The Heartbreak Cure

by Ashby, Amanda

  “There was a reason you saw it on Mackenzie’s desk. Because all the kids like her and Bennet—the kids who don’t need it, apart from for the prestige—they’re the ones competing for it. And one of them will get it. Someone like me would never stand a chance.”

  “You mean someone smart, hardworking, and deserving?” Her jaw tightened.

  “From the wrong side of the tracks.”

  “I’m going to ignore that. Our deal was that I would help you with your scholarship applications, and that’s what I’m going to do. You have to get something out of this arrangement.”

  “You mean apart from the warm glow of fulfillment and satisfaction?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “There is that.” A smile danced around her mouth for a second. “Come on, Alex. Let me help you with this. It’s the least I can do.”

  Alex rubbed his brow. This was dangerous.

  Cat, with her golden-brown eyes and full mouth that did bad things to his heart rate, was oblivious to the effect she had on him. Which was good, because he was the last thing she needed in her life. And yet…

  He glanced at the time on his cell. It was almost six.

  “Won’t your mom be expecting you?”

  Not to mention, they didn’t hang out like this together.

  They sat in her backyard from time to time—staring up at never-ending sky, chatting about school. Or bands. Or nothing.

  But they didn’t do stuff. Well, up until two days ago they didn’t.

  “Nope. She’s grabbing a bite to eat with a friend and won’t be home until nine. Anyway, I’m in her good books because she wants me to do her makeup for her date on Friday. With Joe. I take it you know.”

  “I had my suspicions. Are you okay about it?” he asked, studying her face.

  “Sure. Unless Joe has a secret life I need to know about.”

  “Nope. He’s a simple, go to work, go home to eat, rinse and repeat kind of guy,” Alex said, not bothering to add his boss probably thought he was punching far above his weight when it came to Cat’s mom. Still, it might make him less grumpy in the mornings.

  “Okay. Good to know. And now back to the topic of the hour. I have a bad feeling if I just leave this with you, you’ll never get around to filling it out.”

  “You really want to help?”

  “No, I really want a big bank account and a Harley.” Her dark eyes twinkled. “But I guess filling in a scholarship application will be okay. So, are you in?”

  No. Worst idea ever.

  No good could come from it.

  Say you’re busy.

  Say you’re heading out.

  Just don’t say yes.

  He rubbed his brow, indecision gnawing at him. He was already in over his head. Spending more time with her wasn’t a good idea. But saying no to her—seeing the hurt in her eyes—made him a jerk.

  Besides, it’s no big deal. It’s not like anything would ever happen.

  “Sure.” He nodded. “As long as you let me drive you home before nine.”

  “Deal.” Her face broke into a smile. Cat Turner never ceased to amaze him.

  Chapter Six

  “He said yes. Can you believe it? He really said yes. Oh, God. I’m going to throw up,” Nikki said on Thursday after school, as she smoothed down her already smooth T-shirt. The one she’d spent all of the previous night debating over. “What if I mess this up?”

  “You won’t mess it up.” Cat patted her friend’s arm, not bothering to mention she was hardly the best person to give dating advice. Or, that they’d soon be up to their elbows in glitter and paint and whatever else it took to build pretend trees. “It’s going to be great.”

  “Easy for you to say. You’re going with your boyfriend.”

  “Fake boyfriend,” Cat corrected for the hundredth time. As usual, Nikki didn’t appear to notice. Problem was Cat was forgetting to notice, too. He wasn’t just her friend, he was the guy who’d been forced to take his sisters to a soup kitchen. The guy who lived in a bare apartment, the guy with the battered folder where he’d carefully stored his academic records. Most kids were more worried about owning the right brand of sneakers, but Alex was fighting to own his life.

  And when he opened the door after just getting out of the shower, he looked so hot I could hardly breathe.

  “Not the point. Oh, this is bad.” Nikki clamped her mouth closed and managed to chew off all the lip gloss she’d carefully applied.

  “No, it’s not. Look, there he is.”

  “What?” Nikki glanced up to where Parker was tentatively walking toward them. His face was a picture of panic, as if imaging the ground might crumble beneath him. His wild curls had been brushed back, and he clutched his cell phone like it was a life raft. But at the sight of Nikki, the terror fled from his eyes, and a shy smile curled up on his mouth. “Does he look happy? Please tell me he looks happy.”

  “He looks like he’s stumbled into a secret viewing room at ComicCon. And, considering we’re all about to be covered in sawdust and glitter in the name of charity, that can only mean one thing. He’s happy.” She gave her friend a slight nudge forward, and Nikki jogged toward her date.

  “Ah, little ones grow up so fast.” Alex appeared from nowhere and followed her gaze over to where Nikki and Parker were now talking.

  “That they do,” Cat agreed as she breathed in his cologne. Mistake. Her stomach crash-landed several feet below the floor, leaving her giddy. “And Nikki hasn’t even punched him in the arm, which means it’s going well.”

  “I’ll bow to your superior knowledge on the matter,” he said. His eyes were shades of rippling lakes and spring skies, and there was a hint of stubble along his jaw. The more time they spent together, the harder Cat was finding it to not just reach up and touch his skin. Definitely a problem. “So, are you ready to build an enchanted forest?”

  “Not even a little bit,” she said as his arm grazed hers, sending static electricity racing up her arm. She sucked in her breath.

  Was this a crush?

  Because if so, crush was the wrong word. It should be called a mind explosion, a lung-collapser, or a body meltdown. And it all could’ve been avoided if she hadn’t gone around to his apartment. But seeing where he lived—devoid of anything that normally made a home—something deeper had twisted inside. She’d seen part of his true self.

  And his true self seems to be my catnip.

  “It won’t be so bad,” he said as they walked into the old storage shed. It had been transformed into a building site full of lengths of wood and metal lying on the ground. At the far end was a large whiteboard with various designs scribbled on it, while acres of fake ivy lay curled in snake-like balls next to giant candelabras. Violin music was floating in the air, and the rest of Mackenzie’s victims were standing having muted conversations like they were at a cocktail party. And there, right in the center of them was Bennet Miller and Isabel. “I take it back. It’ll definitely be bad.”

  “Holy crap,” Nikki said as she and Parker joined them in the doorway. “Have we just walked into the Twilight Zone?”

  If only. At least in the Twilight Zone, the monsters were clearly marked. Unlike here, where the only way to identify them was by their curled lips and Swiss watches.

  “So many questions, so few answers.” Cat squirmed. For the last week, she’d become accustomed to people looking at her, but this was like being under a microscope.

  “Right, now everyone’s here, we can get started.” Mackenzie glared at Cat, as if she’d arrived fifteen minutes late, not five minutes early. “For those of you who are sewing, please go and see Carrie. And remember we’re using real silk, so don’t screw it up. Everyone working on the trompe l’oeil please go left. I’ll take you, you, and you to start on the carpentry,” she said pointing to Nikki, Parker, and a senior whose name Cat didn’t know. “And Alex, I believe you can weld, which means I need you to work on the central tree.”

  “How did she know you could weld?” Cat widened her eye
s before remembering Mackenzie knew everything. And that she set us up. “I never stood a chance against her, did I?”

  “Nope. Just remember we’re doing this for your future journalism career,” Alex said as his shoulder grazed her arm, blurring the lines in her mind. “And no pressure, but I expect you to mention me when you win your Pulitzer.”

  “I’ll try and remember,” Cat croaked as they followed Mackenzie over to the far end of the building. “By the way, did you get your application sent off?”

  “I emailed it last night,” he said. “Thanks for pushing me on it.”

  “No one can nag like I can,” Cat said before Mackenzie made a liar out of her by spending the next ten minutes going over the sculpture plan with Alex before deciding Cat could cut out golden leaves from sheets of foil.

  It was after five by the time Mackenzie finally decided to call it a day.

  “Thank God that’s over,” Cat said as she joined Alex outside. There was a line around his forehead where the welding mask had been, and a lingering scent of burned oil clung to his clothing. “Was it terrible?”

  “It was surprisingly like being in the garage. Mackenzie and Joe have a lot in common.” He shrugged as he reached over and plucked a foil leaf from her hair, his arm brushing her skin. “Missed one.”

  “Oh, right. Thanks.” Her pulse fluttered as he handed it to her. She tried to shut down the echo of Nikki’s earlier comments about how much fun being on the decorating committee could be, and hoped any flutters were from lack of food.

  No good could come from anything else. She was done with guys, and Alex was done with Franklin. Plus, he’d only agreed to help her because of what happened to his mom and sisters. Because he knew what it was like to be laughed at, to be the center of attention.

  So why do I keep staring at his mouth and wondering what it would be like to kiss him?

  Oh, wait. It’s because I’m slowly losing my mind.

  “No problem. Remember, no leaves shall leave the building,” Alex said, perfectly mimicking Mackenzie’s sharp tone. He could weld and act? Alex Locke was getting more multitalented by the moment.

  “Please don’t tell my mom that one. She doesn’t need any more bad puns to put on her cards,” Cat said as Alex’s cell phone buzzed. He read the text message before looking up.

  “You could tell her yourself—or not tell her, as the case might be. She wants you to call her.”

  “What?” Cat said in surprise before dragging out her own phone and staring at the dead screen. She’d obviously played one too many games on it during math. “How did she even get your number?”

  He shrugged. “I guess Joe gave it to her.”

  “Oh.” It seemed she wasn’t the only one forgetting Alex wasn’t her real boyfriend.

  The darkening afternoon sky was a spectrum of blues as he held up his cell. “You can use mine.”

  “Thanks.” She took the handset. The screen was cracked, and there was a fine coat of grease on the keys. She grinned at his screen saver, which was of Snoopy dressed up as the Red Baron. “Frozen and now Snoopy? I always knew you had a marshmallow heart.”

  “Yeah. I’m a total softie,” his voice was light, but his knuckles whitened. Cat winced. Franklin had tarred and feathered him with the same brush they’d used for his parents. The worst thing was he seemed to believe it, too. Frustration gnawed at her chest.

  How I am the only one who can see how amazing he really is?

  Her mom answered on the second ring and explained she’d been held up in a sales meeting and it was going to run for another two hours, which meant she couldn’t pick Cat from school.

  “It’s fine. I’ll hitch a ride with Nikki,” Cat said, promising to charge up her cell phone, eat some vegetables with her dinner, and on no account throw a house party.

  “You’ll never guess what just happened.” Nikki came running outside, her eyes glowing and her cheeks bright.

  “Mackenzie fell into a vat of glitter?” Cat suggested.

  “Or glue?” Alex added.

  “Wrong. Parker just asked me if I wanted to grab a burger with him. Well, he said you guys could come, but I told him you were busy. Right. Right?” Nikki narrowed her gaze so there could be no misunderstandings.

  “Right,” she agreed with a smile before recalling her transport predicament. “Go, have fun, and don’t tell him about the time you beat your brothers up. It will only scare him.”

  “Duh.” Nikki grinned and went racing over to Parker, who was nervously chewing his lip.

  “I can give you a lift,” Alex said once they were alone.

  “Are you sure? I feel like every day I impose on you more,” she said, achingly aware of how close they were standing.

  “What kind of fake boyfriend would leave his girl stranded?” He shrugged.

  His girl.

  His. Girl.

  She tested out the words like a new flavor. Her body trembled in response and she nodded. “Okay, great.”

  They made the short trip to her house in silence, but it wasn’t until he pulled up her stomach rumbled. She groaned and glanced over to see if he’d heard it. His smile answered the question for her.

  “That’s my cue to leave,” he said as he toyed with his car keys. “And don’t forget, broccoli is your friend.”

  “You heard her say that?” What didn’t he hear?

  “I thought it was cute.” He gave her a slow smile.

  “Perhaps when I was ten.” Cat snorted before catching herself. At least she had a mom who worried about what she did or didn’t eat. All Alex had was his empty apartment with the makeshift kitchen. The wrongness of his situation caught in her throat and she turned to him. “Hey, what are you doing tonight?”

  “I might take the Porsche out for a spin. Then again, I’ll probably just settle for calculus.”

  “Or, you could hang out with me.” She floated the words and then held her breath.

  I’m not asking because I want to kiss him. I’m asking because he’s my friend.

  God, I’m a bad liar.

  “I was going to order burgers and spend the night binging Netflix.”

  “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.” A flash of something crossed his face as he ran his hand through his short hair. It was a look she’d seen before. When he’d first moved into Birdie’s, he’d always acted as if he wasn’t really welcome.

  “That’s because you’ve obviously never had one of Jerry’s burgers. And don’t forget I promised I’d bring you into the modern age of movies,” she said.

  He was silent before letting out a deep breath. “Sure. Burgers and movies sound great.”

  …

  “Admit it, your life is now better because you’ve seen Guardians of the Galaxy,” Cat said as the end credits came up. Alex was leaning against the base of the sofa, his long legs sprawled out on the floor. Despite the dim lights, the glow from the screen highlighted his face. His eyes were half-hooded, but his jaw was relaxed.

  He’d enjoyed it.

  A small thrill flashed through her, warming her skin. The fact she’d managed to get him to forget about his past and let his guard down felt like a small win.

  “Fine. When it comes to movie selections, you know your stuff, Cat Turner. I was expecting a romance or something.”

  “Don’t worry. I have plenty of those. I’m just easing you in gently.” She slid down on the floor next to him and reached for the bowl of M&M’s sitting on the coffee table. She passed it to him, but he shook his head.

  “You’re too kind.”

  “I try my best. I think this is the first time I’ve ever watched a movie with a guy,” she said before inwardly groaning. Who said stuff like that?

  Oh, wait. That would be me.

  “Not that we were watching it as a date or anything. And yeah, I should probably shut up now.”

  Alex was silent before he shifted to face her, their shoulders almost touching against the sofa. They were close. So close. The room suddenly
seemed too small, and Cat’s throat tightened.

  “I take it you and Bennet didn’t have movie nights?”

  “Not exactly,” she said, trying not to focus on the fact their shoulders were still touching. Up until now, Alex hadn’t asked anything about her short relationship with Bennet, which was good because she hated the fact he might judge her for making such a bad decision. “We only went out three times, and one of those was with a group of his friends. Not exactly the stuff of high romance. I should’ve seen it coming.”

  “Hey,” some of the softness left his mouth as his eyes held hers. “Don’t beat yourself up about an asshat like him. It’s a good thing you’re sweet and trusting. He didn’t deserve you.”

  “Thank you.” Her mouth went dry. That was quite possibly the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. Usually, her first instinct would be to write it down for a story. But, as she stared at his hard jaw, all she could think of was him.

  Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. It was so loud. How could it be so loud?

  Can he hear it? She looked up to find his blue eyes staring intently at her. His head was titled, and—

  “Hello, Cat. You home?” her mom called out, the sound echoing through the house from somewhere near the front door.

  In a flash, Alex jumped to his feet and crossed to the other side of the room while she hastily rearranged the throw pillows scattered on the floor, hoping it would somehow conceal the heat in her face.

  “So, I should probably take off.” He fumbled through his jacket pocket for his car keys.

  “Sure.” She caught her breath with a jolt. After being so close, it was strange having him at a distance. “Are we okay?”

  He rubbed his chin before he gave her a half smile. Relief filled her. “Yeah, we’re good. So, I’ll pick you up tomorrow?”

  “Sure.” She managed to nod as she followed him to the door. She was still standing in the living room several minutes later when her mom walked in.

  “Movie night?” Her mom looked around with interest.

  “Yeah, turns out Alex hasn’t seen anything since Frozen. It’s a great wrong that needed to be righted.”