New Year’s Day Chapter 1 Exclusive
F*ck Love
by
by
Tarryn Fisher
~ Synopsis ~
Unwittingly.
But not unprovoked.
Kit Isley is everything she's not—unstructured, untethered, and not even a
little bit careful.
It could all be so
beautiful...if he wasn't dating her best friend. Helena must defy her heart, do
the right thing, and think of others.
Until she doesn't.
Chapter One
#wtf
“You are supposed to be with me.”
What words are these? They startle me, and at first I think I’ve heard him
wrong. He’s leaning across the table while our significant others are twenty
feet away, waiting in line for our food.
“You and me,” he says. “Not us and them.”
I blink at him before I realize he’s making a joke. I laugh and go back to
looking at my magazine. Actually, it’s not really a magazine. It’s a math
journal, because I’m super cool like that.
“Helena…” I don’t look up right away. I’m afraid to. If I look up and see
that he’s not joking, everything will change.
“Helena.” He reaches out and touches my hand. I jump, pull back. My chair
makes a horrid scraping sound, and Neil looks over. I pretend that I dropped
something and reach under the table. Under the table are our shoes and legs.
There is a blue crayon lying at my feet; I pick it up and resurface.
Neil is at the front of the line
ordering our food, and my best friend’s boyfriend is waiting for my response,
his eyes heavy with burden.
“Are you drunk?” I hiss. “What the fuck?”
“No,” he says. Though he doesn’t look so sure. For the first time, I
notice the scruff on his face. The skin around his eyes is sallow. He’s going
through something, maybe? Life is being bullshit.
“If this is a joke, you’re making me really uncomfortable,” I tell him.
“Della is right there. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I only have ten minutes, Helena.” His eyes move to the blue crayon, which
is resting between our hands.
“Ten minutes for what? You’re sweating,” I say. “Did you take something,
are you on the crack?” What type of drugs make you sweat like that? Crack?
Heroine?
I want Neil and Della to come back. I want everything to go back to
normal. I spin around to see where they are.
“Helena…”
“Stop saying my name like that.” My voice shakes. I make to stand up, but
he grabs the crayon, then my hand.
“I don’t have much time. Let me show you.”
He’s sitting very still, but his eyes remind me of a cornered animal:
frightened, panicked, bright. I’ve never seen that look on his face, but since
Della’s only been dating him for a few months, it’s a moot point. I don’t
really know this guy. He could be a druggie for all I know. He turns my hand
over so it’s palm up, and I let him. I don’t know why, but I do.
He places the crayon in my palm and closes my fist around it.
“You have to say it out loud,” he says. “Show me, Kit.”
“Say it, Helena. Please. I’m afraid of what will happen if you don’t.”
Because he looks so afraid, I say it.
“Show me, Kit.” And then, “Should I know what this is?”
~ Connect with Tarryn ~
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