Shatter by Erin McCarthy

Author:Erin McCarthy [McCarthy, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
ISBN: 9780425275108
Amazon: 0425275108
Barnesnoble: 0425275108
Goodreads: 18774878
Publisher: InterMix
Published: 2014-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

The next day was my birthday. It was a Thursday and I went to class, trudging through the slushy snow remnants, feeling distracted and a little sad. Usually I loved my birthday. I had always been that way, as long as I could remember. I barely slept the night before. I pranced around telling everyone that it was My Day and that they had to treat me like a princess. I either had a party or went out, depending on my age at the time, and I rapturously opened all my presents, taking my time, saving ribbons and bows and pretty wrapping paper to recycle into craft projects.

This year, my mother had sent me a pretty card with a Visa debit card in it, suggesting I use it for maternity clothes. Because there was the gift everyone wants to get for themselves—elastic-waist pants. There would be no going out clubbing. No party. Funny how I had waited my whole life for my twenty-first birthday and here it was, just a gloomy Thursday, a winter day like any other. My phone rang as I passed the University Center, debating whether I could stomach lunch or not. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Robin calling me.

“Hi,” I said, suddenly grateful that she had called. It made me feel like things hadn’t changed as dramatically as they had.

“Happy Birthday!”

“Thanks. Listen, Robin, I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you before you and Phoenix left but I had just found out I was pregnant and I wasn’t feeling good . . . I wasn’t trying to be a jerk.” I ducked into the UC and decided all I wanted was a whipped cream–laden latte. Then I remembered what Jonathon had said about caffeine. Did they make decaf lattes? Did such a thing exist?

“It’s okay, I understand. I’m sure you were completely in shock.”

“That’s definitely true.”

“How are you doing now?”

“I’m okay. It’s going to be fine.” Then because that sounded so not enthusiastic, I asked, “How is New Orleans? Are you like all into voodoo and crawfish now?”

She laughed. “Not exactly. But I like it here. It’s like sixty-five degrees, by the way, and people call me ‘precious’ all the time. Classes are awesome and Phoenix likes the tattoo shop he’s working at. We live uptown, on the parade route, so we’ll be having our first Mardi Gras in just a couple of weeks. I can’t wait.”

Robin sounded great. Eager, excited, happy. “That’s awesome. How is Bourbon Street?”

“Not really the most exciting place for two people who don’t drink. But we like to go to Frenchmen Street, where there is live jazz. It’s less about the Huge-Ass Beers there.”

“That’s cool. No Huge-Ass Beer for me tonight either. It’s not exactly how I imagined my twenty-first birthday.” I sat down on a bench and felt sorry for myself. Not that I had any right to be pouting, really, but it seemed like the only party I was going to get was a pity party, so I might as well excel at it.

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.