Page 95 of Fall With Me
“Thank you. I’ll text you about it later.”
I pick up another tea light, turning it off. “’Kay.”
Carter and Kate come in from the patio.
Kate has her hands shielding her eyes like she’s walking in on us making out. “Sorry. Pretend we’re not here. We just need a broom and another garbage bag.”
I roll my eyes and smile. “It’s fine, Kate. We’re cleaning up the candles right now. You can drop your hands.”
She snaps her fingers. “Bummer. Maybe next time there will be something to interrupt.”
Dawson covers a laugh with a cough.
Carter’s brows furrow. “Are you two dating?”
“We have way too much to clean tonight,” I say before anyone has a chance to tell Carter what’s happened between Dawson and me. Until Dawson and I talk and resolve our situation, there’s no point getting other parties involved.
Carter points at me. “We’re talking later.”
The chances Carter forgets about this are slim to none, but I’m praying it’s closer to the one hundred percent side of things this time. “Fine.”
We get back to cleaning, listening to soft rock as we go. It takes us two hours to return the barn to its normal appearance. Carter and Dawson’s trucks hold the decorations, leftover desserts, prizes, and books. I don’t know what Carter wants to do with it all, but my part is done.
We walk around the barn, turning lights off as we go, making sure all the doors are locked.
“Chloe, Dawson,” Carter says, holding out two gift bags. “These are for you as a thank-you for all the hard work you put in for tonight’s festival. I know it was a lot, especially everything I threw at you at the last minute.”
Dawson takes his bag. “Thank you, Carter. Do you mind if I give it to my son to open? He loves unwrapping gifts.”
“Not at all.”
After my efforts and every high and low with this festival, I’m more than ready for this unexpected token of appreciation from Carter. Yanking the tissue paper out of the bag, I see a white box. I gasp as I flip it over to see the front. A brand-new cell phone.
I snap my gaze to Carter’s. “This is too much. I can’t accept this.” Not after the bakery fiasco and going over budget by five hundred dollars because of it.
“You can and you will.”
“Carter,” I hedge. He doesn’t need to keep taking care of me. Sure, he makes way more money than I do, but I get by.
“Yes, Chlo?”
“I don’t need—”
Carter puts up a hand, stopping me from explaining why this gift is too much. “I’ve seen your YouTube channel. You need a better camera if you’re going to keep uploading fitness videos.”
I haven’t uploaded anything in more than a month. My schedule’s been a little busy. But the fact that Carter thought about this present, that he knows me so well, brings tears to my eyes. I blink rapidly to clear the moisture, but there are too many. My twin loves me. I open my mouth to say thank you, but a sob from deep in my core heaves out of me.
Carter clears his throat and looks at the room behind me. He doesn’t like when I cry, even if they’re happy tears like right now. My phone works fine, but if my twin insists I keep this, I will. He’s right, a better camera will help and a bigger screen will be a huge upgrade from my current cell.
Closing the distance between us, I throw my arms around Carter and let all my emotions drain out of me. My tears soak his shirt. It’s not just my gratitude for him I’m feeling. This hug and cry fest is for every time I’ve messed up a relationship. Every terrible moment Carter and I went through because of Mom. My breakup with Dawson. Missing Finn. Wanting to believe in myself and try with Dawson again. For Carter, Kate, and our grandparents who love me. If my feet didn’t ache as fiercely as they do, if my limbs didn’t feel like a thousand pounds each, if my emotions weren’t so high, my reaction would be a simple hug and maybe a few jumps and squeals.
It’s the perfect storm colliding within me and forcing its way out. Tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll be humiliated, but right now, I need comfort from my twin.
Carter rubs circles on my back. “Umm.”
I feel another set of arms around me. “I love you, babe,” Kate whispers. “You are amazing.”
“Get in here, Dawson,” Kate says.
