Page 87 of Snow Bound

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

She went straight from the airport to Lola’s apartment. Her friend answered the door in a pair of black leggings and a grey sweatshirt with the neck torn out, her platinum blonde hair swept back from a face that, although bare of makeup, was nonetheless spectacular.

She took one look at Anna’s face and grimaced. “Shit. What happened?”

“Nothing.” Anna chewed her lip. “Or maybe not nothing. It’s complicated.

Lola lifted one tawny eyebrow, shades darker than her hair. “Good thing I bought ice cream yesterday, then. What kind do you want?”

“Chocolate,” Anna decided and headed for the sofa while Lola detoured to the kitchen.

“First things first.” Lola settled on the end of the sofa with two pints of Häagen-Dazs and two spoons. She handed one of each to Anna and folded her legs under her. “Did he hurt you?”

“What? No.” Anna shook her head, alarmed at the glint in Lola’s whiskey colored eyes. “No, nothing like that.”

“Well, at least I don’t have to arrange for his prolonged and painful death.” Lola peeled the lid off the carton and dipped her spoon in. “Did he tell you he didn’t want to see you anymore?”

Anna shoved the spoon in her mouth. “No.”

“So why are you home a day early?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Anna mumbled.

“Then buy your own ice cream,” Lola said and made a grab for the carton.

Anna held it out of reach. “I can’t afford my own ice cream. I just spent my whole monthly grocery budget on a rental car.”

Lola frowned. “What?”

“I tried to change my flight, but I couldn’t,” Anna admitted. “I had to rent a car and drive back, and they charged me an arm and a leg.”

“For a one-way rental? You’re lucky they didn’t take a kidney.” Lola extended a leg and nudged Anna with her bare foot. “Come on, spill it or I’m confiscating the Häagen-Dazs.”

“Fine, kick me while I’m down.” Feeling a little sick, Anna stuck her spoon into the carton. “I guess I panicked.”

Lola gestured with her spoon. “Because?”

“He gave me the most amazing scene of my life.”

Lola’s eyes widened in mock shock. “That bastard.”

Anna winced. “Do you have to make me sound ridiculous?”

“You’re doing that all on your own.”

Anna picked up her spoon again. “I couldn’t do it anymore, okay? I couldn’t pretend it was just a vacation fling, that I don’t…have feelings for him.”

“Love, Anna. You love him. Say it.”

Anna threw up her hands, sending a glob of ice cream flying. “Fine. I couldn’t pretend I don’t love him.”

Lola looked at her television, now sporting a blob of dripping chocolate on the upper right corner of the screen, then back at Anna. “What happened to the ‘tell him right before I leave’ plan?”

“I told you, I panicked.”

Lola shook her head. “All right, then what happened?”

Ignoring the roiling in her belly, Anna scooped up more ice cream. “I told you. I left.”

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