Page 48 of Forbidden

Chapter Seventeen

Rosalie

A coupleof months after breaking up with David, I found myself thinking about Shane even more. I pulled up Facebook and started scrolling through all the Shane Ventanas when I saw a photo that knocked the wind out of me. Shane was smiling in the photo with his arm around a dark-haired woman.

Bitch!

I hated her. I didn’t have to know anything about her to hate her. The less I knew about her, the better. But I couldn’t leave his page. I scrolled down his few public posts and then looked at his photos. He didn’t seem very active on there, which was disappointing. But when I noticed the link to the name he was in a relationship with, I clicked it faster than I had ever clicked on anything before in my life.

Her name was Isabel DeLeo. How weird that she has my last name. She was pretty. Bitch. Looked similar to me with her light brown hair and dark eyes. Except she was thinner. Double bitch. Almost every picture of her had her looking lovingly up at Shane. Lucky Bitch.

From what I could tell, they were living together in Virginia. Virginia is for lovers. Fuck you, Virginia! As I scrolled further along her page, I saw the same town name pop up over and over. It took a few minutes for it to register that the town they lived in had the same name as where I lived. That had to mean something. What were the chances that three thousand miles away, he was in the same town, just a different state?

My eyes blurred as tears filled them. I couldn’t control the tears that started to fall. My chest ached. I couldn’t breathe. I could still remember what his lips tasted like. How could he move on? He was supposed to be alone and miserable like me.

I was officially insane. There was no other explanation for how crazy I was acting, but I couldn’t help myself. I picked up the phone and dialed Noelle. Even though we weren’t as close as we were years ago, she was the only one who would understand my current insanity.

“Hello?” Noelle mumbled.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I forgot about the time difference.”

“No, it’s okay, it’s only the middle of the night.” She laughed softly. “Everything okay?”

I sighed. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“I already know you’re crazy, nothing will change that.”

“Okay, okay, but still. I need to talk and you’re the only one who might understand. I’m emailing you a link.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Shane. I found him on Facebook.”

“No shit? He still hot?”

“He looks exactly the same. His hair is a little shorter, but that’s about it. Oh well, except for the woman who seems to be surgically attached to him.”

“Get out! Is he married?”

“No, in a relationship. It hurts just to say that. Did you get the link?”

“Mmm-hmm. Isabel DeLeo? Is she related?”

“I know, right? That’s how fucked up life is, but no relation as far as I know. Add to that, they’re in the same town as me. Well, different state, but how weird is that?”

“Really weird.” Noelle was quiet for a minute and I knew she was scrolling and clicking like I was. “She’s pretty. Which means she’s a bitch, right?”

“Yes,” I said, laughing.

“You’re prettier.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“I know, but it’s true. Did you send him a friend request?”

“No, I can’t.

“You okay?”

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