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“He can’t help himself,” Cami said. “It’s what he does.”
Ella laughed. “In other words, he’s exactly like you.”
Cami’s eyebrows curved inward. Cami was downright bubbly compared to Enzo. He could be aloof at times, or at least came across as such with his brooding and dominating superiority in the way he carried himself. It was probably confidence, most likely, but it was also a deterrent to people who didn’t know him. Cami was the total opposite. She always had a smile on her face and welcomed unsolicited conversations.
“We are nothing alike.”
“No,” Krissy said. “I have to agree with Ella on this one. You’re both control freaks, workaholics, and unfairly tall.”
“What does being tall have to do with anything?” Cami asked.
“I’m just pointing out the injustice to the fact that you two have so much height while the rest of us don’t.”
“You not being allowed on rides at the carnival is not my fault,” Cami joked. Ella stared at the two of them, instead of laughing like she usually did. Cami gave her a curious glance. “What?”
Ella’s brown eyes grew sad, a somber look pulling down the edges of her mouth. “I’m going to miss this when I’m in California.”
“Aww, El.” Krissy put the taco shells in the preheated oven, came around the counter, and wrapped her arms around Ella. “We’re going to miss this, too.”
“It’s only a few months,” Cami said, and Krissy turned her eyes to her, head tilted in a disapproving way. “Not that I won’t miss you, too. Of course we’re going to miss you.” She honestly didn’t want to think about Ella leaving. The three of them had been best friends since grade school, and the longest they had gone without seeing each other was when Ella went away for college. Still, she’d come home for visits at least once a month.
California was different. She would be there for a couple months this time and who knew how long after that, and if Cami thought about it, she would cry.
“California is going to be epic for you. You’ll get to swim in Malibu, hike up to where the Hollywood sign is, walk Rodeo Drive… I’m actually jealous of how much fun you’re going to have, seeing new places, meeting Lucas’ friends.” Selfishly it was the thing that scared Cami the most. What if Ella fell in love with California and decided she wanted to live there permanently? Cami wanted her best friend to be happy, but she also didn’t want to lose her to the Golden State with its Redwood trees and Pacific Ocean.
“Then you should come visit me.”
“I can’t,” Cami said without a second thought. “I can’t leave the shop.”
Krissy sighed. “Let’s face it,” she said. “Cami might not have a ring on her finger or even a man in her life, but she’s married.”
Cami took a sip of her margarita. “Like you should talk. Between Scoops and your soap business, you work just as much as I do.”
Krissy started making soap as a hobby, but it had grown into a full-blown business. Her product now sat in several of Willow Cove’s boutiques as well as being sold online on her website.
“I have employees at Scoops so I can take time off, and as far as the soap, I could walk away for a week and the world wouldn’t implode.”
“You wouldn’t take off even to come see me?” Ella flashed a massive smile, all white teeth and enthusiasm.
“When you smile at me like that, definitely not.”
Ella gave her a playful shove to her shoulder, and she clung to her glass. “Hey now, don’t go spilling my margarita.”
“I bet you’d take time off for a margarita,” Ella said.
Cami took a healthy sip and grinned. “You’re probably right.”
The idea of taking time away from her shop terrified her, but her whole life it had always been the three of them against the world. Just because the world now extended outside of Willow Cove, didn’t mean she could abandon her friend now. After all, Ella would do it for her. Maybe she would take a trip to California.
“Well, I’m not leaving yet,” Ella said. “And I have to go shopping for a coffee table for Enzo’s apartment. Who wants to come?”
“I have to wash my hair,” Krissy said, and Cami barked out a laugh.
“Do people actually use that as an excuse?” Cami asked “And what moron actually believes it?”
“I don’t think anyone actually believes it,” Krissy said. “It’s just a nice way of saying you’d rather not.”
“Then just say that.”
