Wicked Stepmother and Stepsister,” she
admitted.
“Good.”
“You saw Reed
today.”
I froze, fork
suspended halfway to my mouth. “How’d you know?”
“I ran into
Amber at the grocery store. She mentioned
seeing you on Reed’s floor.”
Guilt churned
in my stomach, along with the fear that Amber might somehow know what happened
between Reed and I.
“She didn’t
think anything of it,” Cora assured me. “It was just said casually, and I
didn’t bring it up to upset you. I’m just concerned.”
“I know. I
shouldn’t have gone to see him, but I couldn’t avoid him forever. He’s Isabelle’s brother.”
“How was it?”
I thought for a
moment, trying to figure out how to explain my visit with Reed. “It was weird,” I said finally. “He knew it was me that left the gifts,
and he wanted to know why I hadn’t come sooner. When I told him, he was angry.”
Cora tensed,
her green eyes flashing with indignation on my behalf. “He was mad at you? What did you tell
him?”
“I told him I
wasn’t sure if he’d want to see me.”
“That’s what
made him mad?” Cora suddenly looked thoughtful. “He didn’t expect you to avoid
him. That does seem strange since
you’d only spent one night together.”
“Most guys
wouldn’t want to have their one-night stands hanging around them especially
when they’re trying to get back together with their girlfriends, but Reed told
me he never thought of me as a one-night stand.” Hearing him say those words
thawed a piece of my heart that had been frozen two years ago.
“He said that?”
Cora’s jaw dropped.
“Yeah, he also
suggested we be friends.”
“Friends,” Cora
echoed with an odd look in her eyes. “Are you sure he’s trying to get back
together with Amber?”
“Of course he
is. You know their history, and Isabelle
still spends holidays with Amber’s family.”
“Yeah, I know
what Isabelle’s told us,” she conceded. Still, Cora looked unsure.
“I would never
do anything to hurt Amber and Reed or Isabelle.”
“You’re always
thinking of everyone else, Ellie. It’s only because I love you that I’m calling bullshit. You still have feelings for Reed.”
Even as I
opened my mouth to deny it, I knew that Cora was right. All of the times I’d reassured her that
I was over Reed, that I was okay being his one-night stand, and that it didn’t
hurt me to know that he and Amber would get back together, it was all a lie.
Covering my
face with my hands, I let it sink in. Even when I was fourteen, I’d felt something for Reed that I had never
felt for any other guy. At nineteen
those feelings had only intensified, and now, at twenty-two, they’d grown into
something I was afraid to examine too closely for fear of having my heart split
right down the middle.
“I didn’t bring
this up to hurt you, Ellie. It’s
just that I see the way guys are always hitting on you, and I know that you’ve
been out with some great men but you never fall for any of them, and I can’t
help but think it’s because of Reed.”
“You’re right,”
I finally admitted, not just to Cora but myself. “What am I going to do?”
“Move on. Give some of those good guys a shot with
you. I know I’m a hypocrite because
I’ve got my own issues with trusting men, but you’re not as screwed up as I am.
You’ve got a real shot at a happily ever after. Think of how green with envy
the Wicked Stepmother and Stepsister will be.”
“You’re not
screwed up, Cora.” I didn’t like it when she said things like that.
She held up a
hand. “You can try to fix me
another night. Tonight’s therapy is only for you.”
Reluctantly, I
agreed.
We spent the
rest of the night indulging on a chocolate soufflé Cora had made and discussing
the men she thought I should date.
Chapter 6
My heart jumped
at the printed name on my patient list. Blinking, I looked again but it hadn’t been my
admitted.
“Good.”
“You saw Reed
today.”
I froze, fork
suspended halfway to my mouth. “How’d you know?”
“I ran into
Amber at the grocery store. She mentioned
seeing you on Reed’s floor.”
Guilt churned
in my stomach, along with the fear that Amber might somehow know what happened
between Reed and I.
“She didn’t
think anything of it,” Cora assured me. “It was just said casually, and I
didn’t bring it up to upset you. I’m just concerned.”
“I know. I
shouldn’t have gone to see him, but I couldn’t avoid him forever. He’s Isabelle’s brother.”
“How was it?”
I thought for a
moment, trying to figure out how to explain my visit with Reed. “It was weird,” I said finally. “He knew it was me that left the gifts,
and he wanted to know why I hadn’t come sooner. When I told him, he was angry.”
Cora tensed,
her green eyes flashing with indignation on my behalf. “He was mad at you? What did you tell
him?”
“I told him I
wasn’t sure if he’d want to see me.”
“That’s what
made him mad?” Cora suddenly looked thoughtful. “He didn’t expect you to avoid
him. That does seem strange since
you’d only spent one night together.”
“Most guys
wouldn’t want to have their one-night stands hanging around them especially
when they’re trying to get back together with their girlfriends, but Reed told
me he never thought of me as a one-night stand.” Hearing him say those words
thawed a piece of my heart that had been frozen two years ago.
“He said that?”
Cora’s jaw dropped.
“Yeah, he also
suggested we be friends.”
“Friends,” Cora
echoed with an odd look in her eyes. “Are you sure he’s trying to get back
together with Amber?”
“Of course he
is. You know their history, and Isabelle
still spends holidays with Amber’s family.”
“Yeah, I know
what Isabelle’s told us,” she conceded. Still, Cora looked unsure.
“I would never
do anything to hurt Amber and Reed or Isabelle.”
“You’re always
thinking of everyone else, Ellie. It’s only because I love you that I’m calling bullshit. You still have feelings for Reed.”
Even as I
opened my mouth to deny it, I knew that Cora was right. All of the times I’d reassured her that
I was over Reed, that I was okay being his one-night stand, and that it didn’t
hurt me to know that he and Amber would get back together, it was all a lie.
Covering my
face with my hands, I let it sink in. Even when I was fourteen, I’d felt something for Reed that I had never
felt for any other guy. At nineteen
those feelings had only intensified, and now, at twenty-two, they’d grown into
something I was afraid to examine too closely for fear of having my heart split
right down the middle.
“I didn’t bring
this up to hurt you, Ellie. It’s
just that I see the way guys are always hitting on you, and I know that you’ve
been out with some great men but you never fall for any of them, and I can’t
help but think it’s because of Reed.”
“You’re right,”
I finally admitted, not just to Cora but myself. “What am I going to do?”
“Move on. Give some of those good guys a shot with
you. I know I’m a hypocrite because
I’ve got my own issues with trusting men, but you’re not as screwed up as I am.
You’ve got a real shot at a happily ever after. Think of how green with envy
the Wicked Stepmother and Stepsister will be.”
“You’re not
screwed up, Cora.” I didn’t like it when she said things like that.
She held up a
hand. “You can try to fix me
another night. Tonight’s therapy is only for you.”
Reluctantly, I
agreed.
We spent the
rest of the night indulging on a chocolate soufflé Cora had made and discussing
the men she thought I should date.
Chapter 6
My heart jumped
at the printed name on my patient list. Blinking, I looked again but it hadn’t been my
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