Page 55 of Already Falling

Tyler laughs. “Yes, yes, it is. You fall harder, way sooner than you should. Remember when that new bookstore opened up? You went there like every day because you were obsessed.”

“There’s nothing wrong with falling in love with a bookstore.”

“I fell in love with a vintage shop once,” Annika says, giving me a wink. “Happens to the best of us.”

Tyler laughs. “To your defense, you aren’t wrong. The shoot was beautiful, Annika. Makes me want to catch the love bug myself.” Just briefly, I notice his gaze glance at Chloe and then back to us.

“Thanks, guys,” Annika says. “And I agree with Reid. The Hutchins’ love is so special. They were radiant. I had to hold in my tears at times. It was an honor to capture it.” With that, she turns and motions over to Chloe, who is lifting her cat to sniff different flowers. “Hey, crazy cat lady, we are leaving!”

Tyler and I wave as the girls head to Annika’s car. We head back into town. I sit in the passenger seat, replaying the events of the day, adding to the Annika-sized sunburn on my chest.

THIRTY-ONE

ANNIKA

Toward the end of March, my dad and brothers came to visit us during their Spring Break. I almost cried when I saw the two of them come running toward my house. They somehow got even taller since I moved. They stand probably a full five inches above me. Wes always looks like such a typical California boy in the summer. His light brown hair gets lighter, and his olive skin deepens to a golden brown.

Joey could pass as my twin more than Wes. We don’t get dark in the spring and summer like Wes and Dad. Instead, a constellation of freckles appears on the tops of our shoulders and cheeks. I definitely wasn’t expecting Joey to show up with a buzzcut, but he said he couldn’t stand how hot his thick black hair gets during their baseball season. I took my dad and brothers around town and showed them where I work. The twins are deciding on what college to go to, but they both agreed they want to come to Oregon, where it’s less hot than SoCal and closer to me.

It’s been three months since Chloe and I uprooted our lives in San Diego and moved to Auburn Hills. Summer is in full swing as mid-June rolls by. In a rare occurrence, Chloe and I both have a free Saturday. Lately, our schedules have been booked by summer weddings and Chloe training a new flock of employees. It was Chloe’s idea to spend this weekend doing something we both love and haven’t done in ages—thrift shopping! Just the idea of stumbling on a gem in a vintage shop fills my soul with giddy anticipation.

“So I asked Tyler if he could send me a list of his favorite thrift spots.” Chloe strides into my room wearing bright yellow flowing linen pants with embroidered white flowers and a just as whimsical, breezy white tank to match.

“He really loves a curated list,” I say, shimming my denim cut-off shorts on.

I dive into my small closet, looking for my favorite band tee. It’s a dark gray shirt that’s perfectly worn in from Beyonce’s Dangerously in Love Tour. Though I didn’t attend, I was too busy climbing monkey bars and fawning over the new boy. It is still one of my favorite thrift finds and, hopefully, my good luck charm for today’s trip.

“Oh my god,” Chloe says. “I mentioned to him the other day about how I like pancakes. The next day, he sent me a list with all the best places that make buttermilk pancakes.”

I emerge from my closet, thinking about her response.

“When did you two see each other?” From my experience of the four of us hanging out, Chloe and Tyler keep things neutral. Though I can tell he might have a thing for her, she effortlessly brushes him off, still not wanting to wander into dating territory.

Chloe shrugs and says, “He came into the bookstore the other day, and we chatted for a few minutes. Nothing really.”

“Ah, okay,” I say, keeping my response short, although Chloe reacts as if I told her a monologue.

“Whatever, okay, are you ready yet? I want to hit all seven places.”

“Seven? San Diego didn’t even have that many we could hit in the same day.”

“Well, who knew that rural Oregon would be a gold mine for vintage and consignment shops.”

I hop in the passenger seat of Chloe’s sedan and send a text to Reid. Chloe is still nervous about leaving Dandy home alone, so I suggested asking him to stop by and check on the place.

Annika

Hey can you do me a favor?

Chloe and I are going shopping today, can you stop by the house in a couple hours and check on Dandy?

Reid

A favor? Do I get one in return?

I roll my eyes. He can never just oblige.

Annika