When the Heart Falls(39)

"What?" I drop the piece I'm holding and look up.

"They're fakes. Replicas. They were supposed to be for sale in the museum store, but this whole shipment came defective, so they have to be replaced."

"Oh God. Thank you. Thank you." I kick at the remaining bits of statue, channeling all the fear I'd just gone through into my kicks.

"Hey? What's that?" Autumn points to a piece of gum.

I turn away from her, take the gum and shove it in my mouth. "Nothing. I don't know what that was."

Autumn raises her eyebrow but doesn't say anything more about my bizarre behavior. "You know, you guys should break some replicas too. But, we can't break the pots. They're getting replaced two days from now."

"Oh." Cade stares at us, a broken pot at his feet. "Sorry."





WINTER DEVEAUX

CHAPTER 17





"WINTER, COME ON. What are you still doing in bed?"

Lights penetrate my closed eyelids, erasing the sketchy memories of my dreams and pulling me back into the land of the conscious. I peek at Jenifer through my eyelashes. "What's going on?" I ask.

She's entirely too chipper this early. I glance at the clock and groan. Okay, not so early, but I was up late staring at a blank computer screen.

Jenifer throws a pillow at my head. "It's Bastille day. The entire Avenue des Champs-élysées is crammed full of people. We have to go see it."

Covering my head with the pillow, I roll over and hide under my blanket. "No. I'm sick of your parties."

"This won't be like that, I promise."

"Right. Like your promises mean something?" I poke my head out to glare at her. "You defiled the sacred pinky swear."

Jenifer's smile drops in shame. "I'm sorry. I told myself that if I kept hooking up with Duke, then it wouldn't be a one night stand." I open my mouth to point out how ludicrous her argument is, but she holds her hand out to stop me. "But I know, I know you didn't want me sleeping with someone I'd just met."

I sit up in bed, sleep no longer an option. "Then why'd you do it?"

She shrugs. "I don't know."

"Bullshit. You know."

Jenifer hesitates, twirling a long blond curl with her fingers. "I wanted a boyfriend. I wanted a guy who'd take me to meet his parents. A guy who'd give me presents on Valentine's Day and remember my birthday. So, I slept with the first guy I wanted. Because, I don't know any other way. I don't know how to make guys notice me unless—"

"Unless you're taking your clothes off." I echo her words back to her.

A single, lonely tear rolls down her cheek. "I'm sorry I called you an Ice Queen."

Le sigh. I can't stay mad at her. "I'm sorry I called you a bitch."

"Friends?" asks Jenifer, holding out her pinky.

Holding out my pinky finger, I roll my eyes, and give in. "I guess, since you are still dating Duke, you didn't technically break your promise."

Jenifer holds her hand up like a gangster. "'Cause I'm sneaky that way, bitch."

I can't help but crack a smile. "Friends." I rise from the bed and smooth my blanket out in an attempt to make it. "Always."

Jenifer squeals with happiness. "So does this mean you're coming?"

"Maybe." The idea of a party still has less than zero appeal for me. "What'll we be doing?"

Jenifer swings a blanket in front of her like a cape. "Dressing up. It's a costume party."

"I don't know. I do have my book." I glance at my laptop, which mocked me all night long with its blinking cursor and white screen. I have a love/hate relationship with it at the moment, meaning it hates me and I hate it and, well, okay, maybe just a hate/hate relationship.

"You can bring Cade," she says. "The two of you can come together. Then, if it gets boring, you can just leave with him."

The thought of spending the evening with Cade, dressing up, makes me smile. "That actually sounds like fun."

"So you'll come?"

"Yeah, I'll come. If Cade agrees."

Jenifer heads for the door, then stops and turns back to me. "You know, I was wrong about you." She tilts her head and winks. "You may have a party girl in you after all."



"Hey girl, get your ass out here, already." Jenifer's voice carries through the changing room. "I want to see the new look."

The starched material presses against my skin, a bit itchy, but one look in the full-length mirror and it's worth it. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces, especially Jenifer. Butterflies dance in my stomach as I smooth my overly-hairsprayed hair and step out to show my friend the costume I picked.

Jenifer, dressed as a cat girl—if you can call the tiny bits of fabric plastered to her body a costume—bursts out laughing.

"You like it?" This is me, claiming my own power for once. The silver and blue gown hugs my curves and flares at the waist with sparkling rhinestones patterned around the skirt like shooting stars. Silver body-glitter makes my pale skin shimmer when light moves over it. Even my black hair has been sprayed with glitter. Red lips the color of blood and a delicate silver tiara complete the look.