Chapter 2
Bonnie walked into her spacious Palm Springs home. It seemed out of the way to most who visited, and there were times that even Bonnie cursed its location from L.A.'s prime shopping spots. Most of the time though, she liked the properties desert setting; especially on nights like this.
'What a night.' Bonnie thought as she made her way to the master bedroom. She lingered in the doorway for a minute, taking in the emptiness of the large room. Bonnie felt something pull at hear heart and for a moment she let herself wish that she could someday she her large bed with a husband, or at the very least a committed boyfriend.
"Silly girl." Bonnie whispered to herself. 'A man would only hold you back' she finished in her head. With that Bonnie made her way to the bathroom where she drew herself a hot bath in the deep tub. She stripped down to her underwear and her bra, examining herself in the mirror that took up almost a whole wall. She pinched at the invisible fat at her sides and then leaned in closer to inspect the dark circles that seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face these days. 'Lovely, just lovely.' She thought with aversion.
Bonnie finished undressing and climbed into the hot water, letting it soak into her skin and wash away the grime the city air left on her skin. Closing her eyes she took a big breath and quietly dunked her head under the water, letting the stillness surround and calm her. 'I should get a dog.' She thought, toying with the idea. 'Maybe I'll get a cute little one like Haley's…'she continued, but then let the thought drift off as she emerged from the water. She pushed her mass of dripping red hair behind her ears, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Not thinking, just simply existing.
Bonnie could feel herself slipping into a dream world and was perfectly content in staying put when she heard the distant sound of her cell ringing. With a groan, she lifted herself from the tub and wrapped a towel around her body. She rushed to grab her cell where it lay on her bedside table before it quit ringing. She grabbed it just in time and flipped it open, greeting the caller with a winded "Hello?"
"Where were you? Why are you out of breath?" Bonnie smiled at her friend's questions.
"Hey Meredith. I was just soaking in the tub and I had to jump out to find my cell." Bonnie replied, answering her old friend's questions.
"Oh. Anyway. Bonnie you'll never guess what happened!" Meredith squealed into the phone. Bonnie smiled lightly, already knowing what her friend was going on about. Alaric, Meredith's long time boyfriend, had proposed to her. He had taken a picture of the ring and sent it to Bonnie a few weeks ago, asking for her opinion. It was perfect, of course. Bonnie shook her head slightly in amusement, tuning back into the conversation.
"…Then he pulled out the most gorgeous ring ever! Bonnie it's perfect and I just can't believe it, I'm getting married!"
"That's great Mer, you and Alaric are perfect together." Bonnie heard Meredith clear her throat and then she continued in a calmer voice.
"Bonnie you are my best friend, even though we live on opposite sides of the country. I would really love it if you could come back and be my main of honor and help with the details. It'll only be for a month, and I totally understand if you're really busy and can only make it for only a few days, but it would mean the world to me if my best friend was here to share this with me and to help me plan it, just like when we were kids." Meredith finally took a breath and Bonnie knew she was waiting for an answer
She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking it over. She had no pressing commitments and she was rather lonely with only her staff and Haley to keep her company. A vacation was just what Bonnie needed, she just wasn't sure if Fell's Church was the place she wanted to take this vacation. Actually, of the places she never wanted to go again, Fell's Church topped the chart.
Meredith had a point though, they may be a whole country apart, but they were still very close. In fact, Meredith was the only person outside of her family that she hadn't severed contact with when she moved to LA. 'Maybe' she thought 'I could do with a trip back home.'
"Of course." Bonnie told Meredith. "I'll fly out early tomorrow morning and be there by late afternoon. We'll plan the grandest wedding that backwoods town has ever seen!" Bonnie said, feeling excitement well up within her at the thought of seeing her friend again.
"You will? Oh great! Bonnie it's going to be amazing, just like old times." They said their goodbyes and hung up. Bonnie sat on her bed, her hair dripping onto her designer sheets most likely ruining them. All she could think about though where Meredith's words that where echoing in her head. "Just like old time." 'Please, anything but that.' Bonnie pleaded; dread filling her along with memories she had tried hard to repress.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Bonnie asked the empty room around her.