Page 48 of Catch Me
“Of all of the magazines from your old collection.”
“I—” I cut myself off when the buzzer by our front door beeps.
“Hang on a second,” I tell Andreas. “Yes,” I call into the intercom.
“A Ms. Ari Sanchez is here to see you.”
My eyes bulge. “Ari?”
“It’s me,” I hear her say right before it sounds like her voice breaks into a sob.
My heart squeezes.
“Please, send her up,” I tell the doorman.
“Andreas, I’m sorry, I have to go. Something’s wrong with my friend.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he replies before I hang up.
I yank the door open and wait for Ari to exit the elevator. When she spots me waiting at the end of the hallway, she practically breaks into a sprint.
My bestie throws herself into my arms, nearly taking us both to the ground.
“It’s over, Vee,” she cries into my shoulder.
CHAPTER 14
Ivy
I tuck my feet underneath me on the couch and turn to Ari, watching her scoop another spoonful of mint chocolate chip ice cream into her mouth.
“Are you ready to talk about it?”
She takes a beat and then turns to me. Ari’s hazel eyes are puffy and red rimmed from crying, her bronzed curls are a bit wild, and the grey cardigan she’s wearing hangs off of one shoulder.
“It’s over, Vee,” she half-whines, calling me by the nickname only Mya and she use. “Ron and I are done.”
“But—”
“I know what you’re going to say. Yes, we’ve done this off and on thing for almost seven years now, but I mean it this time.” She peers up at me through those long lashes.
I raise an eyebrow, to which Ari groans and then drops her head into her arm that rests on the back of the couch. I reach out and squeeze her shoulder.
“Tell me what happened,” I encourage, knowing my friend doesn’t need judgment right now.
“Well—” She’s cut off when the door bursts open, making us both startle.
“I know you didn’t start the story without me,” Mya says with her hands on her hips, glaring between the two of us.
“‘Course not,” Ari perks up. “This one,” she gestures her head in my direction, “tried to get me to spill but I told her not without Mya.”
“Liar.” I swat Ari with a pillow from the couch.
“Traitor,” Mya tosses my way before plopping down on the couch between the two of us and plucking the carton of ice cream out of Ari’s hands. “You’re lactose intolerant.”
“I told her she could sleep in your room tonight,” I say. “The last thing I want is for her to stink up my room after eating all of that dairy.”
Mya snickers. “Her ass will be on the couch now since I’m here.”
