Page 1 of Two Weeks to Fall in Love

Two Weeks to Find the Truth

“It’s not like that, Sky. I knew the chances he would fall for me were slim. That wasn’t why I did it.” There was a small smile on her face, a complete contrast to the tears streaming down it.

“I told you, he’s not like that!” Despite her distraught demeanor, Lily’s voice rose a few octaves, and my eyebrows shot up in surprise. She let out a deep sigh and entwined her fingers. “Sorry, it’s just, he’s a good guy. I think he’s seriously trying to find his person.”

Which was why I’d been against her dating him from the start, but she’d seemed so happy I hadn’t wanted to rain on her parade. Besides, it wasn’t her fault I’d only spoken to Noah once, and that it happened to be on the worst day of my life.

Tucking my knees to my chest, I shook my head, trying to shake off the memories of that day. There was no use remembering that now. I had much more pressing concerns. “Then help me understand. You’re the best person ever , so I find it impossible that he’d be looking for love and not fall for you.”

She just shook her head and her sad expression softened. “It’s not impossible. Being with him was like living in a different world, Sky. Almost like a dream, really. To be honest, I don’t think I could even keep up with him.” She chuckled. Chuckled!

“Sounds more like a nightmare,” I muttered through gritted teeth and jumped back on my feet, unable to stay still for more than a minute.

“Sky, stop it. I had a great two weeks. I knew from the start that he wouldn’t fall for me.” Lily shrugged as if it was no big deal, but just looking at her face would tell you she was far from indifferent.

Pacing around her living room, I continued to try to understand her reasoning.

“Then why did you even go out with him?” Lily had always been a kind person, but this went beyond just simple kindness—and she was far from being the only one to act in this disturbing way.

There wasn’t one single speck of dirt on Noah’s reputation, and that just wasn’t right .

“I just wanted to make some good memories before—” She stopped midsentence and I froze in place. All the spiteful images of tripping Noah at school tomorrow and watching him face-plant onto the disgusting floor instantly dissipated. Maybe there was more to the sadness I could sense in her.

“Before what?” It was hard to keep the dread out of my voice.

Lily let out a weary breath and glanced up at me, guilt and regret clear in every crease of her pretty face. “Will you please just sit back down first, you’re making me nervous.”

I blew out a breath and complied with her request despite every nerve in my body standing on high alert and waiting for me to just keep moving . Biting my lip, I turned to her and nodded.

Another sigh, then she looked down at the floor.

“I’m moving to Florida in two weeks.” She blurted it out with impressive speed, and the words took my breath away.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just knew that once I did it would become real, too real, and I wanted to enjoy my last weeks in California with my two favorite people. ”

I went into shock, staring at her with my mouth wide and my eyes bulging. My mouth opened and closed several times but words wouldn’t come out. What exactly are you supposed to say when one of your two best friends tells you she’s moving across the country?

“But it’s our senior year! We’re supposed to tour colleges together and suffer through the final finals of high school and go to parties and .

. .” I was rambling. Expressing myself and how I felt normally came easy to me, but now it was like every syllable placed a small weight on my heart.

And then the real question finally left my lips. “Does Mel know?”

Lily shook her head, guilt pooling in her blue eyes.

“Shit.”

“I was going to tell you both when she came over, but—” Lily’s hands shook, and she focused on the floor with a desperate intensity.

“Tell us what?” The familiar voice of our third musketeer rang from outside the living room.

“The front door was open so I let myself in—wait, what’s going on?

” Melissa walked in, her curly hair pulled up in a messy bun and her high-waisted jeans covered by an oversized graphic tee that stated she was Only Here for the Standing Ovation.

“Um, will you sit down first?” Lily spoke in a small voice, and I could see Melissa’s face crumble to pieces right in front of my eyes.

*

“How are you doing?” I broke the silence that had fallen over us as soon as we’d left Lily’s place. We moved slowly as our minds processed what had just happened. Our red eyes served as proof that we had spent the last hour crying and comforting each other.

“About the same as you, probably,” Melissa mumbled in a weak voice. I reached out and took hold of her hand, stopping us in place.

“It’s not the same.” My voice was gentle, full of understanding and worry. I knew she would take it harder than me, much harder than me. She wasn’t just losing her best friend.

Confusion and panic swirled through Melissa’s eyes before the realization finally hit her. “You know.”

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

It wasn’t something I would have brought up normally, but the thought that Melissa would go home and cry to sad love songs alone made my heart clench in pain.

Knowing that she would force herself to pretend she was fine in front of me— about the same as me —especially now that it would be just the two of us, was almost unbearable.

“Does she know?” Her voice shivered, along with the rest of her body, and I vehemently shook my head.

“No! Of course not! You know how clueless Lily is with all of that,” I reassured her, squeezing her hand. Melissa let out a deep sigh, as if a heavy burden had fallen off. And along with that burden came a new wave of tears, silently trickling down both sides of her face.

“Sky, I don’t know if I can do this. I love her so much . It was hard enough watching her date Noah, but at least she was here. What am I supposed to do now?” Her voice was so broken. I couldn’t even imagine the pain she felt.

Tears pooling in my own eyes, I reached out and hugged her tight.

Immediately, she broke down, sobbing into my shoulder like her entire world had come crashing down.

I had never been in love, so there was no way I could know how she felt.

Hearing her soulful cries made me wonder if I even wanted to be.

After a few minutes her cries stopped and her hiccups started.

“Sleepover?” I asked, and she nodded wordlessly.

*

The next two weeks passed in a blur of tears and laughter. The three of us had been inseparable before, but now we were glued at the hip. Every time I saw Lily look at Noah in passing, a calm smile on her face, my anger at him intensified.

Every time my burning rage took over and I brought the topic up with Lily, she would defend him. But at the same time, she never explained it. They were her memories and she wanted to keep them that way, hers .

I wanted to be the kind of friend who could just nod and accept that as an answer, but sadly, I wasn’t. The whole situation was completely unfair, and it just wasn’t something I could come to terms with. Especially with what I knew about that jerk.

“Maybe you should date him, Sky,” Lily said sincerely, a few days before moving. “You can see for yourself.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you,” I grumbled, a deep frown settling on my face. Did she not get the Girl Code memo?

Then she laughed wholeheartedly, clutching her stomach, and wiping away tears.

“Do what to me? He’s dated countless girls already.

Heck, he’s dating Christina this week. It’s not like he’s mine .

He never was.” Lily shrugged and placed a hand on my shoulder.

The sincerity in her voice was unnerving and so eerily reminiscent of things I’d heard his other exes say in the hallway at school.

“If you’re that curious about him, you might as well give dating him a try. ”

“I’m not curious, I’m disgusted! Over my dead body would I pretend date Noah Archer,” I squeezed out between gritted teeth, my hands balling into fists.

Lily just shook her head as if I was a small child she couldn’t reason with. Her calm rationality was why our trio functioned so well—with my temper and Melissa’s flare for the dramatic, she evened us out. I was the brains, Melissa was the heart, and Lily was our soul.

I had no idea how we would function without her.

*

The first day after Lily left, it felt like a limb was missing. Melissa was in a daze, a fake smile plastered on her usually expressive face. Others might not have noticed how broken that grin was, but I could see the pain she hid behind it.

Maybe you should have told her , I wanted to say to her, but the words caught in my throat. I knew it wasn’t that easy for Melissa. It was bound to be complicated when you fell in love with your clueless female best friend.

When Lily left it felt like she took a piece of Melissa with her. The piece that smiled freely, jumped around excitedly, and laughed openly. And I wasn’t doing much better either. I was angry about my best friend moving and angry that the last guy she liked broke her heart.

It bubbled over when I saw Noah walking the halls with his signature headphones around his neck, the same ones that I’d gotten in pale pink as a gift last Christmas, laughing with his group of friends without a care in the world.

The resentment I’d felt for him over the past few years turned ugly and hateful.

Without Lily there to defend him, I was free to despise this boy.

The boy who broke other girls’ hearts as if they were just playthings.

The boy who selfishly stomped around, not caring how his actions affected others.

The boy who dated my lovely friend for only two weeks and then dumped her when he didn’t fall in love— as if that was even enough time to fall in love .

I had to focus on something, so I focused on my anger and my hate for the boy no one would speak badly about, a new determination growing to uncover his secrets, figure out the truth behind the flawless Noah Archer, and expose it for the world to see. No matter the price .