Page 45 of The Holiday Ex-Files

“Yes! I loved them in high school.”

“Me too. But do you think anyone would get the whole prep school outfit?”

“Uh, who cares? You’d look totally hot.”

“Like that matters. We are going to be at an event with a bunch of people who would rather lick the bottoms of their shoes than date again.”

Mara laughed. “I would totally lick the bottom of my shoe before entertaining another relationship.”

That’s just so sad. Miss Sparkly sighed.

A few years ago, that’s what I would have told Mara; today, though, I responded, “I’d lick two pairs.”

That is disgusting. Our tongue was not meant for licking shoes. Now Noah, on the other hand. Miss Sparkly dreamily oohed and aahed.

Wow. She had it worse for him than I thought. This was a problem. I was going to have to help him win Annika over so Miss Sparkly would let it go.

By the way, I heard your plan, and you can’t help them because that’s not you anymore, remember? Or are you really me? You can’t be both of us. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to choose. The fact you’re hearing me says something.

I was getting a headache . . . again. That was happening a lot lately.

“Thankfully, we are two intelligent women, so no need to lick any shoes. And I love the Gallagher Girls idea. So fun,” Mara said.

Yeah, we were so smart. Why, then, was I feeling a little dumb?

I was just about ready to place Mara for the photos when her phone rang.

Her brow crinkled. “It’s my dad. I better get it.”

She never let a call go from him. I think she hoped the next call would be the one where he would finally give her his stamp of approval, and deem her worthy of following in his and Ben’s footsteps.

I lowered my camera and patiently waited for her.

“Hey, Dad.” She sounded cool and confident. But then her face dropped, and her eyes welled with tears.

I rushed toward her.

“I’ll be right there.” She hung up with a look of horror on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my mom,” her voice hitched. “She collapsed at the gym after complaining about chest pains. They’re rushing her to the hospital now. I have to go.”

My hand flew to my mouth. I loved Kellie Scott. Though I had done a poor job of showing it to her, like everyone else in my life the last few years. I knew she understood the distance I had put between us. I think she even welcomed it, as it was just as painful for her to be reminded of how good it all used to be. The promise that was once held in my marriage to Ben. We’d often talk of the little ones she’d hoped we’d have. We’d planned their nurseries and what she would be called: Gigi. Then poof, it was all gone, and she was left with Claudia Cann, who could do anything; but there was one thing Claudia was adamant she couldn’t do and that was have children. Not that she couldn’t, she just didn’t want to. They would ruin her figure and cramp her lifestyle. Hey, no judgment if kids weren’t for her. I was thankful she wasn’t releasing any of her genes out into the human pool. But . . . her husband, once upon a time, wanted children more than anything. And her mother-in-law longed to have grandchildren.

“Go. Go. I’ll lock up here. Please keep me posted.”

She gripped my shoulders. “Cams, I need you to come with me.”

My heart stilled. Oh. I knew that. What kind of friend was I? I should have offered to take her. It’s just that, well. It would mean seeing Ben. And that was never easy.

Cams, don’t let him rule us anymore. Please. You’re stronger than this. Than him.

It was probably the smartest thing Miss Sparkly had said since she’d popped back up. She was right. Don’t tell her I said that.

Oh, I heard it.

I grabbed Mara’s hand. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

Chapter Fifteen

Dear Ex-Filers, “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.” —Robert Morley. Please be happy.

Lots of love,

Cami

It was the thought that kept coming to me as I sat in the waiting room, while Mara was in with her mother and father. It felt like I had been there forever, but it had only been a few hours. Kellie had an electrolyte imbalance due to working out too hard and not eating and drinking enough. It was all I could do to hold back the tears. Tears of relief that it wasn’t worse, and tears that it was worse than I feared. Kellie was such a beautiful woman, but she never felt good enough because Jay always found something to criticize about her. And his philandering ways hadn’t helped any. So here this poor woman was, almost killing herself trying to stay thin and perfectly in shape. She’d had plastic surgery and fillers. Yet Jay was never satisfied.

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