The Ex by Freida McFadden(68)

He rubs at his face. This explains a lot. It explains why Joel always looks so sad and distant whenever Francesca’s name comes up. He isn’t still in love with her—he blames himself for her death.

And maybe he’s a little bit still in love with her too.

“I’m sorry, Cassie.” He’s looking behind her instead of at her. “I don’t really feel like eating right now. Maybe… I’ll call you later, okay?”

But for the first time, she isn’t entirely sure he will.

She watches him walk out of the store, his shoulders hunched. She looks down at her own hands and sees they’re trembling. Francesca is dead.

Francesca is dead.

This changes everything.

The good news is this means she doesn’t have to worry about this Italian beauty stealing back her man. The bad news is now Cassie has no clue who has been harassing her. Or how to make them stop.





Chapter 47: The Ex


When I’m coming out of work and I see Dean standing there on the sidewalk like he was that day when we first met, my heart leaps with automatic pleasure before I notice the look on his face. He isn’t smiling.

“Well, well, well,” Dean says, “if it isn’t Miss Loren.”

“Dean,” I gasp. “I…”

I don’t know what to say. I have been horrible to him. I haven’t returned any of his calls. He deserves so much better.

He holds up a hand. “I’ll keep this quick.”

“Dean, I’m so sorry…”

“Stop.” He shakes his head. “I’m not going to stalk you. If you don’t want me—fine. I get it.”

“It’s not… that’s not…”

He shakes his head. When he’s not smiling, there’s no trace of that dimple, but he’s still so handsome. “I had a great time with you the other night. I feel like there’s something between us—something real. I just wanted to tell you that. But you won’t return my calls, so here I am. Telling you.”

I want to cry. That night we had together was one of the best nights I’ve ever had. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m such a mess. Dean is better off without me.

“I told you, I don’t play games,” he says. “I like you, and I’m telling you so. I like you. A lot.” He pauses. “Even if that makes me an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot.”

He smiles crookedly. “I’m not so sure.”

“You have to understand that I—”

He holds his hand up again. “Save it. I don’t want the excuses. If you’re interested, give me a call. If not, well, I hope you have a good life.”

He means it. Even as awful as I’ve been to him, he doesn’t wish me any ill will. It makes me think of the things I’ve done to Olive. I was petty and horrible. I hate myself.

But things are different now. After what Nick told me, I have to take action. This isn’t a matter of getting revenge for having been wronged.

I don’t promise Dean I’ll call him. He doesn’t want an empty promise and I won’t do that to him. I watch him walk away with a sinking feeling in my stomach that I’m making the worst mistake of my life.





Chapter 48: The New Girl


Joel doesn’t contact Cassie at all after he leaves the bookstore.

It’s unusual to not even get one text from him in an entire afternoon when he’s not working. She tries to push away the sick feeling in her stomach, but it’s hard. He’s obviously gutted over what happened to Francesca.

When Cassie gets out her phone for the tenth time to check for a missed text, Zoe gives her a look. “Quit being needy. He’ll call you soon.”

“He was really upset…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Zoe says.

“I accused his dead girlfriend of stalking me.”

She lets out a huff. “It’s his fault for not telling you she’s dead. What the hell is wrong with him?”

Cassie wracks her brain for missed cues that Francesca was gone. She always seemed so present in their lives, even when she wasn’t actually there. Even her restaurant is still open. How could a woman like that be dead?

“Go home,” Zoe says. “You’re hurting our sales with your bad attitude.”

Cassie snorts. They’ve only had two people come into the store all afternoon, both of them looking for medical books. It’s time for Bookland to close its doors. She can’t keep this up—not if she wants to avoid serious repercussions.

It’s already dark out, even though it’s barely dinnertime. They won’t have many more customers tonight, if any. So Cassie decides to take Zoe’s advice and head home early.

Despite her warm coat and hat, Cassie shivers the second she steps outside. The cold air is like a slap in the face, although she’s not certain if that’s the reason a chill went through her body. Somebody’s been following her. Someone’s been writing slurs about her at both her store and her apartment. And that someone isn’t the person she’d believed it to be.

“Cold, ain’t it?”

Cassie looks up and sees Maureen the Homeless Lady grinning at her from her usual spot on the sidewalk. Maureen’s bundled up in her thick winter coat, paired with a scarf and hat, but to be fair, she wears all that year round. Even on the hottest day of August, Maureen’s got that coat on.