Page 5 of Paper Hearts

“That, and he’s here for my wedding and doesn’t want to bother with other shit.”

Other shit? Sounds like Ender. Licking my lips, I draw in a breath and try to remain nonchalant. I’m dancing around my obvious question, and Arya knows it, patiently waiting for me to ask.

Her eyes soften. “I didn’t mention Eddie. Nobody has.”

Eddie. Fuck. I don’t know how I’m going to explain that one. My heart jumps into my throat and my eyes dry up. It’s like someone threw sand in them. “What did he say about me?”

“I asked if he’d talked to you yet.”

“And he said?”

“Hads…” Her sigh that follows says it all. Arya is a no-holds-barred kind of girl. If you don’t want to know, you shouldn’t ask because she’ll give the straight shit, like Ender would. “I don’t want to upset you.”

My eyes drop from her gorgeous blues to my thumbs and the chapped skin I seem to always pick. My heart flops around, jumping up and down in my throat. “What did he say, Arya?”

Arya watches me for about a half second and sighs. “He said ‘Hadleigh who?’”

Damn. That sucks. It’s worse than I thought. It hurts way more than I want it to.

Arya grabs me by the shoulders, leaning over the mountain of photographs. “Don’t pay attention to him. He was being a dick,” she reminds me. “You know how he is, and after Dad immediately got in his face, I doubt he wanted to deal with anything else.”

I raise my eyes to hers. “Did he want to come?”

“No,” Arya admits, watching me. “Dad forced him. So, two days ago, Ender called and said congrats, but he couldn’t make it. I think the only reason he came was because Dad made him feel like shit.” She pauses and then sighs. “I was going to tell you I talked to him, but you were in New York and I didn’t know how to say it over the phone.” She reaches forward and takes my hands in hers. “Please don’t be upset with me. I know I should have told you first.”

“I’m not mad at you.” I understand why she didn’t say anything. I wonder how long Theo has known where Ender is. Maybe he knew all along and never told anyone. I don’t know. I wouldn’t put it past Theo. “But since when has Ender ever cared what Theo wants?” After everything I know about Theo James, even saying his name makes me sick to my stomach.

“He doesn’t.” Arya shrugs, her attention back on the photographs in her hand. “I don’t know what made him decide to come. You never can tell with him.”

And you can’t. But where does that leave me?

3

WHEN HE FOUND OUT

Later that night, most of Arya’s relatives arrive, as well as my parents—two people finally working on their broken marriage—and I want away from all of them. I love Arya’s family, but the less conversation I have with people, the better.

My mom sends me a text saying she’s on her way with Eddie. The reminder sends my heart racing. At some point I’ll have to explain Eddie to Ender before someone else does. Or maybe I don’t. He doesn’t remember me so why should I explain anything to him?

I just need to get through this fucking wedding without a scene.

As the adults drool over charcuterie boards and hundred-dollar bottles of wine, Arya and I make our way down to the lake where Roman and his friends are. I probably should have stopped drinking to avoid the scene I know I might cause, but I don’t. It’s a wedding.

“This feels so familiar,” I tease, tying my hair up. My tank top slips off my shoulders as I walk and I think of Ender behind me, fifteen, whisper how good my skin tastes. The memory is so strong I nearly turn to see if he’s standing next to me.

“You’re more clothed than you used to be though,” Arya adds, a case of beer in one hand and three bags of chips in the other.

“Very true.” The long, narrow path we used to walk as kids feels smaller now. Overgrown grass makes it hard to see where we’re going.

“This oughta be interesting,” Arya notes as we approach her brother’s I-don’t-give-a-fuck stance. Yep. Ender’s down by the lake with Myles.

My stomach drops, but I play it off with an eye roll. “He’ll probably leave as soon as he sees me.”

“Is Eddie here yet?” Arya whispers, ducking under an overgrown tree branch.

“No.” My foot slips on the mud from the rain earlier today. “My mom said they’d be here later. Got a late start out of Savannah.”

“Probably for the better, huh?”

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