Page 59 of I Choose You

I told my brother that I was going to get another water bottle from the concession stand. If he hadn’t nodded at me, I wouldn’t have known if he heard me, so focused on the game as he was. Instead, I hurried after Brooke and Paige to check if they were okay. My hoodie would dwarf them, but if she needed to cover it up or take her ruined shirt off, she could use it. Kody and I had several at home.

“Paige?” I jogged after them. They stood near the drinking fountain. Brooke moistened napkins while Paige fumed. The long line to the restrooms explained why they didn’t try going there.

I slowed to a walk, reaching them. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Does it look like I’m okay?” she snapped.

Brooke frowned at me as she handed over another napkin.

Paige squinted one eye shut and wiped at it. Mustard in the eye. Yeah, that would hurt like a mofo.

“I just wanted to make sure.”

“Just go away, Kody,” she growled.

Kody? I closed my mouth. My jaw dropped at her shout, but this wasn’t anything new. Kody and I were identical twins. From their lower spot in the bleachers, they wouldn’t have been able to see that I wore jeans while Kody had put on khakis. To lend team spirit, we’d chosen the same school hoodie. Same color, same style, same mascot.

No wonder she’d confused us.

Paige groaned. “My eye.”

“Maybe lean down and rinse your eye in the fountain,” I said.

“Just go away, Kody.” She did as I’d suggested though, craning her neck to get her eye under the stream of water.

“I’m sorry.” That my brother is such an asshole. But he hadn’t intended to hurt her or make that mess. “It was an accident.” I saw no point in correcting them that I was Kaden, not Kody. They likely loathed me from my close association with my twin anyway. Or they wouldn’t believe me. That happened sometimes too.

“You said you didn’t care,” Brooke pointed out. “So why bother changing your mind now?”

I frowned at her. She peered at me closely, furrowing her brow as though she was trying to puzzle me out. Did she know I wasn’t Kody? Did she care?

I turned away from Brooke’s hard, questioning stare.

Nothing I said would change how they felt about me—or my brother.

Without a word and not giving Brooke a chance to speak to me, I left, hating that the guilt-filled annoyance of having Kody as my brother warred with my hope that he could not be such a jerk.

20

BROOKE

If Kaden hadn’t given me a card to use for my wardrobe, I never would have splurged to go shopping again so soon. His instructions were clear though. I needed to find something perfect to wear to the engagement party.

Rena and I hadn’t found what we needed over the weekend. She’d ended up returning half of the things she’d bought, not liking how they looked once she got home. Her admission of being picky made me feel better. Of course, I wanted her to find what she needed for the trip. But the act of her dismissing clothes and being unsatisfied with the way they looked or felt seemed like something she would accuse me of doing.

That was why we both met up to go shopping again after work on Tuesday. We planned to visit different stores, and I vowed to stick to it until I found something that Rena and I agreed was “the one” for this formal-but-not-black-tie party.

She knew when to lay off with comments about my OCD-like need to check my appearance. And she was also the most familiar with what I perceived as my weaknesses or flaws. Knowing me so well, she was ideally prepared to pep talk me in a way I understood. My best friend never ceased being a good, positive influence. When we were browsing through the racks and holding up clothes to consider, she helped me address and overcome my insecurities.

If it weren’t for her, I’d never pick anything to try on. I’d be stuck in the indecisive stage for too long.

“How about this one?” She held up a blue gown with too many rhinestones to be taken seriously.

I shook my head. “Would this make my boobs look too frumpy?” I showed her a strapless romper that looked like a dress.

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve got tits I’d dream for. Frumpy need not apply there.”

“You dream about my boobs?” I teased.