Love Hurts Read Online Free

beg her boss for the privilege of writing the requisite article about the gala.
     
    Anna and Mel stood at the door, quietly talking while the servers prepared for the guests. “You ready?” Anna asked her.
     
    Mel grinned.
     
    Jilly’s husband, Gregg, happened to be the first one to arrive. He looked devastatingly handsome in a black tux with tails. My sister is a lucky woman. Gregg smiled when he saw Anna and gave her a hug.
     
    “How’s my second favorite girl?”
     
    “I’m good, thanks, Gregg.”
     
    He stepped back, studied her, and gave a long, low whistle. “You look terrific, Anna. Wow. I might have to rethink who my favorite girl is.” He winked at her, but Anna knew only Jilly held the key to Gregg’s heart.
     
    “Where’s Jilly?”
     
    “She ran across the street for a minute. She needed some stockings. I think Matty got into her drawer and played with the last pair she had. I heard a few choice words coming from the bedroom as she got dressed.”
     
    “Those are the hazards of having children. Where is the little scamp this evening?”
     
    “Angela has him. His favorite babysitter.”
     
    Anna nodded, “I know her. She’s really good from what I hear. Always in demand.”
     
    “Yes, we were lucky to get her. Good thing Jilly booked her as soon as we received our invitation, or someone else would’ve snapped her up. I’m sure babysitters were in short supply for this evening.” Gregg turned. “Ah, here’s my beautiful wife.”
     
    Jilly entered the gallery with a dazzling smile. Only the sister who knew her best could see the brittle edges. She and Gregg were probably the only ones who knew how much pain Jilly carried.
     
    “Hi, sis.” Jilly kissed Anna’s cheek. “You look wonderful! Hi Mel, wow, you’ve done a great job.”
     
    It was even worse than she’d thought. Maybe Matthew hadn’t taken away all the passion Jilly used to have for her painting. Otherwise, why would it hurt so much for her to come to the gallery? Jilly’s pain showed in the shadows under her eyes, in the slight droop of her lips.
     
    “What’s the mysterious painting all about, Mel?” Jilly asked.
     
    Anna’s heart leaped in her chest. She’d nearly forgotten. She had to pull Jilly aside soon.
     
    Anna waited while Mel talked about “the wonderful artist who’d so generously lent the gallery the painting for our event.” Her toe tapped an impatient rhythm waiting for Mel to stop talking. Once she got onto her favorite subject, it could be a while.
     
    People started filling the gallery, all dressed in their finest. They filled the room with beautiful colors, like they were competing with the paintings. Anna would have loved to paint a picture of an art show. It would show the contrast between life captured and stilled on canvas, and life moving and flowing in the people who smiled and chatted.
     
    Anna moved to Jilly’s side, who now greeted people she knew from her school, where she taught art to elementary students. Jilly had gotten an art degree in Toronto and taught others instead of creating her own.
     
    “Jilly?” she whispered. “I need to talk to you for a minute.”
     
    Jilly turned. “What is it?”
     
    “Can we go outside?”
     
    “Oh Anna, do we need to?” Jilly sounded impatient. She hated to be interrupted at a party. Jilly loved nothing more than a social gathering. The more people, the better. “We’ll talk later,” she said and turned back to Kathy, the principal of the school where Jilly worked. “Kathy, this is my sister, Anna.”
     
    “Hi, Anna. It’s very nice to meet you.”
     
    Anna shook her hand and gave an automatic smile. She could feel a sheen of sweat break out across her skin at the thought of the unveiling. She dreaded Jilly’s reaction. Jilly had never been afraid of making a scene. Anna had to make sure that didn’t happen.
     
    Jilly moved on to another colleague and Anna followed, afraid to let her sister out of her sight. She