Page 41 of Deserving Lara
Lara felt Owl squeeze her fingers before doing just that. Almost immediately, she missed the feel of his hand in hers. But she dutifully followed Cora to the bedroom.
Cora shut the door and turned to Lara. “Have you kissed him yet?”
Lara’s lips twitched, and she shook her head at her friend. “No.”
“Why not?” Cora demanded.
“Because every time I think about doing it, the timing is off. Like today…when I thought maybe he might kiss me, you texted and broke the moment,” she said wryly.
“Shoot!” Cora said, her brows pinched together.
Lara couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s fine. If we were any later, you would’ve lost your mind. Anyway, if I’d kissed him already, you’d definitely know by now. And I’m hoping that once westartkissing, maybe it won’t end there.”
Cora’s head tilted as she studied Lara. “You’re different,” she said after a moment.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when we first got here, I wasn’t actually sure you’d be able to get past what happened. And I don’t mean that in a bad way; I wouldn’t have blamed you. I washopingyou’d be able to find the person you used to be, find your way back to her. But now…I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Lara frowned.
“You were quiet. Shy. You were content to fade into the background. And other than at work, you didn’t like to make decisions. You just went with the flow.”
Lara thought back to the person she was in DC and knew her friend had her pegged exactly right. She’d never liked being the center of attention. She much preferred to hang back, to let life swirl around her. But after the things she’d been through, the thought of standing against some metaphorical wall and letting others decide her fate held no appeal. The lack of control she’d had while in that basement in Arizona had fundamentally changed her. Now she wanted more control of her life.
“You’re right,” Lara said.
“I know,” Cora said without a hint of conceit. “I’m so proud of you, Lara. I was so worried about you. I wanted to do more, but I didn’t know how to help. And another woman, someone who didn’t love you as much as I do, might have become jealous or pissed that you turned to Owl instead, but not me. I wouldn’t care if you never talked to me again if it meant you were going to be all right.”
Lara’s eyes filled with tears. Some people had lots of friends. Dozens of people they called their best friends. But all Lara needed was one. One person who had her back, no matter what. And Cora was that in spades.
“I love you,” Lara blurted.
“I love you too, but if you make me cry on my wedding day, I’m gonna be pissed,” Cora said, blinking quickly to try to prevent the tears in her eyes from falling.
That was another change. Cora had never been a crier. But obviously the events of a few months ago had affected her too.
Without thought, Lara stepped forward and yanked Cora toward her. Since she was tiny, it wasn’t too difficult. She hugged her best friend hard.
Cora returned the embrace just as fiercely. Then she took a deep breath and stepped back. “Right, mushy time is over. How do I look?”
“Amazing. Beautiful. Like a princess,” Lara said without hesitation.
Cora rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I told Pipe I wasn’t going to wear a white dress, and honestly, I don’t think he caredwhatI wore for our wedding. But after I tried on a hundred different outfits and still couldn’t find one I was happy with, he suggested this dress.” She ran a hand self-consciously down her thigh as she shifted uneasily in front of Lara. “It’s the dress I wore to the auction. I wasn’t so sure…I mean, it’s not as if this dress cost that much, but I dug through the few boxes of crap I still owned that Pipe arranged to be packed and shipped here from DC and found it. When I put it on, you know what?”
“What?” Lara asked, loving this story.
“It felt right. I mean, it’s black, so it’s not typical for a wedding, but I actually feel pretty in it.”
“As you should, because you are!” Lara told her. “What shoes are you wearing?”
Cora smiled and walked over to the closet and pulled out a pair of two-inch black heels. “They’re from Payless. And yes, I was wearing these that day too.”
Personally, Lara thought her friend’s outfit was perfect. And even better since Pipe had suggested it.
“Well, put them on so we can do this,” Lara said with a smile.
Cora put the shoes on the floor and slipped them onto her feet. She straightened and smiled at her friend. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered.
