AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A red paper heart fluttered across the ground. I nudged it away with my high-heeled sandal and pulled my coat tighter against the wind.
The day had been warm for February, but when the sun set, the wind picked up. As the paper heart blew away, I made a dash for my apartment building and sighed with relief when the door closed behind me.
I’d just come from a girls’ Valentines Day dinner. At the restaurant, Sydney announced that she was seeing Brayden Bronson afterward. Ashley bragged about her perpetual singlehood. Maria texted her long-distance boyfriend pictures of our desserts.
“What about your boy, Christina?” Ashley asked.
“Oh, I’ll see him later tonight. I wanted to hang out with you guys first, like Syd.”
Sydney glanced at me sidelong. No matter how much I tried to pretend everything was right between us, the truth was there. Stirring.
“Brayden says he has a big surprise planned.” She brushed blonde hair off her face. “What’s Patrick doing for you?”
I stabbed a spoon into the lava cake I was sharing with Ashley. Chocolate spilled out. “He doesn’t need to do anything except be himself.”
“Aren’t you at least getting each other gifts?” Maria snuck a taste of our cake.
“I never know with him. He’s generous when he feels like it.”
On Monday, Patrick had made waffles for breakfast — not the kind you pop in a toaster, but actual homemade waffles. He said offhandedly that someone left a waffle iron in the kitchen and it never got used. Later that day, I’d seen his heavy silver watch, hanging loosely on James’s wrist like he’d borrowed it from his dad.I can’t believe Patrick gave this to me.I asked if he wants it back, but he said no.
My friends gave me me skeptical looks.
“What do you see in him?” Ashley demanded. “I hate to say it, but he’s not exactly the friendliest.”
“Yeah, he’s boring.” Sydney studied her nails.
“He’s hot,” Maria added, “but he seems really…cold.”
“I guess I’m into that right now.” I stuffed a forkful of lava cake in my mouth, grabbed Maria’s phone, and snapped a picture of the whipped cream on her chin. “Send that to your boyfriend. Tell him there’s more where that came from.”
“Girl, that’s the kind of thingIwould say,” Sydney pointed out.
Everyone laughed, and we’d stopped talking about Patrick.
Now, I hurried into my dark apartment. There was no Amelia, as usual. I was hoping to get away from love and flowers, but on the kitchen counter lay a gigantic heart-shaped box with the lid off. Some of the chocolates were gone. Others were half-eaten, like she’d tried them and changed her mind.
Either my roommate’s phantom boyfriend actually existed, or she’d bought herself candy. Her cat twined around my legs.
In my room, I kicked my heels off and paced. I had homework. I’d finished one of my makeup projects from last semester, but I’d barely started the other one. I opened the middle drawer in my desk and rattled the bottle of Adderall, then put it back — I’d already taken one today. I counted the money in my own heart-shaped box. Patrick’s white napkin caught my eye:little lies.
No more lying. I sat down at my desk, flipped open my laptop, and pasted last semester’s grades into an email.
Hey Mom and Dad! SO great to see you over the weekend. Here’s my grades from fall semester. I know they’re not up to my usual, but I’m redoing my final projects for the lowest two. Everything’s under control now and this semester is going great!! Nothing to worry about. Love you!
I stared at the two Ds and the two Cs. One lone B-minus couldn’t balance them out. Before I lost my nerve, I sent the email.
As I opened my marketing book, my phone buzzed. I snatched it up.
Bring your cheerleader uniform tonight.
I threw my phone across the room. It hit the wall and landed on the floor.
Shit, shit, shit. I ran over and picked it up. No cracks. Still working.
Do you know how many feelings I have about that?
Yes,came the answer.
