The Blank Canvas (Apartment #2) Read Online Free Page A

need to talk about Ethan any more now than we ever did before the last time he ran off and cut everyone out of his life. Don’t get me wrong. I love the boy, and I will always be there for him if he ever pulls his head out of his ass again, but I don’t think we need to keep bringing him up right now. He hurt our friend by being a selfish prick, and until he’s ready to stop being one, I don’t see what there is to talk about.”
    “But why does that make Rachel a bitch?”
    “Oh, she’s a cunt, Emma! You wouldn’t believe
half
the shit that Eric told me about her after I pried it out of him. I promised him I wouldn’t divulge the details—and it’s a promise I intend to keep—but believe me when I say that leaving Ethan was probably the nicest thing she ever did for him.”
    After almost a full minute of silence, Emma finally whispered, “I
knew
it. I never did like her.” She looked up at Lily and felt the urge to explain herself. “She was just so damn stuck up, always looked down her nose at everyone. But she was who my brother said he wanted.”
    “You guys really don’t need to explain this stuff to me,” Lily said, grabbing the pitcher and filling up their empty glasses. “I’m not asking or trying to pry. If you want to talk about him, talk about him. If you don’t, then don’t.”
    “But doesn’t it hurt you even more?” Maggie asked, reaching out and grabbing her hand before she could pick up her glass.
    “What do you want me to say? I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t still miss him every day. Missing him hurts. Not having him in my arms at night hurts. Hearing about him—well, that also hurts, but it also lets me know that I didn’t dream the whole damn thing. He really existed. For a short, beautiful time, an amazing man was in my life. I would never trade in those memories, even if it meant never feeling any pain.”
    “Are you more hurt or angry?” Emma asked.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, be honest. You just uprooted your entire life, and it sounds like it was mostly triggered by him, by the hope of being with him. And that very day, he disappears without a word to any of us. That’s gotta piss you off just the littlest bit.”
    Lily thought for a moment before giving the most truthful answer she could manage. “Yeah, I suppose I’m angry. But if anything, I’m angry about how he went about it. I’d like to think I’d have more respect for him if he had the guts to tell me to my face that this wasn’t what he wanted anymore. Without actually hearing it from him, I feel like it’s not over, like maybe there is more going on under the surface. I hate feeling like I’m reading more into it than I should, and that makes me angry. I don’t want to be one of those clingy girls who just can’t take a hint. I mean, he left. Most people would get the message loud and clear, not lie around pining for him.”
    “Sweetie, I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Emma smiled. “It’s not like you locked yourself away in your room for six months and stared out the window. You are getting on with your life. You moved out on your own, you aren’t waiting hand and foot on everyone around you—hell, just you being here is a big deal. Getting you out of the house used to be like pulling teeth!”
    “She’s right, Lily,” Maggie joined in. “You are becoming a new person. I always liked you before, but I really love who you have become. You’re sassy and you don’t take our shit, and that’s just the kind of friend we need. It’s inspirational to see you blossom like this.” She smiled wickedly before adding, “In fact, the whole situation is inspirational. If your relationship had ended better, I totally would have stolen it for my next book. When I first figured out what was going on, my fingers were just itching to start typing!”
    Lily rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. “Well maybe you can write me the happy ending that I didn’t