Before You Go

Chapter Four

The bed's cold, and I don't hear water running. And I'm not at the hotel room anymore. I'm at Carrie's, and with the smell of bacon wafting in the air, I know she's in her kitchen making breakfast.

For the first time since my supposed wedding day, I want to stay in bed all day and just sulk. But I have work in three hours, and I'm thinking of calling in sick.

Carrie is a morning person. She wakes up at half past five everyday, and I honestly don't know how she does it. I tried it for about three days- one of the worst days of my life. I have to set multiple alarms just to wake up at seven.

Today I wake up because I'm alone on the bed. I've gotten so used to sleeping with Carter on the same bed for the past two nights that now I sleep alone, it just feels weird.

I grab the blanket and cover myself with it. The other thing with Carrie is that she's part grizzly bear. She can't feel cold. With her light brown hair, she's another step closer to being one. The room can be so cold it could cause frostbite, and she'll just say it's just a little cool. Meanwhile, I'm already a human ice block.

The smell of bacon grease is getting stronger as I go closer to the kitchen. Carrie has her earphones on. She's in her workout clothes, so she must've went out for a jog already. That's another thing we have in complete opposite: she exercises her body, I exercise my mouth and just eat.

"Can I have some?" I ask like a little girl and sit on the bar, unsure if she'll hear me with her earphones on, but apparently she did because she removes one bud from her ear and slides me a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast.

"I had a feeling you'd be up early today." she smiles. "Bacon always seems to wake you up."

"Because who doesn't wake up to the smell of bacon?" I grin.

"I'm glad to see you're smiling." she says and takes the seat in front of me. "And eating. I was worried you wouldn't eat, even bacon."

"Since when did I ever say no to bacon?" I stuff a forkful of eggs in my mouth.

"Point well made, Val." she laughs and props her head on her hand.

There's a sly smile lingering on her lips. I know that smile. It's the kind of smile that I love and fear. I love it when it's not for me, but I'm scared of it when it is meant for me. And this time, it's for me. She knows something.

I eye her suspiciously as I bite my toast.

"What do you know?" I get straight to the point. I've only received that smile a handful of times ever since we met, and every time, she'd just smile at me like that until I would end up spilling everything to her. Once, it lasted for five days. I was seriously thinking her face wouldn't and couldn't go back to its natural state.

She doesn't say anything yet, but the smile is still plastered on her face as she eats her food.

"Carrie." I call, dragging her name.

"So, who's the hottie?" she asks and I almost choke on the eggs I just swallowed.

Yes, I almost choked on eggs, that I swallowed. I know how it sounds, but I almost did.

When I can finally breathe again, I look at her bewildered. "What hottie?"

"Don't act like you don't know." she rolls her eyes at me. "I saw it on your phone."

"Saw what?" I ask her, confused. Did I look up some model on my phone last night? Is there a friend request or a message on my Facebook that I didn't get to see? I don't think I even used my phone last night, or yesterday. I barely used it the past two days when I was with Carter.