The Cora Carmack New Adult Boxed Set: Losing It, Keeping Her, Faking It, and Finding It plus bonus material by Cora Carmack Page A

people in my living room and one in my bathtub. I smiled at that for half a second before my hangover not-so-gently reminded me how much I hated the world.
    I brushed my teeth and splashed my face with water before returning to my room. I heard my front door open and close quietly, and I peeked my head out of the curtain to see who it was.
    Cade had returned with enough greasy breakfast to feed us all.
    I took a deep breath and entered the room.
    “You are a life-saver!” I whispered.
    He looked up, smiling, and handed me a massive bacon, egg, and cheese burrito.
    “How are you feeling?”
    I frowned. “Like I got hit by a bus. A really heavy one, full of sumo wrestlers.”
    I hopped up on the counter, and regretted it for another ten seconds as my head spun. He took a seat on the barstool below me.
    The burrito was perfect. Thick, fluffy tortilla, hot eggs, delicious salsa.
    “I am in love with this burrito. I would marry it if I didn’t want to eat it so badly.”
    “The tragedy of true love,” Cade whispered.
    I sort of smiled and he sort of smiled, and for the first time in years, I felt awkward with Cade. I looked away and focused on the people littered around my living room.
    “How was everything after I went to bed?”
    “More of the same. If he wasn’t already, Jeremy’s most definitely head over heels for Kelsey. Victoria left half a pack of cigarette butts on the ground outside. And Rusty was atrociously sick in your bathroom.”
    I wrinkled my nose.
    “Don’t worry. It’s all cleaned up. I knew you’d have a heart attack if you woke up to that.”
    I swallowed and a weight settled deep in my stomach.
    “You’re too good to me, Cade.”
    He just shrugged. He’d always been too good to me.
    “Listen,” I started. “About last night . . .”
    He scratched at the back of his head, and his mouth pulled up in a half-hearted smile.
    “Yeah, I guess we should talk about that, huh?”
    His hands settled onto the counter beside me, like he needed to brace himself for what was coming. I cleared my throat, but it didn’t make it any easier to talk. “So . . . you?”
    His hands tightened until his knuckles turned white. Then, all at once, he let go and answered, “Yeah, I do. I have . . . for a while.”
    I looked up, but his face was unreadable.
    “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
    “Because . . . I was scared. You’re my best friend. And you almost never date . . . I just didn’t think you’d be interested.”
    Was I interested? I could feel nonsensical tears pressing at the corner of my eyes, and I blinked them away. Cade was a great guy. And I loved spending time with him. And the kiss had definitely been good. It made sense to like him. I wanted to like him, but . . . Garrick was the but . Could I stop thinking about Garrick? Stop wanting him?
    I heard Cade sigh. “You’re not interested, are you?”
    God, did his eyes have to be so expressive? I could read every disappointment, every insecurity in them. I loved him; that much was for sure. And I think I could one day be in love with him, but I had to get rid of my feelings for Garrick first. If this had happened last semester, would I even be torn?
    “Honestly, Cade? I don’t know. Is maybe a terrible answer?”
    He thought about it for the moment, and I couldn’t take the silence.
    “It’s not that I don’t like you. I think you’re pretty perfect actually. I just . . . you’re my best friend, too, and I’m not sure. I need to be sure.”
    “I want you to be sure, too.” He took a deep breath and smiled. It was a good smile, but not as bright as I was used to from him. “I can live with maybe.”
    W HEN I ARRIVED at the theatre Monday morning, the callback list had already been posted.
    Cast (and callback) lists are a monster in and of themselves. It’s just a simple piece of paper on the wall, but surround it with people who already know your fate and it becomes like walking to the gallows. Eyes turned