Count on Me (Bayview Heights Trilogy) Read Online Free Page A

reluctant grin tugged at Cassie’s mouth. “You never kid yourself about anything.”
    “It’ll be hell.”
    “I know. And he’s staying with us until we move to the new house, then he’s buying the condo.”
    “ What? ”
    Cassie stood and paced the front of the classroom. Dressed in baggy jeans and an oversize top, she looked like one of the kids. “I’m furious with Mitch for offering. We had a terrible fight about it last night. Neither of us slept much.”
    “Cass, don’t let my problems with Kurt come between you and your husband. We managed to avoid that through the whole breakup.”
    Still Cassie paced. “I’m just so mad.”
    “We’ll all deal with it.” Though she tried not to ask, Zoe lost the internal struggle. “Did Mitch tell you what happened with Elizabeth?”
    “He didn’t have to tell me. It’s been obvious all along. She’s a cast-iron bitch. She treated him like dirt for years and just showed her true colors again. Only this time Kurt wouldn’t put up with it.”
    Sadness, deep and murky, swirled inside Zoe. “It’s such a waste.”
    “I know.”
    “Well, no use crying over it.” She wasn’t ever going to cry over Kurt Lansing again. “I’ll learn to live with it.” She stood. “Come on, let’s go to lunch.”
    “You still want to?”
    Zoe crossed to Cassie and hugged her. “Of course. I haven’t seen my best friend in months. I’m dying to hear all about Camille, and about the Taylor twins. Is Lacey coping?”
    “A lot better than I am. Camille’s giving her big sister competition for the number-one monster in our house.”
    “Oh, no!” Zoe laughed. “I can’t wait to hear about it.” She headed for the door.
    Cassie lagged behind.
    Zoe turned. “Cass?”
    “I really admire you, Zoe. You’re so strong, so mature. I’d be dying inside about this.”
    Zoe swallowed hard. “I am, Cass. But I can’t let it throw me like the last time. I won’t ,” she said vehemently. “Now let’s go. I want to get caught up.”
    Coming toward her, Cassie linked their arms. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
    Zoe lied baldly. “Yeah, me, too.”
     

 
    CHAPTER TWO
    “ERICA, YOUR DAD won’t miss this lovely brew?” Rachel Thompson asked, clinking Baccarat crystal flutes with four of her best friends, then slurping lustily from her champagne.
    “Nah.” Erica Case lounged on the futon that occupied a corner of her spacious bedroom; the room was long and wide with several tall windows and two skylights. She flipped back a lock of the dark hair that hung in heavy waves past her shoulders. “Good old Jackson knows immediately if there’s a possibility that my grade-point average is going to drop a tenth of a point, but he’ll never miss a few bottles of this stuff.” Erica was currently class valedictorian and it was important her grades remain high the rest of the year. But her father’s vigilance about her schoolwork drove her crazy. Defiantly she poured more champagne into her glass and sipped. It was tart and the bubbles tickled her nose. “To our senior year, which starts tomorrow.”
    Blue eyes twinkled behind glasses that cheerleader Ashley Emerson only wore when she was with her friends. “To our senior year.”
    Rachel added, “Hear, hear!” Her pink hat was pulled down over her long dark hair. Rachel and Ashley were very close, more like sisters, and tended to dress in preppie fashionable clothes and spent all their time together.
    “Let the games begin.” This from Julia Starr, who was, in Erica’s opinion, an all-around interesting person. Julia was into a lot of things, but her passion was theatre, and she was Bayview’s best actress. Erica really believed Julia would make it to Broadway.
    “Too bad Shondra couldn’t be here.” Shelley Marco sat at Erica’s huge triangular desk with the top-of-the-line computer and other high-tech equipment. Her trim build contorted into a pretzel on the padded chair. “Then we’d all be