Page 4 of Until the End (The Lost Letters #3)

Ginny

“ T hink this will work?” I walk out of the hotel bathroom wearing Carson’s T-shirt and basketball shorts.

They both swallow me, and I look like a kid wearing her big brother’s clothes.

I’ve added a hat and my glasses, which I never wear, to my ensemble.

I think it’s the perfect way to hide in plain sight.

Carson put his foot down on buying me clean underwear last night, so we decided to just get the basics.

He went out for food and toiletries while I fielded calls from my parents and Gia.

I was worried they were going to be mad at me for ditching and leaving them to deal with the wedding guests.

Instead, they were worried that I wasn’t okay and wanted to know how they could help.

It took everything in me to say no to their offer of coming to the hotel.

It’s not a word I’ve used much in the last couple of years.

I can only say it now because they’re my family.

I trust them not to get mad at me for doing what is best for me.

It helps that Carson is with me. They all know he’ll take care of me.

He’s been doing it since we were kids. It’s one of my favorite things about him.

He knows when to push and when to let me handle things on my own.

Right now, I need his help more than I’ve ever needed it.

“You look beautifully hilarious.” Carson snorts.

“That’s a juxtaposition if I’ve ever heard one.” I grab my purse off the small coffee table and move to the door.

“It’s true. You’d look beautiful wearing a garbage bag, but I like the way you look in my clothes.”

Something in Carson’s tone sends a tingle through my belly. I’m not sure what he meant by that statement, but I’m too chicken to ask him.

“You ready?” he asks as he scoops up his keys and phone.

“Yep. Let’s go shopping.”

We get into the Jeep, and the GPS takes us to an open-air shopping center.

This is probably a horrible plan for me.

I have no doubt the press has gotten hold of the news story by now.

There were too many people at the wedding for it not to have leaked.

I can’t imagine what they’re saying about me right now.

Not a single word of it is true, but one thing I can count on Cecelia for is that she’ll handle the damage control until I surface.

That’s going to be a little while. I can’t even talk to my best friends about what happened to me yesterday. Explaining anything to the public is going to be a nightmare.

I shut down those thoughts.

Today is for fun. I’m not going to think about the wedding or the press or even what’s going to happen next.

“I don’t want to talk about anything that happened yesterday or what my plan is from here. Today, I want to live in the moment and have some fun for a change.”

Carson’s scrutinizing expression almost has me backtracking until he gets this soft smile on his face and nods. “I think we can make that happen.”

We get out of the Jeep and walk toward the entrance of the shopping center.

I did a little research on the way, and there are a few different stores I want to go to.

I don’t need a lot of stuff. Carson and I only booked the hotel for a few days, but I can’t steal all of Carson’s clothes—then he won’t have anything to wear.

A naked Carson doesn’t sound so bad.

Nope. That’s not a thought I’m allowed to have. We’re already living in close quarters. If I let my brain run wild with sexy images of Carson, I’ll never be able to look him in the eye.

“First stop, coffee.”

“Thank god.” Carson groans.

“You’re such a baby.”

“Ginny, I love you, but shopping is literally the worst activity. I need sustenance to get through this day.” The teasing shine to his emerald eyes gives him away.

“Well, I’d better feed you then. Otherwise, you’ll waste away, and then what will I do?”

“Exactly! You won’t have a big, strong man to protect you.”

I roll my eyes. “Okay, tough guy. Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

Carson laughs as he opens the door to the coffee shop.

The line isn’t too bad, and we place our order quickly.

Carson insists on paying. He says he doesn’t want anyone to see the name on my card and connect the dots.

I hope that’s true and he’s not doing all this because he feels sorry for me—I think that might be worse than the paparazzi discovering where I’m hiding out.

With coffee and snacks in hand, we walk through the mall to the first store I want to go to. I have some clothes at my house in Sonoma, so I should be okay to just get what I need for a few days.

Carson stays by my side the entire time I shop. Despite his earlier words, he never looks bored or like he would rather be anywhere else in the world. He even helps me pick out a couple of shirts I wouldn’t have seen.

“Oh, this one. This is the one you need to get.” Carson holds up what I can only describe as a green tube. It’s about the width of my arm, and I can’t get my brain wrapped around how that actually fits on any living being’s body.

“I can’t tell if that’s a dress or a shirt.”

He laughs. “Yeah, me neither. Go try it on. I want to know how it works.”

“Uh, no. I’m not even sure my thigh would fit in that thing.”

“Come on, Goose. It’ll be fun.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I’ll try it on if you try on those shorts over there.” The ones I point at are so short, there’s a good chance his junk will hang out of the bottom.

His eyes widen, but he quickly gets a determined look on his face. “Fine. If they have my size, I’ll try them on.”

Incredulous, I follow behind him as he pulls a pair from the rack.

Moments later, we’re in the dressing room with our ridiculous clothes in hand.

No one else is around, so we slip into the largest stall at the end.

I have no idea why we’re going in the same one.

There were plenty of other options I could’ve gone in, but Carson led me to this one, so I’m going with it.

“You first,” we say at the same time. Cracking up at each other, we both turn around to change. There’s plenty of space for us to move around, and I do my best to keep from glancing in the mirror.

“Uh, Duck, I have no idea how to put this thing on.”

“Well, I figured out how to get mine on, but let’s just say they’re more like underwear than shorts. In fact, you can see my underwear sticking out of the bottom.”

I turn around and bust out laughing. The shorts are beyond ridiculous. If Carson didn’t have boxers on, I have no doubt his penis would be hanging out of the leg .

“Can I take a picture? Please? Gia and Lottie will never believe me when I tell them this story.”

“Absolutely fucking not. I still have those pictures of us from spa night that I can’t live down.”

I giggle. “Fiiiiine. Just let me take a mental picture to get all the details.” It’s only after a second or two that I realize I am 100 percent checking him out.

His thighs are like tree trunks. They’re incredibly sculpted, and all I want to do is run my hands down them to feel the light dusting of hair on his leg.

“Okay, enough staring at me. It’s your turn.”

My cheeks flame as I quickly twist around. God, I can’t believe he just caught me checking him out. I’m such an idiot.

I focus on the slinky dress in my hands to stop my brain from overanalyzing the moment. “I think I’ve figured it out. Give me a second to put it on.” There are three small holes at one end that I have deduced are supposed to be for my head and arms. Again, I’m skeptical of how this actually works.

I pull off the T-shirt first and get the tube over my head. Then I yank it down until it’s covering my ass and pull off my shorts.

“Okay, I think it’s on. You are not allowed to laugh at me.”

“I promise I won’t.”

Carson’s assurance gives me the confidence to turn around. His jaw drops as his eyes rake over my body. I find the courage to look in the mirror hanging on the wall, and my eyes bug out. This dress leaves nothing to the imagination. It’s skin-tight and shows every curve I have.

“You look amazing, Goose.”

I run my hands across the stretchy material. I surprisingly agree. Who knew this dress would actually fit?

“Well…that was fun.” I turn around and start to pull the dress over my head when I hear a choking sound. Oops. De finitely forgot Carson needed time to turn around. I’m also not wearing underwear, so he just got a great view of my ass.

“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

Carson clears his throat. “All good. I’m just gonna wait outside for you.”

I sigh with the sound of the curtain closing.

I’m such an idiot. He’s probably so uncomfortable, and things are going to be super awkward now.

Carson has never looked at me as anything more than a friend.

In high school, I always hoped he’d ask me out, but he never did.

When I moved to Nashville, I knew our chances were over.

The long distance would’ve killed our relationship—and possibly our friendship—within months.

It’s all for the best.

My judgment is seriously skewed, and my brain is beyond messed up. Carson is my best friend, and if that’s the only way I’ll have him in my life, then I’ll be happy with it.