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Eli’s tone made Bridget’s stomach twist. “I don’t know, Eli. I’m not sure I should do this.”

“Why not? What’s holding you back?”

Initially, Bridget wanted to say that Eli was holding her back, but that had been the excuse she’d used for years, and she really couldn’t anymore. She was so happy for Eli, for what she and Sarah had found together, and she’d taken the long, hard journey to get to that conclusion. Pressing her lips together, she thought deeply, wanting an answer. Finally, when she looked up at Eli, she had tears in her eyes. “I’ll fuck it up.”

“How will you fuck it up?” Eli’s voice was so gentle. Bridget wanted to fall into it, use it for support.

“Because I always do.”

“Do you know why?”

Bridget nodded, though she wasn’t sure she had words for it. She had tried for years to figure it out and stop it from happening, but she’d always ended up back in the same damn spiral. “I’m not worthy.”

“Oh, Bridge.”

That pitying tone was back, and Bridget wanted to run away from it, but she was stuck on the damn couch because she couldn’t move fast enough to escape. She blinked her eyes to try and keep the tears at bay, but it wasn’t working. Eli reached up and cupped her cheek, lifting her chin.

“You are so worthy of love. I promise you that. No one is more worthy or more in need of it than you are.”

Bridget clenched her jaw hard, no idea what to say or how to make this flood of emotions stop. She’d always been able to keep herself composed in situations like this, but her mood had been all over the place since the accident.

“I love you. That’s a good place to start, isn’t it?” Eli was so earnest.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Good.” Eli’s smile was brilliant, a light in Bridget’s darkness. “You need to make sure Jerica knows all this, if she’s really someone you want to be with longer term, all right? You need to be open with her and with yourself to make this work.”

“I know,” Bridget mumbled, wiping her hand over her face to clear the tears from her skin. “It’s not easy.”

“No, it’s not.” Eli sighed. “Want a hug?”

“Yeah.” Bridget melted into her as Eli dragged her in for an embrace. It was nothing more than mere friendship that Eli offered, but it was exactly what she needed and when she needed it. She’d been so alone for so long, and comfort blossomed, knowing that she wasn’t going to be alone any longer, that someone would be there for her, even if it was just as a friend.

“Good. When you get your shit together, we’ll figure out that date, okay?”

“Okay.” Bridget swallowed down more tears, silently thanking Eli for the break in the emotion so she could pull herself together.

They sat there for the next hour, tossing ideas back and forth about the impending date. Finally, Eli slapped her hands on her thighs and stood up. “If we don’t actually get doing something for a plan, then there will be nothing for the two of you to do.”

“I suppose.”

Eli held out her hand to help Bridget up. “Come on, you’re going to help me cook lunch at least. Fuck, I wish Sarah was here. She’s so much better at this than I am.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. She likes dates. I prefer…other things.” Eli’s cheeks tinged red, and Bridget could only guess what she was thinking of. “So, lunch, deck, and card games. I think that’s an adequate first date with limited mobility in a strange place. Don’t you?”

“I guess.” Bridget sounded morose again, even though she didn’t want to. She wanted to give this date a good chance at succeeding, but everything in the pit of her belly told her it was going to fail. Massively.

* * *

Bridget was at the dining room table when Jerica arrived. Her stomach fluttered as she came into the house, Eli trailing right behind her. She was absolutely gorgeous, her long curly hair around her shoulders and down her back. She’d dolled up her makeup this time too, compared to any time Bridget had seen her at the hospital.

“Hey,” Jerica said, her eyes locked on Bridget’s face.

“Hey,” Bridget answered, all the other words she could have come up with vanishing from her mind.

Eli grinned at both of them before moving into the kitchen. “Want a drink, Jerica?”