The Ex by Freida McFadden(36)

What about Cleopatra?

“Lydia says I should go as Cleopatra,” Cassie announces.

Zoe purses her lips as she considers it. “Yes, I like it. And you won’t have to spend much money. I’ve got a white dress that would be perfect. And this great gold belt. Ooh, and I can do your makeup!”

“All right.” Cassie is warming to the idea. “I guess I’ll go as Cleopatra.”

The door jingles as a customer enters the store. Cassie smiles, putting on her game face. But then her game face falls when she sees a policeman wander into the store. For a moment, it feels like a fist is gripping her throat.

Maybe he’s here to follow-up on the vandalism.

The officer is in his thirties, with tight black curls clinging to his skull. He walks right up to the counter and Cassie instinctively takes a step back. She glances at Zoe, who is still holding her book but has lifted her eyes. But unlike Cassie, there’s no fear on Zoe’s face. There’s nothing for her to be afraid of.

Cassandra Donovan? You’re under arrest.

“Hello there, ladies,” the officer says.

“Hello,” Cassie croaks.

“I was just wondering,” he says. “You got any of those Junie B. Jones books? My daughter loves them.”

Her shoulders sag in relief. He’s not here to take her away. He just wants to buy some reading material for his kid. But she can’t shake the feeling that one of these days, the policeman will be coming here with a warrant for her arrest.





Chapter 22: The Ex


Window shopping isn’t working out exactly as I’d hoped.

The concept is that I try on clothing for fun, and then leave without buying anything. This is supposed to help me save money (or at least dig myself out of credit card debt) so that I can eventually not be living with my grandmother. But it’s harder to do that than I’d thought. Whenever I try on something really sexy, I imagine the look on Joel’s face when he sees me in it. And then a minute later, I’m at the cash register.

Why is clothing so expensive anyway? One could easily spend a month’s rent at one of these stores without blinking an eye. Especially if you throw in shoes. And it’s not like you can buy a dress without buying shoes too.

So that’s why today I will not buy anything. I don’t care how much this sexy green dress highlights my boobs. And I’m definitely not buying these pumps to go with it, no matter how long they make my stubby legs look.

As I hold the green dress in my hand, mentally forcing myself to put it back in the rack, I notice a woman is staring at me. She’s wearing a stylish black leather coat and her hair is in a sensible bob, and she’s got one hand on a stroller that holds an adorable little boy. The boy’s soft blond curls make my ovaries eject three eggs at once. I can feel it happening.

I always wondered what the children Joel and I would have would look like. Not blond, certainly. I imagined they would have his blue eyes and my dark hair. Of course, at this rate, I’ll be lucky if I find someone to marry in time to have kids. The dream of becoming a mother seems as out of reach as this horribly expensive dress.

The woman keeps staring at me, her brow furrowed, which is making me a bit uncomfortable. At first, I can’t figure out why she’s looking at me, but then something jogs my memory. From years ago.

“Are you…?” the woman starts to say to me.

“Hi, Melissa,” I say.

It all comes back to me now. Melissa was dating Joel’s med school classmate Greg. They started going out around the same time Joel and I did, actually. But we lost touch after Joel graduated and his classmates all went their separate ways. Melissa and I were always friendly, but not quite friends. Not the way Lydia and I used to be.

“I thought you looked familiar!” Melissa’s face relaxes in recognition. “God, it’s been ages, hasn’t it? You look great.”

“So do you.” Melissa is a good fifteen pounds heavier than she was back then, but it suits her. She looks pretty and happy. Whereas I’m too thin, in spite of all the cooking I’ve done lately. My cheekbones jut out so much, I might injure someone inadvertently during a routine hug. And lately, my lips feel like they’re pulled down into a permanent frown.

“So what’s new?” I ask her. I look down at the precious little boy in the stroller, who is currently peeling his socks from his tiny feet. “Other than the obvious, of course.”

Melissa laughs. “Well, you remember Greg, right? We got married a couple of years ago. And little Owen came along last year.” She ruffles the little boy’s hair lovingly. He blows a raspberry and my ovaries shoot out two more eggs. “How about you? You always talked about starting your own restaurant. Are you… did you…?”

I nod. “Yes, I did. A little Italian place.”

“Oh, that’s amazing!” Melissa claps her hands together. “And what about Joel? Are you two still together?”

My stomach sinks. I should have left this store the second I recognized Melissa. “Yes, we are. In fact…” I swallow. “We just got engaged!”

“Oh, that’s amazing!” Melissa’s eyes light up for a moment, but then they drop. I’m not sure what she’s looking at, until I see the line between her gaze and my left hand.

“I’m having the ring resized,” I say quickly, squeezing my left hand into a fist. “But honestly, I’m scared to wear it. The diamond is just so big.”