Time

3.

"Carrie," the blonde looked up as she watched the door open, her best friends entering the room. "Oh my god. Carrie, can, can I hug you?" Ivey stuttered, tears forming in her eyes, Carrie nodding immediately.

Ivey rushed to her friend, wrapping her arms around Carrie the second she got close enough to reach her, tears falling from both of their eyes. Carrie wrapped her arms around Ivey as well, squeezing her tightly.

"I, I've missed you so much." Ivey struggled to speak as they pulled away, Carrie unable not to smile gently.

"I've missed you too." Carrie biting her lip as she shook her head, looking over at Mike who was standing by the door.

"Carrie," Mike sighed before he rushed over to give her a hug as well, Carrie taking a deep breath as they held each other close.

Mike and Carrie were closer than any of Carrie's other friends before her abduction. Mike was always there for her no matter what. He always stood by her side and always was willing to talk about anything and listen to anything Carrie felt like sharing.

After Carrie's disappearance, Mike felt like he was empty inside, like the better half of him was missing, mainly because she was. He couldn't just stand there and wait for her to reappear or wait for her body to wash up somewhere or be found in the woods. So he did the only thing he felt he could do.

Mike became a detective. After four years of college, he was working for the Nashville Police Department. He didn't care much for the job besides being able to search for his best friend in ways that he couldn't before.

Mike had began to give up after almost a year of searching high and low for every last clue and piece of evidence to find Carrie. It wasn't until new evidence appeared that Mike began to think he'd gotten somewhere.

The car that was used to kid-nap Carrie was filmed driving across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville. The night she was taken the license plate number was never seen or reported the only witness only recalled seeing a black, beat-up, Honda Accord leaving out of her driveway. Mike caught the license plate number on the video and traced the name and address back to a man that lived right outside of Nashville.

Mike was leaving the precinct when he  watched the car drive past, in downtown Nashville. He followed the car until it stopped at a coffee shop. Once the man was out of his car, Mike brought him back to the precinct for questioning.

Before the man had left that day, he decided not to chain Carrie up in the basement like he did daily. Due to him not coming home when he said he would, because he was at the police department with Mike, Carrie had time to escape and was found the next day walking on the side of the road.

Once Carrie was found Mike and the rest of the detectives did their best to locate David Smith, the man who abducted Carrie, only he was nowhere to be found.

Mike didn't want Carrie to find out what he did. He planned on quitting his job as a detective and never saying a word about it. He didn't want her to think that she owed him anything. He just wanted his best friend back.

"So, fill me in on the past five years, please." Carrie spoke softly as the pair sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well, I got married!" Ivey said, holding up her left hand, showing off the rock that was on her ring finger.

"Mark? Oh my gosh." Carrie smiled gently, Ivey pulling a light pink book from her purse that was on the floor. "I, I brought pictures, if you want to see them." Ivey shrugged, Carrie patting the empty spot beside her.

"Y'all both sit up here." Carrie said, the both of them laying on either sides of Carrie. No matter how squished they were, they didn't care.

Ivey flipped through the pictures of her engagement and beginning stages of planning her wedding, Carrie unable not to smile at everything her friend was describing.

"Ivey," Carrie stopped her from turning the page once she saw a picture of seven hangers that had each of the bridesmaid's names on them, along with each of their dresses. Carrie pressed her lips together once she saw that there was one with her name on it. "You, you bought me a dress?" Carrie asked, trying to hold back the tears as they formed rapidly in her eyes.

"Of course. Carrie, I, the only thing wrong with it is that you would've been my Maid of Honor, not my Bridesmaid." Ivey answered, nodding her head as she held Carrie's hand, a small tear falling down the blonde's face.

"Thank you. I can't believe you did that-,"

"Mike actually bought the dress. He um, he walked down the isle by himself too." Ivey explained, flipping the page and pointing to the picture of Mike walking down the isle of the church alone.

"Why?"

"We counted you in with all the other bridesmaids. You were my partner and when Ivey asked if I wanted her to bring in someone else I told her no."

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