Page 20 of The Snowball Effect

Especially when Regan clapped her hands once, garnering her attention. The feeling Emma had in her stomach did not align with Regan’s bright smile in any way.

“I think this calls for a roommate grocery-shopping trip!”

“I think not,” Emma snarked right back.

“We have no real food,” Regan astutely pointed out. “Even before I got rid of your chicken salad, you barely had anything in there. AndIhaven’t gone shopping since the debacle lastweek, because I’ve been terrified to buy anything with the wrong ingredients; I don’t want to bring anything in here that you could be allergic to.”

There was something in Regan’s tone that was both factual and beseeching, almost like it had been practiced. It was enough to raise Emma’s suspicions about her chicken salad notreallybeing off.

She narrowed her eyes. “Can’t you just read the labels if you’re so concerned?”

Regan’s stupidly bright smile was guileless, her dark eyes wide. “Emma, I couldn’t even properly read a roommate contract. You trust this noggin not to kill you by mistake?” She tapped her index finger against her own temple.

Emma wasn’t an idiot; she had a very real hunch that she was being played into spending more time with Regan.

But on the other hand, she wasn’t sure shecouldtrust Regan to properly read food labels. Plus… Regan wasn’t technically incorrect in saying that Emma really hadn’t had anything else by way of groceries.

She let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m only doing this because I actually need to go grocery shopping.”

Regan’s grin was far too wide, revealing her pearly white, perfectly straight teeth.

Was food really all that important?

Emma pondered that important philosophical question as she pushed the cart up and down the aisles at the store, following Regan. Who – surprise, surprise – seemed to like to talk through all of her choices before depositing things in the cart.

“I’m better with a list,” Regan informed her, even though Emma didn’t ask.

She hadn’t commented on anything for over ten minutes as she held steadfastly onto the belief that her silence would make this experience go quicker.

Her lack of response hadn’t seemed to hinder Regan in the least, though, as she continued to chatter their way down the next aisle.

“You know what I miss the most about living in a suburb? Like, back in Massachusetts, before I moved here?” Regan posed the question as if Emma couldpossiblyknow the answer as she maneuvered their carriage around a woman who was pondering pasta sauces.

“I’m aching to know.” The sarcasm escaped her, breaking her quiet streak.

Regan continued, seemingly unaware of Emma’s lack of sincerity. “The size of the grocery store aisles. Everything here is so cramped.”

Emma turned to look at Regan as she registered her words. A question that she genuinely wanted the answer to formed in her mind, one that she couldn’t help but ask. “Why did you even move here?”

It was a question she’d never really thought to voice. Granted, she’d tried her best not to think too deeply about Regan for the last two years. It had been something she’d actually avoided because – in spite of Emma’s best efforts – Regan was an interesting person. Deeply irritating. But interesting.

Now that she’d voiced the question, she couldn’t help but push for the answer. After all, it was too late to pretend she’d never asked. “I mean… you don’t have a location-specific job.” Regan could be a barista literallyanywhere. “And you don’t have any ambitions you’re pursuing in Manhattan. Or any familyhere. You’re not going to college here. You didn’t even move here the year after high school, right?”

The more she spoke, the less sense Regan made to her.

Regan grew up in a wealthy family in Massachusetts, with everything she could possibly want available at her fingertips. And she’d just decided to move to Manhattan at nineteen, with no academic or career pursuits? She’d decided to move to one of the most expensive places in the country, away from her family, to work at… Topped Off?

Regan turned to look back at her, and – for once – she didn’t have a quick, enthusiastic, glib response. Her full lips were quirked to the side, and there was the slightest crinkle between her eyebrows before she answered, “Sutton lived here.”

Her words were thoughtfully spoken but didn’t explain anything to Emma. If anything, they incited more confusion.

Incredulously, she turned to stare at Regan as they turned into a new aisle. And because she was so focused, she didn’t even realize she’d bumped into someone else’s cart until after the damage was done.

Jarred back into the moment, the apology was already falling from her lips, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t–”

Abruptly, the words fell away as she realized exactly who she’d run into.

Felicity Hammond. Whose eyebrows lifted just as high as Emma’s were on her own forehead, clearly surprised. “Emma. Hey.”

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