Page 4 of Beyond the Lines
Especially after the summer I had…
“Oh, and I met this guy who’s hosting a party tonight!” Em’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “It’s at one of the fraternity houses. We should go!”
My stomach tightens at the word ‘party’ after everything Mike has told me. “I don’t know…”
“Come on!” She bounces on her heels. “It’ll be fun! Plus, there’s this whole group of girls from our floor going! Safety in numbers!”
Trying to get off the topic, I reach into my backpack to find my phone, when my fingers brush against something else. Something I’d tucked in there this morning, almost without thinking.
The postcards.
My throat constricts as I pull the first one from the stack. The image on the front shows the Charles Bridge in Prague at sunset, the sky a watercolor wash of pinks and oranges. I remember the little market stall where I bought it.
With Chris.
“What’s that?” Em asks, peering over my shoulder.
“Just…” I shove the postcard back into my bag. “A memento.”
“From a trip?”
I hesitate. I’d rather not tell her, but I don’t want to lie. “From a summer romance gone wrong.”
Em plops down beside me. “Do tell!”
“There’s not much to tell.” I force a light tone. “Met a guy while traveling. Thought it was something real. Turned out he had a girlfriend back home.”
Em’s eyes widen. “What an asshole!”
“Yeah.” I zip my bag closed with more force than necessary. “So I’m done with boys. At least for now.”
“Fair enough.” Em nods sagely. “But you know what’s the best cure for a broken heart?”
“Let me guess—a party?”
“Exactly!” She grabs my hands. “Come on, there aresomany cute guys on campus. The best way to get over someone is to?—”
“If you say, ‘get under someone else,’ I’m moving out.”
She laughs. “I wasgoingto say ‘meet new people and have fun.’ But your version works too.”
I shake my head, but I can feel a smile tugging at my lips. “You’reawful.”
“I know!” She beams. “So… is that a yes to the party?”
I hesitate. The last thing I want is to meet anyone new to date, especially at a frat party. But the second-last thing I want to do is upset my new roommate, who’s looking at me with such hopeful eyes…
“Fine, I’ll go to the party,” I sigh. “But I’m not looking to meet anyone. I mean it.”
“Of course not!” Em holds up her hands innocently. “We’lljust go, dance a little, have a drink or two. Totally casual. No boys required.”
Something in her too-innocent expression tells me she’s already plotting to introduce me to every eligible guy at the party, and that she’s got a spreadsheet in mind for match-making, but for now, I let it slide.
After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
The bathroom mirror reveals an unfamiliar face—mine, but enhanced by Em’s makeup wizardry. She’s transformed my usual low-maintenance look into something sultry yet effortless, with smoky eyeshadow that makes my green-gold eyes pop and a nude lipstick that somehow makes my lips look fuller.
“You’re a magician,” I tell her reflection as she adds a final sweep of highlighter to my cheekbones.
