Page 1 of Fall Apart

PROLOGUE

LIZZY

August

Dayton, Ohio

“Doyou want to fly out to Denver with me this weekend?” I know the answer is yes, even if I’m just venting my rage. It’s a hot August day in Ohio and I probably look unhinged judging by the expression on V’s face right now. I’m standing on her porch while she looks back at me with a confused expression on her face standing in her doorway, letting out a low, questioning groan. Veronica Perry has been my ride or die since college and would drop everything if I needed it. That’s just the way she is. She’s always cared so much about the people in her life.

“Why would we need to go to Colorado this weekend? It’s not even ski season.” She’s still wearing a skeptical expression. I love that she’s not even phased by the question itself and didn’t shrug this off as some silly offhanded joke.

Instead, she’s just looking back at me, curious to know why I just showed up on her doorstep this evening completely unannounced. We hang out all the time - workout a couple nights a week, and see each other every day at the office - so normally she’d have some idea if I was going to drop by. But judging by the look on her face, I think she can sense my jumbled mess of emotions. Everything I’m feeling is making my voice go from defeated to frantic to purely angry in a chaotic flurry.

“Because I’m going to go cut off Johnathan’s balls and someone will have to bail me out if I get caught.” I rarely drop myalways onbattle armor. The bubbly, sassy outgoing version of myself is whateveryone else gets to see. But she’s my best friend and I can see it in her eyes that she knows something is wrong.

“Wait. What happened? What didhedo?” In an instant her tone shifts from questioning to compassionate. She’s sweaty in yoga pants and a sports bra showing off the mountain peaks tattoo on her ribs. The one I always tease her about for being such abad girl.I clearly interrupted her evening workout, but I know she’ll understand. As much of a routine junky as she is, she’ll drop it for me. That’s just how we are.

I steady myself, feeling the skin along my nose start to scrunch and tingle. It’s the unfamiliar sign of tears welling up.

I’m Lizzy Frank.

I don’t cry.

I’m a boss bitch and I keep it together.

So the foreign, burning feeling in my eyes is in stark contrast to the tension in my jaw from all rage and hurt coursing through me since the events of this afternoon.

“That fucking prick. He’s been cheating on me. All these trips to Denver for thatlong term project?He’s been hooking up with someone in his office there.”

“What the actual fuck? And how did you find out?” She pulls me into a hug and I let my walls fall completely down. The first tears fall down my face onto her shoulder. Screw it. I guess I can cry for once.

“Eww. You’re so damn sweaty. What were you doing, hot yoga or something?” She lets out a snort of laughter before letting go of me, looking me in the eyes, raising an eyebrow. I know this is her way of telling me to be serious and stop deflecting.

A long, ragged breath escapes me. “Fine. He’s such a dumbass. He forgot his iPad at our apartment. I was trying to read on the couch and it was just blowing up with all these notifications. I read their entire conversation.”She palms her face and shakes her head.

Our apartment. I cringe at those words. We’ve been together for years and shared that apartment for the last two. Now I don’t even want to go back even though it’s my name on the lease.

“Jeez. What. A. Dumbass. Like in so many ways. I’m so sorry.” She looks back to me for a second, her kind hazel eyes scanning my face. “How about you come inside first? I’ve got pints of ice cream with our names on them. We can eat right from the tubs or I can dish some out while you dish out the latest from bookstagram. You can tell me about whatever, unhinged smutty book is your latest obsession.” She rolls her eyes and laughs. “And after I stuff you full of ice cream, if you still want to go to Denver, sure. I’m your girl. But maybe revenge can be a little bitlessintense than removing organs or appendages?”

I snort a laugh between tears. “No promises.” I run my arm over my face before pulling her back in for a hug. “But thanks, V. You’re my girl too.”

CHAPTER 1

LIZZY

DIVE BAR - 6 MONTHS LATER

I leanover the marble vanity in the bathroom and pop my lips in the mirror. I love this shade of red lip stain. It might be a bit much for a Wednesday night out at a crappy dive bar, but I think it’s perfect.

I’ve been looking forward to this President’s Day trip to Aspen Valley and Park City, Utah for months. Originally it was just going to be a February girls trip, sort of like the trip V and I had originally planned in Jackson Hole over the holidays.

Spa days, late nights out on the town, living it up on Old Main Street in downtown Park City for a long weekend. That was until V lucked out over that Jackson Hole trip and fell in love with the man of the century, Tanner Chapman. So now he’s crashing our President’s Day girls trip and bringing his best friend Collin, V’s brother, who also happens to now be my friend too.

But even if there will be more people than we originally planned, they don’t get into town until tomorrow morning and I have the condo to myself tonight. And that’s exactly why I’m going out on the town. All winter I’ve been enjoying myTour de Lizzy.Just because I have no idea what I want long term doesn’t mean I don’t haveneedsright now. I’m a grown ass woman. Meaningless one night stands, especially over a thousand miles from my home back in Dayton, Ohio, are totally doable for me right now.

Sure, spending the long weekend with the group should be a blast. And I know my family’s condo at the Aspen Grove Club will be a bit more cramped than we originally planned. I’m guessing we’ll meet up with Tanner’s younger siblings, Clay and Grace, who both live in the Park City area too.

We’ll probably have time to ski both resorts, Aspen Valley where the condo is, and Park City, closer to the old ski town and only ten minutes away. It will be a great time.

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