

"Addy, just tell me what's going on."

"Promise me you'll try. Please, Campbell."

"I can't promise that when I don't know what you're going to say," I warned, moving behind the U-shaped kitchen counter like it could protect me from whatever was coming next. I didn't know what in the world she was so worked up about, but considering she'd never seen me anywhere close to mad, it couldn't have been anything good.

"I should've at least talked to you first. Or waited a little longer or something," she whispered.

"Talked to me about what, Addy?"

"Where do I even start?" she mumbled, looking toward the window. The sun revealed a pool of unshed tears in her eyes, and the telltale shimmer did absolutely nothing to calm my nerves.

"The day after you broke up with Luca, he called me," she continued. "Said he was bored and asked to come over. I didn't know you had ended things yet, so I thought it was kind of weird, but I didn't have anything better to do."