Unraveled (Holding On Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

been prolonged.
    He’d checked out the twins like a good friend should, then he’d bid everyone goodbye. Carly thought it seemed as though he was in a hurry to get out of there. She wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved to see him go. Luke had walked him out, stopping to grab some cafeteria food on his way back up.
    Lily, Jemma and Carly had taken turns with the babies until Quinn’s dinner came. They decided to leave shortly after that. Quinn had been up all night and she looked exhausted. They left with promises to see her again in the morning.
    As the three women were walking out, Jemma invited Carly and Lily out for a drink. Lily declined. She had at least an hour’s drive home. The weather had already begun to worsen and she didn’t want to risk getting stuck in the storm because she’d decided to go out for a virgin daiquiri.
    Carly, not wanting to face her parents yet, had gladly accepted Jemma’s invitation. She’d sent Margo a text telling her not to wait up or worry. Then they’d gone straight to Shady’s, their usual hangout.
    “Yes, tonight it’s a great idea,” Jemma firmly told her friend. She slid the glass a bit closer. “I can tell something is wrong. Really wrong, if I’m not mistaken.”
    Carly groaned as she pulled her hands through her hair. “Am I that obvious?”
    “No,” Jemma assured her. “ If you’d been obvious about it, Quinn would’ve picked up on it. I didn’t really notice until just now. You’ve got this look on your face like…Well, you tell me what that look is about.”
    Carly’s fingers danced around the base of the small glass. She hadn’t wanted to talk about Nolan. Yet, she knew she would have to some time. She couldn’t go on forever, pretending that nothing had happened.
    Although …she thought, she could maybe pull it off for another six months .
    It wasn’t as if her family had ever seen much of Nolan. If he didn’t come for a visit between now and June, they probably wouldn’t even question it. She could prolong the, ‘I told you so ,’ from her Mom and the look of pity from her sister.
    “Whoa,” Jemma said as she leaned back in the booth.
    Carly reluctantly lifted her gaze from where it had been blindly resting on her shot. “Yeah.”
    “It’s that bad?” Jemma surmised. She grabbed a strand of her ebony hair and twirled it listlessly around a finger. Her eyes were such a deep brown, the irises almost weren’t visible. Her shimmery red lipstick stood out against her cinnamon colored skin. Those lips pursed in question.
    Carly fina lly lifted the glass and downed the drink. She made a face as the fruity concoction slid down. “ Gah …no more of those,” she said as she placed the glass back on the table.
    Jemma waved a manicured hand at her. Her crimson nails flashing. “ Pfftttt , a little old foo-foo shot like that? You can handle a few more.” She motioned to the waitress. “Two more Melon Balls, please. And another of each of these.” She motioned to the bottles of beer on the table.
    The girl scampered off to retrieve their order.
    “I’m still waiting, you know,” Jemma said.
    “Nolan and I are over, ” Carly blurted. There was no way she could’ve dropped that verbal bomb on her family. Not today. Jemma? Jemma was different. Jemma, Carly was sure, would understand. She had walked that twisted, potholed road herself.
    “Son of a bitch,” she muttered. “I’d love to think you’re the one that dumped his ass. But judging by that sour look on your face, I’m guessing that isn’t so.”
    Carly shook her head. She dumped out the whole story to Jemma, stopping only to down another Melon Ball…or two. She told Jemma details that she wouldn’t dream of sharing with anyone else. Only because like her, Jemma had dated a skeezeball or two in her day. Jemma, however, had been smart enough not to get herself engaged to one. Even still, Carly trusted her to understand in a way she wasn’t sure anyone else