Take Two (The Jilted Bride #1)(34)

Chapter 17

Melody

I was on cloud nine, floating high above the plane that was carrying me back to New York. All I could think about was kissing Matt Sterling.

I drifted through La Guardia airport, humming Frank Sinatra’s “New York New York,” bumping into travelers every few feet.

“Are you trying to run into people on purpose? Jen to Melody! Jen to Melody! Hey! Wake up!” my sister’s voice brought me back down to earth.

“What!”

“You just knocked that woman out of her wheelchair,” she pointed to a woman sprawled across the floor.

“Oh my god! I am so sorry ma’am,” I reached down and helped her back into her chair. “I didn’t see you.”

“And doctors tell me my eyes are bad? Hmph!” the woman threw up her bony middle finger and rolled away.

Jen shook her head at me and sighed. “Is this how you’re going to act while we unpack your apartment today? If it is, I’ll just get drunk and pretend to work on my paper at home.”

“I’ll be fine. I was just thinking about—”

“Matt Sterling?” her eyes lit up. “I told you he liked you. And I know you like him too.”

You don’t know me!

“I do not! He’s got Selena Ro—”

“So! Didn’t he tell you not to believe everything you read? Maybe there’s something going on with them. You never know, but he definitely likes you.”

“I guess.”

I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea that Matt Sterling could really be interested. I reasoned that he only asked me out because there were so few people on our part of the island and he wanted some company. Then again, I was still trying to come up with a legitimate reason for that kiss.

Jen and I split the cab fare and made our way up to my new apartment. The movers had placed all of my things from storage and Trump SoHo in the middle of the floor.

Jen circled the pile and crossed her arms. “I forgot you didn’t have furniture. Do you have any wine?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m definitely going to need some to get through all of this. I’m also going to need some food.”

“I can have some delivered. What do you want? Chinese?”

“That’d be cool,” she headed for the door. “I’m going to pick up some trash bags while I’m out too.”

“You’re leaving now?”

“Um, yes? Unpacking without alcohol? That’s so sophomore year.”

“I tend to forget how mature you are. Really.”

She rolled her eyes and shut the door. I walked over to the mountain of boxes and ran my hand across the labels.

I opened a box labeled “memories” and removed the bubble wrap. Inside were journals I kept in college. I flipped through one and stopped on a random page: “Dear Journal, I’m not sure about Sean. I think I love him…Okay, I’m IN LOVE with him. But do you think he’ll ever get tired of me? Like, he could have any woman he wanted yet he’s with me…I don’t want to sound like I have low self—esteem or anything but if I were on the verge of becoming a rich jewelry designer, I wouldn’t be dating a college kid…Then again he’s only four years older than me…and…Welp, gotta go! Sean’s taking me to dinner tonight!”

I sifted through the box and found pictures of the two of us smiling in Belize, swimming in Hawaii, and star gazing in Paris. There were numerous love letters from Sean, letters he sent from overseas whenever I couldn’t join him on a business trip.

At the bottom of the box was our original marriage license. It was what we both “couldn’t wait” to get and purchased three months before the wedding.

I need to get rid of all of this. Now.

I found the “electronics” box and pulled out my speakers. I dragged them next to the door and hooked up my Ipod. I scrolled down my “Fuck Sean” playlist and turned the volume up as loud as it could go.

I placed the “memories” box on the fireplace and cranked up the fire. I began dancing to the music, shouting along to each power anthem—Aretha, Adele, Tina Turner, even Beyoncé.

I crumpled the useless journal pages one by one and threw them into the fire. I held our perfect pictures over the flames and laughed as they burned.

“Break another little piece of my heart now baby!” I screamed with Janis Joplin. “Have another little piece of my heart now baby! You know you got it if it makes you feel good!”

“Melody?” Jen stopped the music and gaped at me. “I’m not even going to ask.”

Turn down the fire and avoid eye contact…

“I forgot I left the door unlocked.”

“Good thing you did or else I would’ve been standing out there all night! Have you and Janis unpacked anything?”

“Just some old memories.”

“Let’s get started then, unless you wanted to finish the song first.”

“I hate you.”

I took my time picking out new furniture. I spent countless hours visiting boutiques and department stores.

A part of me wanted to call Sean and ask for the designer who styled his condo, but I held back. The last thing I wanted to do was open a channel of communication between us.