Chapter 1
"Are you ever going to tell me what happened in New York?" Alexa throws a piece of popcorn in the air before expertly scooping it into her mouth with her tongue.
"Nothing happened," I lie. "How many times do I have to tell you that?" I know I sound impatient, but I don't care. I've been back from Manhattan for two days now and Alexa hasn't let up at all. Suggesting we watch a movie was my lame attempt at getting her to shut up for an hour and a half. Obviously, the plan backfired.
"Sadie." She turns on the couch so she's facing me directly. "You're a horrible liar. Tell me."
I press pause on the remote even though I have absolutely no idea what the movie is about. I only vaguely remember Alexa making some comment when it first started about her, Channing Tatum and a nude beach.
"I'm not dropping this." She puts the bowl of popcorn down on the table. "You came back without anything for your mom and you lost your credit card. That sounds nothing like you, Sadie. Nothing." She enunciates each syllable of the last word, pulling it tightly across her tongue.
"I lost my bearings." I reach to pick up a wayward piece of popcorn off the hardwood floor. "I couldn't find the jewelry store and I misplaced my credit card. End of story."
"Bullshit." She grabs my hand and squeezes it. "You were crying when you came by my place. I'm sorry I had a date. I should have just cancelled and stayed to listen to you."
I stare down at her hand wondering if I should just confess to her that Hunter's dead girlfriend is my heart donor. Or maybe I can skip that part and just tell her that Hunter lied about being in San Francisco. Who am I kidding? If I start telling her what happened, she's going to start asking questions that I don't know the answers to.
"I was just tired." I know it sounds pathetic and she's not going to buy it so I segue into her favorite topic. "How was that date?"
"Shitty." She picks the popcorn back up and rests the bowl in her lap. "He was an F and by F I don't mean a good fuck. I mean a flop as in..." She holds up her index finger and lets it fall over. "He had no wind in his tiny sail if you get my drift."
The disgusted expression on her face pulls a giggle out of me. I wish I was more like her. She's so direct and unyielding. She knows what she wants. If she would have been in my shoes in that jewelry store in Manhattan, everyone in the vicinity would have been in her line of fire. She would have demanded answers and got them. All I did when Ivy announced that I had Coral's heart was race out the door and into a taxi. I can't even remember going to the train station or the entire ride home.
"I get your drift." I smile hoping she'll keep ranting about her less-than-stellar date.
"He's not like your boyfriend." She munches on more of the popcorn. "How come you're not hanging out with him tonight?"
I thought I had avoided all the land mines that she was throwing in my path but I was wrong. How the hell am I supposed to answer her question? I can't exactly tell her that the only reason Hunter was sleeping with me was because he knew I had Coral's heart inside of me. It's so twisted.
"That's over." I try to sound nonchalant but it comes out more pathetic than anything.
"What?" A piece of popcorn flies from her mouth and lands in her lap. "Since when?"
"It just wasn't going to work." I shrug. No shit, Sadie. How was it supposed to work? I knew that he'd never want me for me. I should have listened to my heart. Or Coral's heart. Whoever the fuck my heart belongs to.
"Stop with the bullshit already." She slams the bowl onto the table so hard pieces of popcorn scatter everywhere. "I'm your best friend. Spit it out."
"There's nothing to spit out." I drop to my knees to pick up the mess. "It was a short term thing. It's over now."
"Right." Sarcasm laces the word. "That's why he's called three times in the last hour and you've ignored every call."
I shake my head. I didn't think she'd notice any of the calls since my phone was set to vibrate. I want to tell her what happened. I need to tell someone but it's too raw. I can't.