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Elinor

Dear Edward,

How dare you write me those charming letters and make me fall for you? How dare you be so funny and sweet and handsome—all while you have a girlfriend??? I despise everything about you—especially your smile and those crinkle lines by your eyes. I hope someone keys your stupid Ferrari.

***

Dear false-hearted, cowardly man who sometimes goes by Edward,

Here I was, asking you silly questions like what type of chocolate you like, when I should have been asking about your girlfriend. Is she blonde or brunette or a red head? Or perhaps you are dating all three?

***

Dear Despicable Edward,

You said you wanted to know everything about me. How sweet! What I want to know is, when were you going to tell me you have a girlfriend?

***

Not-so-dear Edward,

I wish I had never met you. Why couldn’t you have been the man I thought you were?

I stare at the paper. I’m running out of anger, and all that remains is sadness and deep embarrassment. I have no one to blame but myself. I shouldn’t be surprised to find out he has a girlfriend. Have you seen the guy? Ofcoursehe does.

It’s just that when I’m with him, I swear there’s a connection between us that feels rare and precious. Finding out that he has a girlfriend makes me feel cheap and interchangeable, like one of Reginald’s many wives.

I also blame my sister. How dare she play with my heart? If I hadn’t spent the evening with Edward at the Taproom, I don’t think I would care quite so much. I shouldn’t care at all. I’ve only known the guy for a few weeks—yet here I am up in my room, writing spiteful letters and feeling sick to my stomach. Because the thing is—Idocare. I care a lot. But I wish I didn’t.

“Elinor,” My mom calls outside my room door. “Can I come in?”

“Just a minute.” I hastily throw all my hate letters into the trash. “What is it?” I open the door with a weak smile.

“I’m worried about you. You came home and went straight to your room without a word.”

“I’m just tired.”

“I would believe that, except J.J. called and told me all about how you dumped water on Edward’s boss, Lucinda Steele. What happened?”

I guess there’s no escaping this. I sit down on my bed and let out a big sigh.

“Edward has a girlfriend.” Just saying it out loud hurts.

“How do you know it’s true? Ms. Steele strikes me as a woman not overly concerned with accuracy.”

“I believe her. It explains why he wouldn’t kiss me. And the other night, after Annie’s meddling matchmaking at the tap room, I kind of asked him out, and he got all embarrassed. Said he’d get back to me. I feel so dumb. I haven’t heard from himsince.”

“You could always text him andaskif he has a girlfriend.” My mom sits down on the bed next to me.

“I could, if I thought things might work out with Edward. But I don’t see the point. There’s so much against us.”

“Is there really? I see two people who are crazy about each other. Edward is utterly smitten with you.”

“Um . . . you’re forgetting the girlfriend . . .”

“But does he really have one?”