Page 73 of Paper Hearts

Two weeks at the lake and Arya decides to have a party the night Ender is in Atlanta. He left the lake in the morning and wouldn’t tell me why. I ask why, but he doesn’t tell me. More secrets. I fear he’s with someone else and my insecurities dictate my actions. And maybe that’s where the bad decisions started. Out of jealousy.

So I get drunk and pass out in the grass near the lake when he doesn’t return that night.

The hot Georgia morning wakes me from my sleep, and I quickly realize where I am, and more importantly, who’s beside me wearing only his underwear. Carter.

Remember him? Yeah, me too.

Gathering what I can, I leave Carter sleeping on the dock and bolt for the James house. Inside, I take a quick assessment and realize my shorts are gone. My bikini bottoms are intact, but the top, who the hell knows where that went.

Arya smiles at me over a cup. “So…” She chuckles. “You and Carter?”

“What?” I gasp. “I don’t… fuck.” I bury my face in my hands. “Who saw?”

“Pretty much everyone who was here last night. Kamila showed up at the party, even Harper was here for a few minutes.”

“She was?” I didn’t even know Harper was coming to the lake this weekend.

“I don’t think anyone paid much attention. Harper left with Ender around ten.”

My heart drops. “When did Ender get here?” But the bigger question is, why’d Ender leave with my sister?

“No idea.” Arya shrugs. “I think Harper was looking for a ride back to Atlanta. Not sure though.”

“Oh…” I sigh and then realize I’m barely wearing any clothes. “I can’t believe I lost my shorts. Have you seen them?” I step over people still sleeping on the floor and search through piles of wet towels and clothes.

“You didn’t lose them.” Arya picks up a few of the towels and sets them in the sink. We have a lot of cleaning to do before her parents come back tomorrow. “Myles tossed them in the lake this morning.”

Figures. He’s always doing that shit.

Arya arches an eyebrow at me, smirking like Ender does. “You don’t remember last night?”

“Not many details come to mind.”

Arya busies herself cleaning up the mess, I find my bra, and as I turn to go home and shower, Ender walks through the door. I still have no pants on—just a tank top and some cheeky underwear and no bra.Crap!I frantically hide my bra behind my back.

Walker comes strolling in behind him with a pompous look of self-satisfaction. “Good night, Hads? Carter looks pretty happy.”

He’s taunting me but my attention is on Ender and his bloodshot eyes, messy hair, and a wrinkled white button-down shirt with khaki shorts. It looks like he’d gone on a job interview the night before and never changed out of the clothes. Maybe that’s why he wouldn’t tell me where he was going.

I suddenly feel sick to my stomach.

He notices my missing shorts and lets out a heavy breath, shaking his head. “Do you remember anything?” he asks softly with a familiar darkness to his question.

I wait for Arya and Walker to disappear. “Not really.”

He stares at me. He doesn’t even look angry with me. He looks devastated. His eyes squeeze shut and he leans into the counter, shaking his head as he runs his trembling hands over his face. “I have no fucking idea why I care or bother with you.”

It’s like a knife hits my chest. “And I have no idea why I keep trusting you. Which one of my sisters did you fuck last night?”

There. I did it, and it feels damn good to stand up for myself.

Was that when it changed? Did it change when I finally stood up for myself?

I crush him with those words. Absolutely break him. You can literally see his face crumble before me.

Without words, he turns and walks away.

I slam my hand onto the counter. “You’re such an asshole.”

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