Page 31 of My Heart to Find

I stare at the message for a long, long time. Does that mean he’s not with Jana? I mean, it’s only been one date...and there could be a chance they were just meeting as friends. It might not even have been a date.

Have I still got a chance?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jana

“HEY, GIRL.” I WEDGEmy phone between my shoulder and ear, cradling it there like everyone on TV seems to do and—

My phone slips, because of course it does, and whatever answer’s Cara’s giving, well, only the carpet hears it.

“Shoot,” I mutter. I flap my hands about, my nails are still wet, and try to turn my phone over with one hand, hoping I can use the ace ring on my finger as some sort of lever—not that it works. Typical—I’ve been trying to get through to Cara since yesterday evening, and now that she finally answers, more than twelve hours later, I’ve got wet nails.

“River!” I flick my head back toward the doorway. Is River still in the apartment? She was the one who called Cara’s number for me and slid my phone into the gap between my neck and shoulder, helping me with the practicalities of making a phone call when one’s hands are otherwise engaged. And that was only seconds ago, really. Cara answered on the eighth ring.

But there’s no sound now. Did my roommate leave already? In the time it took Cara to answer her phone? I can hear Cara’s voice muffled against the carpet.

“Hold on, Car,” I say loudly. Maybe I can put it onto speakerphone without smudging crimson across the screen or messing up my nails.

Eventually, I manage it. But the whole thing has me wheezing. Need to use my inhaler. Damn asthma.

“Are you okay?” Cara’s voice is a bit alarmed now. No wonder, what with my shouting. I wonder if the line made a weird noise when I dropped the phone too.

“Yeah, just painted my nails, trying not to smudge them, but dropped my phone.” I clear my throat. “Anyway, girl, I wanted to ask you something. Well, check with you on something.” My voice is going all crackly. I sound nervous.

“Yeah?”

“So, you’ll never guess who I bumped into yesterday—Damien! From the retreat.”

I wait for her reaction—surprise and exclamations. But there’s nothing, just Cara’s quick breaths.

“Anyway, we got talking, and I asked him if he’d want to meet again, with me—and then I felt like such a terrible friend. Like I’m creeping behind your back or something, so I just wanted to ask you if you’re okay with it? Like, if I do go out with him?”

I swallow quickly, the air seems too hot in here. I glance at my nails. There are tiny hairs from the carpet sticking to them. Great.

“That’s fine,” Cara says. Her voice is neutral. There’s no emotion in it.

---