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“I know, and that’s why I didn’t say anything. And now I don’t have to, because it’s not gonna happen. I found out he was going to sell my movie and I threw the stupid engagement ring at him and then packed a bag and left. The elopement is off.”
“For good?”
“For good.”
“Are you sure?”
“One-hundred-and-twenty-thousandpercent sure.”
She stretches her legs so that her toes are lined up next to mine. “So, what now? You can’t live down here in Mom and Dad’s basement forever. They use this room all the time. I mean, Dad comes down here to ride his exercise bike like once every eight years, so there’s that.”
I feel a smile creep across my lips.
I lean my head onto my little sister’s shoulder. “That’s the first thing that’s made me smile since my life fell apart.”
She hands me the ice cream.
I dig the spoon in. “I’m not going to stay here forever… A couple weeks, maybe. I have a plan.”
“And it is…?”
“Live in my pajamas. Watch bad daytime TV. Eat ice cream for breakfast. And then, when I’m ready, I’ll figure out a way to get the rights to my movie back. I can’t let him take credit for it. It’s mine. I’m going to fight for it.”
I dig the spoon around, nudging a swirl of dark chocolate fudge. But a twinge of pain in my chest makes me wince and I set the carton back on the coffee table.
“What?” Roxie asks.
“Nothing… it’s just, I’ve had this odd pain in my chest area… like around my heart, maybe. Sort of a squeezing feeling.”
“Oh my goodness, Maddison, are you serious right now? You’re having chest pain?”
The next thing I know, my little sister is up on her feet, heading for the stairs. “Come with me. I’m taking you to the clinic, right this minute.”
“Can’t I get dressed first? It’s probably nothing.”
“Fine, but only because you have chocolate on your sweatshirt and I don’t want you to embarrass yourself in front of Nick. But if you die while changing out those pinstriped pants for jeans, I’m never going to forgive you.”
“Nick?”
I know the Nick she’s talking about.
How could I not?
Nick Landry still lives in Stillwell. Roxie fills me in on town gossip, and she knows he and I used to be friends.
Used to be.
Not anymore.
Another sad fact of my life is that the best friendship of my life fell apart at the end of my freshman year, just before summer vacation. But I moved on and so did Nick, and I hear he’s become a doctor.
“Yeah, Nick,” Roxie says, from halfway up the stairs. “Wouldn’t want you to look like a slob in front of your ex.”
“He’s not my ex, Roxie. We were just friends.”
“Whatever. Run a brush through your hair or something, too, and meet me out at my car in two minutes. Don’t die or anything.”
“I’ll do my best.”
