Haunted by Joy Preble

Author:Joy Preble [Preble, Joy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Secrets, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult Fiction, Love & Romance, Fantasy Fiction, Witches, Teenage Girls, Europe, Family Secrets, Baba Yaga (Legendary Character), Romanov; House Of, Russia - History - Nicholas II; 1894-1917, Anastasia
ISBN: 9781402244681
Google: i6b1QwAACAAJ
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2010-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

FRIDAY, 10:16 am

ANNE

It’s Tess who drops me off at the Jewel Box. My mother and I are scheduled to work the same hours today, and she thinks I’ve spent the night with Tess. Correction: she thinks I’ve spent the night with Ben but lied to her. She is, of course, right about the last part.

“So.” Tess pulls up to the curb. She slams on the brakes hard enough that I lurch forward and the seat belt tightens. The little pine tree air freshener she insists on dangling from the rearview mirror rocks back and forth. Either she’s in a hurry to get rid of me, or she’s got some kind of agenda. “No more Ben? For real?”

“I think so.”

“You good with that?”

I nod. “Yeah. Weirdly I am. I like Ben so much, Tess. I really do. You know that. But Ethan’s just—I don’t know. But there’s something different there, and I—yes. Done with Ben. Just need to tell him, obviously. Which is so not going to be easy. Am I horrible? Crazy? Wait, don’t answer that.”

“Crazy, maybe. Horrible? Never. But it is weird, you know, right? You macking on this guy who’s old enough to be—well, whatever he’s old enough to be, even if he is undeniably hot and starting over again at eighteen.”

“He’s not just some guy. He’s Ethan. He’s—”

Tess puffs out an impatient breath and taps her fingers on the steering wheel. “Yeah, yeah. He’s Russian perfection. I get it. He’s back two seconds, and suddenly, you’re breaking up with Ben, getting chased by a mermaid and making spreadsheets so you can track the crazies. Business as usual.”

There’s an edge to her tone that worries me. Not that she’s incorrect on some level. Things have unfolded quickly between Ethan and me. Maybe too quickly. Maybe so quickly that it’s possibly a good thing that Lily popped out of the bathroom when she did. But there’s something else under her comment—except it’s Tess, so I know better than to push her. I just roll my eyes and wait. I don’t have to wait long.

“I broke up again with Neal last night. I texted him while I was at the movies with my brother.” She says it like it’s no big deal, but I know it is. Some of her blond hair has come loose from the single braid that’s hanging down her back, and she twists the strand around one finger.

“Why?”

“It was just time. I’m better than that. I can’t keep taking him back and worrying that he’s cheating or whatever.”

I stay quiet—partly to let her say what she needs to, and partly because her words remind me of what I’m doing to Ben.

But Tess isn’t my best friend for nothing. “You know I didn’t mean it like that,” she says. “I didn’t mean to imply that—”

I lean over the gearshift and hug her. “I know. But it’s true. I just cheated on Ben. When I break things off, he’s going to be hurt. And angry. And for good reason.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.