When the Heart Falls

This is how I will always see you, as a star. Don't let anyone put out your light.



Your friend, Winter



She looks up, more tears in her eyes, this time happy tears. "You really see me this way?"

"Of course. You're always shining, filing others with your light. Thank you for shining beside me."

Jenifer hugs me, the kind of hug I usually back away from, but this time I give myself to the hug and connect with her more deeply than I have before.

We pull away from each other and spend time touring what I insist on calling a castle. The rooms are ornate and decked out for royalty, but it’s the underground passages that inspire my imagination. Stark, dreary, and scary, I wonder what memories those walls hold.

After we’ve spent a few hours taking hundreds of pictures, we head back to our dorms. “It’ll be time for dinner soon. Want to meet at Vincent’s for an encore of lunch?”

"I'd like that," she says, gripping her present in her hand. "I'll meet you there at nine. Maybe Duke will come.”

"He’d better." We arrive at the dorm, stopping at the door. "You want to play tennis?"

"Okay. Just don't cry to me when I whoop your ass."



It’s true, she whoops my ass, but at least I got a good workout. Besides, I picked the game knowing she’d win. She takes classes every week back home. I head back to our dorm, and Jenifer takes off to track down Duke and see if he’s free for dinner.

My stomach fills with butterflies as I near Cade's room, just knowing I’m going to see him again makes me feel like a lovesick teenager.

Cade is on the floor, leaning against his bed, laptop propped in front of him, sexy legs sprawled out across the room. When he sees me his smile melts my heart. "Hey, how was the birthday girl?"

"Great.” I drop my bag on the floor and sink to the ground next to him. “But I think Duke forgot her birthday."

Cade whistles. "He'll be getting an earful."

"She should dump him." I grab his hand, squeezing it, so grateful that I have him in my life.

"No one's perfect."

"He forgot her birthday!"

"Right." He smirks. "Hey, when's your birthday again?"

I pull a pillow from his bed and throw it at him. "Screw you."

He moves his computer and grabs my arms, pulling me closer for a kiss. "Screw me? Yes, you should."

“Naughty boy.” I kiss him again, enjoying his taste, then pull away enough to look at his computer. "You entered the contest?"

"It's ready to send. I was just waiting on you."

"What am I? A lucky charm?"

"Well, I get lucky with you, don't I?" He pokes my ribs, making me shriek.

"Shut up and send it already."

Balancing the laptop on his knee, he opens the browser that’s already showing the online application and hits send. "Thanks for encouraging me."

I know he’s going to win. This is his destiny. "Thanks for trying. You own this contest."

He shrugs. "Whatever happens, right?"

I kiss him, our tongues tangling together in exquisite pleasure. "I love you."

His finger grazes my lips, swollen from his kisses and love nips. "You leaving again?"

My words come out breathless. "Dinner with Jenifer."

"How long do we have?"

I push him to the floor and straddle him. "Long enough, cowboy."



My body is still tingling from my time with Cade as I watch for Jenifer from our table at Vincent’s. She’s late, but that’s not atypical of her, so I wait, even denying myself the breadsticks until she comes.

I can still feel Cade’s hands all over me, exploring my most intimate parts with the right amount of tenderness and passion. Heat enflames my cheeks, and I take a sip of water to cool off.

But my fantasies fade into worry as time ticks by and still no Jenifer.

A waitress comes by for the third time, probably frustrated that I’m keeping her from turning over the table for more tips. "You ready to order?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting for a friend."

Fifteen minutes pass, and I check my phone. 9:30 p.m. The waitress comes by again. "You want an appetizer?"

"I'm good, thanks."

My brain buzzes with worst-case scenarios as I keep checking my phone.

The waitress comes back at 10:30. "Is your friend still coming?"

"I don't know." I check my phone again. No voicemails. No text replies to the dozens I’ve sent. Something is wrong. I reach for my bag and stand. "I'm sorry. But I have to go."

She must be at Duke’s. She said she doesn’t always check her phone while there. They probably got stoned and lost track of time, which irritates me, but I resolve not to be too hard on her today. I scroll through old text messages, looking for the one with Duke’s address, and hail a cab to get there.

This is my first time here, and I’m not impressed. It’s a small house, old, buried behind a falling apart fence with garbage scattered all over the lawn.

There are birds chirping in the trees, but it's not a pretty song they sing.