Call. Me. Right. Now!!!
I waited, fuming, then finally the phone rang and my sister’s smiling face peered up at me. I swiped violently across the screen.
“Do you hate me now?” she asked in a small voice before I could even bark out a greeting.
“Yes. You’re fired as best friend and I’m starting divorce proceedings. You’re no longer my sister.”
She squeaked out a pained sound. “Really?”
I sat on the edge of the bed, then flopped backward and threw an arm over my eyes. “No, of course not. I love you. But really, El, what the hell?”
“He was so sincere and heartbroken, Jo. I just wanted to give him a chance. Mostly for you.”
I snorted out a mirthless laugh. “For me?”
She sighed, her sadness evident. “You need…closure. I mean, if it works out, great. You know I love Cooper, and you guys were great together. You love him. Or did, once. But if you can’t get back together, if that’s too much or too far…” I imagined her shrugging, because I knew her that well. And then she sighed again. “Closure, Jonah. I thought at the very least you could get that.”
I didn’t respond, because when it came right down to it, she was right. No matter what else, I deserved to have the full story and move on from Adrian Cooper. A part of my heart was still attached to him. And maybe it always would be. But if I heard him out, maybe that part of me could finally heal instead of seeping like a raw and infected wound.
Ugh. That was gross imagery. But accurate.
“Is it bad?” she whispered, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yes.” I swallowed. “No. Maybe? It’s…he said he made a mistake. That he was wrong.”
“Coopersaid that?”
I had to smile, just a little, at her disbelief. At least her surprise validated my own. I shook my head and rolled to lay on my side. I tucked the phone between my ear and the mattress, even though that made speaking a little difficult. “Yeah, I don’t know what to do with it either.”
alk to him?” she su
later. Or in the mor
h…J
her voice? I sat up fa
d everything. No unnecessary travel for about se
” I sh
knock on the door. “Yo
I shouted
was loud,”
kay, and I will,”
ine. Go
head again, confused and upset, then flopped backward once again. “Ellie!” I whis
nches of snow in the next forty-eight hours. After that, you’ll have to dig out. But the roads
now,” I sai
. Then finally Ellie spoke. “I’m sorry, Jo.
eally
pted, “maybe it’s a good thing. If you’re s
l tower, I have access even with the storm. I could wo
r tongue. “But
ot the bo
am.” She
e. I d
o be tonight. You’re both going to be there for a few days
ll s
onah…” She made a nois
pite of…well, everythi
ck. My emotions were in turmoil, but I was going to take one bit
ir of sweatpants, then slid beneath the
house. But then I remembered. I was at the cabin, and Cooper was stuck here with me. I contemplated going back to sleep, or at least pretending,