When the Heart Falls(59)

My phone beeps and I pull it out, reading the text from Winter.

I love you. I’m sorry about your brother. Be safe.

“Cade, quit messing with your phone. We have to board. You’ve made us late enough with all of your dallying.”

Nothing and no one makes me angrier than my father, expect maybe Rodney. Shoving the phone in my pocket, I grab my carry-on and boarding ticket.

I may have to leave Paris, but my heart will stay. I send a silent message to Winter, hoping her heart can hear it.

I'm sorry, Winter. But I have to leave. I’ll never stop loving you.





WINTER DEVEAUX

CHAPTER 27





HE'S GONE. HIS side of the bed is still warm. I can still smell him on the pillow, but he's left me. I lie awake all night shivering, tears leaking out of my eyes until a wet spot forms under my head, but I don't move. The moment the sun rises I get up, splash water over my face and swollen eyes, pack up my belongings and take the bus to the train back to Paris.

The moment I enter my dorm room, Jenifer throws herself at me in a one-sided hug. I don't reciprocate.

"O.M.G. You're back!" she says.

Obviously. "You want to get out of here and do something?"

Jenifer smiles. "Sure!"

I change into jeans and a t-shirt. "Let's leave the city, see the wine country."

Her side of the room is a mess, clothes tossed everywhere, some of her shit is even on my bed. She hustles to remove her stuff from my side of the room. "We have classes this afternoon."

I shrug. "My grades are good."

Jenifer pauses in her last minute tidying and looks up at me wide-eyed. "Who are you, and what have you done with my friend, Winter?"

"Haha. Funny. I'm just bored. So, are you coming?"

It doesn't take much convincing. "Let me get my stuff." She touches up her makeup, which looks freshly applied, sheds her jeans for a mini-skirt and tube top and grabs her purse.

I'm already heading for the door while she hops on one foot to get her high heels on and catch up to me.

I glance back. "Bring Duke."

She pauses. "Is this a double date?"

"No. Cade's gone." I leave the room and close the door as she finishes getting ready.



Duke picks us up in his Renault outside our dorms. His fancy French car is too small, and I'm forced to squeeze into the backseat while Jenifer and Duke practically dry hump in the front.

"I know good place," Duke says when they come up for air. "Show you good time."

He drives us out of Paris, the bustling city life turning to pastures and grazing livestock as hours pass. My mind is numb, and I ignore the banter of the couple in the front seat.

By the time we arrive somewhere in the country, it's dark and my body is full of cramps.

I crawl out of the car, stretching the pain out as I scan the fields around us. Duke leads us to a lake, and he and Jenifer set up tents and a picnic.

I'm sick of picnics and sick of lovers, but I eat while Duke and Jenifer drink bottles of wine and rum. They don't offer me any and I don't ask.

Halfway through the second bottle of wine, Duke notices me. "You okay?"

"Don't I look okay?"

"You look tense. My mother look like that when she argue with my father."

"Your parents argue often?"

"I don't know. As soon as I turn eighteen, I get my ass out of there."

"You don't talk to them at all?"

Duke shakes his head. "My father crazy. My mother stupid."

Is this how Cade remembers his family? I shove the thought away. "Why'd they call you Duke?"

"My mother Italian. Duke is like royalty. 'Be a good little prince,' Mother say. 'Get good job, little prince, make lots of money little prince. Lots of money for your mama and papa.'" Duke chuckles, then shrugs. "I don't know why they don't call me Prince."

"Your parents wanted money from you?" I don't actually care, but the words come out, and it's something to do other than think. I'm tired of thinking.

"Still do. But I work only for me. My success. My money."

"What do you do?"

He turns to Jenifer, and they both chuckle this time. "You good with secrets, no?" he asks.

I roll my eyes. "Sure."

Duke pulls a plastic bag from his pocket. The stuff inside is green, like an herb. But it's not. He takes some out and rolls a joint. "You want to try?"

Pulling my knees up to my chest, shivering at the chill in the air, I shake my head. "No."

He puts the joint to his lips. "You mind?"

"No." A part of me knows this is wrong, but nothing can penetrate the numb haze around me.

He lights it, inhales, and exhales with a smile. "Nectar of the gods."

"Nectar is a drink," I inform him.

He holds up the rum bottle. "I have that too."

Duke and Jenifer take turns smoking the joint and taking swigs of the rum.

This is how he got his fancy car and nice clothes? "Pretty ambitious, aren't we?"

"I don't care." He takes another hit. "What about you, Winter? What do you do?"