page.”
“Oh, Piper, I really don’t think …”
Piper didn’t even hear Izzy’s protests. She swept over to her laptop and popped it open before Izzy could even finish the sentence.
“You know River and I broke up, right?”
“So?” Piper looked over her shoulder with a quirky grin as she quickly navigated through the maze that was Facebook.
“So, I unfriended him.” She’d done it eight days after the kegger, right about the time he left for Lubbock. By then, it was obvious he wasn’t going to call her. “I’m not interested in what he’s doing.”
“That’s just because you haven’t seen how pathetic and sad he looks without you.”
“He looks pathetic and sad without me?” She nearly cringed at the note of hope in her voice. Pathetic indeed.
“Why wouldn’t he? He doesn’t have you anymore, right? Okay, here’s his—”
Mei put her hand over Piper’s mouse just before she could click. “Maybe you should let it go. If Izzy unfriended him, then she doesn’t want to see the pictures.”
“Of course she does.” Piper clicked.
“No really, I don’t—”
Piper clicked again. A second later, the first of the photos loaded. Silence fell over the room.
It was a picture of a shiny white Cadillac Escalade. Leaning against the bumper was some blond chick with big hair, big boobs, daisy dukes, bikini on top.
The image was labeled, “New college, new toys, new major.”
Izzy felt like the world was telescoping down to just that photo. Her peripheral vision faded out, and she could hear Mei, Cassidy, and Piper talking as if from far away.
“Holy crap,” Cassidy muttered.
“The bastard!” Piper cried.
After a moment, Mei asked, “Does that sign behind him say, The Department of Petroleum Engineering?”
Izzy ripped her gaze away from Bikini Barbie and found the granite sign River’s Escalade was parked in front of. Sure enough.
That
was his new major. Freakin’ Petroleum Engineering.
Three weeks ago, she’d had a boyfriend who was completely devoted to her, who she believed valued all the things she held most dear. Yes, he’d been leaving for college nine hours away. And yes, he’d told her they should break up now rather than try to do the longdistance thing. But she’d never—not in a million years—have dreamed he’d run off to Lubbock and do crazy shit like this.
Nausea hit the back of her throat like a ninja. He’d betrayed her. The blonde wasn’t even the worst part. He’d lied about everything—about who he was. About everything he believed.
Sleeping with a guy who’d just broken up with you, but who youloved and admired … that was almost like saying good-bye. Sleeping with a liar, and an oil-sucking one at that, well, that was just … incredibly stupid.
Izzy felt like she couldn’t breathe. Unable to swallow the emotion building in her chest, she stormed out of Piper’s room and tromped down the stairs, making a beeline for the sliding glass doors leading onto the patio.
The Douglases’ backyard was landscaped like a tropical paradise. The kidney-shaped pool dominated the oasis, a rock waterfall tinkling away at one end. Near the back door, potted palms and oversized umbrellas shaded the elegant furniture. On a table sat a tray with three pillar candles nestled into a base of smooth river rocks.
Her muscles itching to throw something, lzzy palmed several of the rocks and moved to the edge of the pool. For a second she just stood there, staring into the pristine aqua depths. Then she pulled back her arm, let loose one of the rocks, and watched it skip across the surface before sinking into the pool’s depths. One for her friends, who hadn’t even noticed she was upset. One for her parents, who were always putting her needs dead last. One for the trip she couldn’t take. One for the job she’d have to get. One for the guys she wouldn’t be kissing.
She was out of rocks. But not out of anger. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her favorite
“Oh, Piper, I really don’t think …”
Piper didn’t even hear Izzy’s protests. She swept over to her laptop and popped it open before Izzy could even finish the sentence.
“You know River and I broke up, right?”
“So?” Piper looked over her shoulder with a quirky grin as she quickly navigated through the maze that was Facebook.
“So, I unfriended him.” She’d done it eight days after the kegger, right about the time he left for Lubbock. By then, it was obvious he wasn’t going to call her. “I’m not interested in what he’s doing.”
“That’s just because you haven’t seen how pathetic and sad he looks without you.”
“He looks pathetic and sad without me?” She nearly cringed at the note of hope in her voice. Pathetic indeed.
“Why wouldn’t he? He doesn’t have you anymore, right? Okay, here’s his—”
Mei put her hand over Piper’s mouse just before she could click. “Maybe you should let it go. If Izzy unfriended him, then she doesn’t want to see the pictures.”
“Of course she does.” Piper clicked.
“No really, I don’t—”
Piper clicked again. A second later, the first of the photos loaded. Silence fell over the room.
It was a picture of a shiny white Cadillac Escalade. Leaning against the bumper was some blond chick with big hair, big boobs, daisy dukes, bikini on top.
The image was labeled, “New college, new toys, new major.”
Izzy felt like the world was telescoping down to just that photo. Her peripheral vision faded out, and she could hear Mei, Cassidy, and Piper talking as if from far away.
“Holy crap,” Cassidy muttered.
“The bastard!” Piper cried.
After a moment, Mei asked, “Does that sign behind him say, The Department of Petroleum Engineering?”
Izzy ripped her gaze away from Bikini Barbie and found the granite sign River’s Escalade was parked in front of. Sure enough.
That
was his new major. Freakin’ Petroleum Engineering.
Three weeks ago, she’d had a boyfriend who was completely devoted to her, who she believed valued all the things she held most dear. Yes, he’d been leaving for college nine hours away. And yes, he’d told her they should break up now rather than try to do the longdistance thing. But she’d never—not in a million years—have dreamed he’d run off to Lubbock and do crazy shit like this.
Nausea hit the back of her throat like a ninja. He’d betrayed her. The blonde wasn’t even the worst part. He’d lied about everything—about who he was. About everything he believed.
Sleeping with a guy who’d just broken up with you, but who youloved and admired … that was almost like saying good-bye. Sleeping with a liar, and an oil-sucking one at that, well, that was just … incredibly stupid.
Izzy felt like she couldn’t breathe. Unable to swallow the emotion building in her chest, she stormed out of Piper’s room and tromped down the stairs, making a beeline for the sliding glass doors leading onto the patio.
The Douglases’ backyard was landscaped like a tropical paradise. The kidney-shaped pool dominated the oasis, a rock waterfall tinkling away at one end. Near the back door, potted palms and oversized umbrellas shaded the elegant furniture. On a table sat a tray with three pillar candles nestled into a base of smooth river rocks.
Her muscles itching to throw something, lzzy palmed several of the rocks and moved to the edge of the pool. For a second she just stood there, staring into the pristine aqua depths. Then she pulled back her arm, let loose one of the rocks, and watched it skip across the surface before sinking into the pool’s depths. One for her friends, who hadn’t even noticed she was upset. One for her parents, who were always putting her needs dead last. One for the trip she couldn’t take. One for the job she’d have to get. One for the guys she wouldn’t be kissing.
She was out of rocks. But not out of anger. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her favorite
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