Touch of Love by Ellen Wolf Read Free Book Online Page B

hardship.
    She tiptoed back upstairs and paced her room with growing agitation. What had seemed like a sanctuary could very well turn into a prison if she didn’t watch out. Sure, she could refuse to see him, but she hated to think about the drama her mother wouldn’t hesitate to use as leverage.
    She decided to call Jess and see if she could stay with her after all.
    ‘Yes?’ Jess picked up immediately, her voice so perky and joyful that Elly couldn’t help but feel envious. ‘What’s up?’
    ‘I broke up with Brad,’ she blurted, unable to keep it in any longer. ‘ He was cheating on me, and I caught him with his pants down, Jess.’
    ‘ That son of a bitch! I knew it.’
    F inally, someone who isn’t afraid to call things by their proper name.
    ‘You did?’ she was amazed by the silence that followed, almost able to see her friend squirm uncomfortably on the other end. ‘How?’
    ‘It’s just a figure of speech, Elly.’
    Elly was just as certain that Jess was lying as she was that Brad was a jerk. And she was tired of lies, however well intended they were.
    ‘O kay, cut this crap, and tell me what you know,’ she pressed on and was rewarded by shaky laughter.
    ‘You’re very militant when you want to be, Elly.’ Another pause was followed by a sigh. ‘Okay, here it goes. A while ago, he tried to hook up with me, as well. Not that I encouraged him in any way…’ Her rushed explanation did little to sweeten the bitter pill. ‘He just chatted me up at the party you threw for his thirtieth birthday. I thought he was joking at first, but he was serious.’
    ‘Why didn’t you ever tell me?’ She wanted to shake Jess until her teeth rattled. ‘Why?’
    ‘Because you wouldn’t believe me, sweetie.’ Jess sounded resigned, the fire in her voice gone. ‘ You’d think I was trying to make him look bad. You always complained I didn’t like him, remember?’
    ‘That’s because I didn’t have a clue you actually had a reason .’ What’s wrong with the world today? Everything around her seemed to collapse faster than a building caught in the path of a hurricane.
    ‘You’d come up with some lame excuse ,’ Jess insisted. ‘It would ruin our friendship. So I figured you’d realize it on your own, sooner or later.’
    ‘Well, I am enlightened now .’ She sighed, catching a glimpse of her face in her mirror. She didn’t like what she saw. Her face was pale, and her hair hung in limp rattails around her forlorn features. ‘Look, I need to ask you for a favor.’ It was best to keep going. They could talk about all that later. She could almost imagine the two of them exchanging stories about Brad. Or maybe there are more members of his fan club I don’t know about? Probably so.
    ‘Anything, sweetie.’ Jess sounded relieved.
    Probably expected me to make a bigger deal out of her revelation. Well, not today . The stakes were already raised very high by what she’d witnessed firsthand at her place. To beat that kind of an eye-opener, Jess would have to come up with a better story than Brad’s invitation for a quick romp.
    ‘I’m at my parents’ place right now,’ she spoke fast, eager to get it over with and start packing. ‘I can’t stay here, Jess. My mom had a fit when she found out what happened, and I just overheard her talking to Brad. He will probably show up here soon. Can I stay with you for the weekend?’
    Jess shared a place with another girl, who had just left for a trip to Australia. Jess joked around that it was her time to have as many dates as she wanted because the place belonged to her for the next six weeks.
    ‘Oh , Elly…’ There it was, the embarrassed pause again. ‘I wish I’d known earlier. Ryan is going to be staying with me for the weekend. Sorry, honey.’
    ‘That’s fine,’ she mumbled, disappointment washing over her like a tidal wave. Of course Ryan would be there. Jess ’s sudden love affair had blossomed at record speed after meeting him a few