Free Overcome by Emily Camp Page A

cheeks and shoved his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t someone that anyone should be looking up to.
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 15
    Carly
     
    Carly stood in front of the full length mirror hanging on the back of Bree’s closet door.
    Bree was lounged on her side on her bed. A pink blanket was draped over her and Bailey.
    Carly smoothed her ruffle top and moved from side-to-side making sure she still looked okay in her outfit since she threw it on earlier.
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” Bree asked, propping her head into her hand.
    Carly shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought it would be sweet to see the look on your face when you first saw him.  And it was priceless. I shoulda videoed it.”
    “I just want to go back out and talk to him.” Bree patted Bailey through the blanket. “Have you talked to him much?” She peeked under the blanket.
    “He’s been helping me with algebra.” Carly leaned forward and swiped more lip gloss on her mouth while looking at Bree through the mirror.
    Bree laughed, and fidgeted under the cover. She sat up, tossing her legs over the side of the bed and pulled Bailey against her shoulder. “What? Carly are you … do you like him?” Her eyes grew as wide.
    Carly stopped, shoved her tube of gloss back in her pocket, “Why would you say that?” She pivoted to face Bree.
    “Well for one, you’re primping.” Bree patted Bailey’s back.
    “I’m not primping.” Carly spoke quickly.
    A miniature belch came out of Bailey.
    “Sure, you always add more lip gloss whenever we’re just hanging out,” Bree smirked.
    Carly opened her mouth to say something else and Bree stood up.
    “Should I start calling you sister now or wait till the wedding?”
    “Please, I don’t even want a boyfriend, let alone marry Peter,” she laughed.
    “Who’s Peter?” Bree said handing the baby over.
    Carly took Bailey into her arms, she was a little heavier than last time and Carly wasn’t exactly sure what to do with her. She held her arms stiff, “That’s Parker’s nickname.”
    Bree groaned as she opened the bedroom door. “I don’t even want to know.”
    “It’s cause I couldn’t remember his name … gosh you perv,” Carly sighed. 
    Carly walked out of the room with Bailey in her arms. She couldn’t deny she was adorable. But she couldn’t wait for someone to take her. Bailey wasn’t even able to hold her own head up yet, and Carly was afraid she’d break her.
    “Yeah, I’m the pervert out of us two.” Bree waved her bracelet covered arm back and forth.
    Bailey began to cry again.
    “I think she wants her mom.” Carly was more than willing to pass her over.
    As they walked under the arch leading into the living room, Carly paused.  It’d been months since she felt a flutter in her chest when she looked at someone.
    Parker was sitting on the edge of the sofa his elbows on his thighs and his hands folded between his knees.  Whatever they were talking about had him smiling. And that made Carly smile, a real smile, not the kind she’d been plastering on for everyone.
     
    *****
     
    Carly reached for the pizza box in the middle of the table, grabbing her third piece. Nate and Lexi had ordered enough to feed the whole high school.
    They’d left Bree and Parker outside to catch up on the last twelve years. As much as she couldn’t stand Hudson most days, she couldn’t imagine going that long without seeing him.
    Normally she’d avoid being alone in the same room with Lexi at all costs, but today wasn’t about her, it was about Bree and Parker. Stuffing her face with the leftover pizza was the only thing she could think of to avoid talking.
    “How’re you holding up?” Lexi obviously didn’t care if there was a whole slice of pizza in Carly’s mouth. She was going to talk anyway.
    “Fwine.” Carly didn’t know if not answering was rude, or answering with a mouthful.
    Lexi’s long, gold earrings jingled as she tilted her head and rested her check against her palm.