The Ex by Freida McFadden(46)

“Oh, great.” Triple sale. And the maternity books aren’t cheap. This has been a great day for the store. “I’ll go ring you up.”

Anna pays for the books with a gold credit card. Cassie recalls that Anna’s husband Con is a doctor, just like all of Joel’s friends. She can’t quite recall what Anna does—hair stylist maybe? But it’s clear from the way she dresses and her credit card that she’s not hurting for money. She can afford to buy three books she might never read.

“By the way,” Cassie says as she slides Anna’s credit card back across the counter to her, “thanks for being nice at the party last month. That meant a lot to me.”

Anna rolls her eyes. “Don’t thank me. Lydia was acting ridiculous.”

“She was, wasn’t she?”

“I think she put up that photograph of Francesca just for your benefit,” Anna says. “It was the first time I’ve seen it up there, anyway.”

Cassie’s frowns, remembering the photograph. “Francesca really was very beautiful in that picture.”

Anna is quiet. “Well… yes. That’s true.”

Cassie’s stomach sinks. She’d been hoping Anna might say it was a spectacular photograph of Francesca and she really looks like an ugly cow. But it’s obvious that’s not the case. It’s stupid to even think it.

“Does he talk about her much?” Cassie blurts out before she can stop herself. “I mean, when I’m not around?”

Anna’s eyes fill with sympathy. “Not anymore. You shouldn’t… I mean, that’s all in the past.”

“Yes, but… how do you compete with someone that perfect?”

“Well, he did break up with her, so…”

Cassie raises her eyes. All this time, she’d been under the impression that Francesca ended the relationship. “I didn’t know that. Do you…” She lowers her voice. “Know why?”

Anna puts a hand on her belly. “No. I mean, that was between the two of them. He was vague about it.” She hesitates. “But I remember he said he felt like she was dishonest with him about certain things. Things she hid from him. That really bothered him.”

Things she hid from him.

What will Joel think when he finds out what Cassie’s been hiding from him?

She sighs. “I’m sorry. Is it completely inappropriate that I’m pumping you for information?”

“A little.” Anna laughs lightly. “But I can’t blame you.” She’s quiet for a moment, holding her palm against her abdomen. “Look, I shouldn’t say this, but the truth is, I never liked Francesca.”

Cassie’s heart speeds up. She can see a customer trying to get her attention out of the corner of her eye, and Cassie never ignores customers, but she needs to hear more about this. Now. “Why not? Why didn’t you like Francesca?”

Anna hesitates. “I… I shouldn’t.” She bites her lip, her eyes darting around. “She wasn’t a nice person though. And honestly? Sort of nuts.”

Is she the sort of person who would call me over and over, and then hang up?

Cassie is suddenly desperate to tell Anna everything. About the crimson paint. The slur written on her door. The break-in at the bookstore. Everything. She has a feeling Anna will know what to do. Or maybe she can offer some advice on what to tell Joel.

“I always thought she was a little off,” Anna admits. “Even before she—”

“Miss, I need help!” An old woman has approached the counter, looking peeved at being ignored. Unfortunately, Zoe is on lunch break.

“Okay, sure,” Cassie says hastily. She can’t afford to upset any customers, especially when business is finally on the upswing. “Just one second.”

“I better get going anyway,” Anna says. “I’ll see you later, Cassie. Thanks for the books.”

Cassie curses to herself as she watches Anna leave. All Cassie has heard for the last several months is how wonderful Francesca was. Anna is the first person who had a negative word to say about her. But she has a feeling Anna isn’t going to have time to get coffee in the near future, considering she’s got a baby about to pop out of her.

Cassie’s phone rings one more time. She doesn’t have to check the screen to know it’s a blocked number.





Chapter 29: The Ex


It’s a Friday evening, and I’m sitting on the sofa, eating chicken parmigiana with Nonna and watching the news.

The good news is the chicken parm came out perfect. The breading is crispy and the chicken is moist.

The bad news is… well, I think it’s fairly obvious. A woman my age should not be spending all of her evenings hanging out with her elderly grandmother, cooking chicken.

“That ABC news anchor is very handsome, isn’t he?” Nonna announces out of nowhere.

I look at the screen, where a man with golden blond hair and gleaming white teeth is delivering a story about a deadly five car collision in the Bronx.

“I guess so,” I say.

She nods at the television. “You should go out with him maybe.”

I stare at her in disbelief. “Him? The ABC news anchor?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Uh, because I don’t know him?”