In Real Life Read Online Free PDF Page B

“You make coffee and copies, you don’t pitch story ideas.”
    She digs around in her distressed leather purse and pulls out some memo or something. She yanks a hot pink sticky note off it and shoves it in my face. “Check this out.”
    Scribbled across the sticky note is Great story idea, Grace! I’d love to see more like this from you.
    I shake my head and toss the sticky note back at her. “So?”
    â€œSo, I just texted my editor and told her I was heading to Vegas. Apparently she’s some kind of high roller at Planet Hollywood, and when I told her I wanted to do research for a story idea while I was there, she complimented my ambition and offered up her discounted rate. Can you believe that?”
    â€œWell, a discount is great, Grace, but what about the rest of the cost?”
    â€œGirl, I know you hoard your allowance. Don’t act like you’re all poor. And Mom and Dad left me grocery money for the week. I think this is a much better cause.”
    â€œBetter than food? You’ll starve without a bottomless supply of Cheez-Its.”
    â€œThis is worth it.” Grace elbows me. “Don’t say I never did anything for you, little sister.”
    I collapse back onto the couch. This whole thing, my whole stupid idea, had just seemed like talk until now. But now that we have a hotel room … are we really going to Vegas?
    â€œI don’t know,” I say. “I know I never say this, but I think I’m wrong. We’re going to get in trouble. Mom and Dad’ll find out. Nick won’t want me there. I’ll find out he’s some old pervert or something. This is a terrible idea. Let’s just stay home and Netflix it up instead.”
    â€œHannah,” Grace says, grabbing my hand. Her eyes are serious and sad. “I need this. I need to get out of here. I haven’t felt like myself since…” She doesn’t finish her sentence, but she doesn’t need to. Even though Grace doesn’t live with us anymore, and hasn’t since she left for college, she still spends a ton of time at home, and I saw firsthand how devastating her breakup with Gabe had been. Gabe was a crappy boyfriend, controlling and stubborn, and my strong-willed sister bent to his demands and became a different person. When he left her, he left her crushed. Little pieces of Old Grace are emerging from the rubble, but it’s taking longer than any of us expected for her to put herself back together.
    â€œI know.”
    â€œI just … I know this is for you, but it’s for me, too.” She lets go of my hand and absently tugs at the silver Tiffany key necklace around her neck, a gift from the A-hole himself. I wish she’d stop wearing it. “I want to go to Vegas so I can do something besides sit around and think about him, you know?” Her voice gets quiet. Distant. Then, just as quickly as her funk came on, she snaps herself out of it and lets the necklace fall against her chest. “Look, you know what I’m talking about. You just had a breakup, too.”
    Yeah, Josh Ahmed, my most recent perfect-on-paper boyfriend, and I had called it quits back before Christmas. But Grace and I both knew my breakup was amateur hour compared to hers.
    â€œFine. We’re going.”
    â€œFabulous,” she says, her face lighting up. “I am so excited for you to finally make out with this guy tomorrow night.”
    â€œGrace, you need to get over this idea. I’m so not making out with him.” I shove her hard on the shoulder. “I told you, it’s not like that with Nick.”
    But it’s not like I’ve never thought about it.

 
    CHAPTER
    4
    FOUR MONTHS AGO
    Truth bomb: I actually thought about Nick like that a lot.
    Like, all the time, really. But I made myself pretend I didn’t, and somehow I believed my own lies, which doesn’t even make any sense when you think about it.
    It all