Free Falling for My Best Friend (Fated #1) by Hazel Kelly

Luther.”
    I couldn’t see the personified pimple she was referring to. “I
don’t see anything.”
    “Well, Luther is adding more than enough weight to my frame as
it is.”
    “I bet Luther would go away if you started eating a balanced
diet.”
    “I don’t expect you to get it because eating has always been an
important part of your job, but it’s the opposite for me.”
    “Okay, I’m not an idiot. I get that you don’t think I’m the
right person to talk to about your diet, but you need to talk to someone- a
professional or something.”
    “A professional?!” She put a hand over her chest. “Oh my god. You
think I need psychological help?”
    I sighed. “Yeah, I do.”
    “How can you say that? I’m just trying to stay ahead of the
competition.”
    “You won’t be competing with anyone if you don’t start eating.”
    “You’re unbelievable, you know that? It’s bad enough that I have
my agent bullying me, but I never thought I would hear this shit from you.”
    “I’m not bulling you, and I’m not going to make you do anything
you don’t want to do. I’m just trying to help.”
    She put her hands on her hips. “You know what would help?”
    “What?”
    “If you stopped spending all your free time with Lucy and
actually paid attention to me for a change.”
    “Are you kidding?! All I do is pay attention to you. Believe it
or not, you’re not as low maintenance as you think you are.”
    She gasped.
    It was everything I could do not to laugh. Was she really so
lacking in self-awareness that she thought I paid more attention to Lucy than I
did to her?
    “She put that idea in your head. I know she did.”
    “She did no such thing. In fact, she asked how you were doing.”
    “What did you say?”
    “I said you were fine, that you were volunteering at the nursing
home today.”
    She pursed her lips.
    “But that’s not true, is it?”
    “What? Of course it’s true.”
    “Then why do you smell like cranberry vodka.”
    “Because.”
    “Because…”
    “Because I got drinks with some of the volunteers after we were
done.”
    “Why didn’t you call me to come meet you?”
    “Cause it was just for a quick drink, and then we all went home.”
    I nodded. “How’s your Grandma?”
    “Good.”
    “Did you tell her I said hi?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Good.” I put my arms behind my head and leaned back. “So when
are you going to talk to someone about your eating habits?”
    She walked over to the fridge and pulled a bottle of vodka out
of the freezer. “I thought I made it pretty clear that I wasn’t going to.”
    “It’s not optional.”
    She took a pull from the bottle and squeezed her eyes shut as
the frozen liquid flowed down her throat. “I thought you said you weren’t going
to make me.”
    “What’s in your stomach besides vodka right now?”
    “A big greasy burger. Is that what you want to hear? That I went
out with the other volunteers and ate a bunch of onion rings and a bowl of
Cajun fries. Would that do it for you?”
    “No, I want to hear the truth.”
    “In that case, cranberry juice,” she said. “And six olives.”
    I closed my eyes for a second. “What do you want for dinner?
I’ll get anything you want.”
    “I don’t want anything,” she said, sliding the vodka back in the
freezer. “I’m stuffed.”
    I shook my head. “Fine. Cause I’m full, too.”
    Full up to here.
     

Chapter 13: Lucy
     
     
    “Alex?” I said, knocking on the door.
    “Whaaat?”
    “It’s Lucy. Can I come in?”
    “Yeah.”
    I opened the door to my brother’s room and stepped onto a
visible patch of carpet. The floor around me was covered with clothes that
would no doubt all fail the sniff test, and his desk was covered in half eaten
sandwiches, most of which were probably delivered by my Dad.
    “I like what you’ve done with the place,” I said. “You’ll get a
new girlfriend in no time with a bachelor pad like this.”
    “Did you come here to torment me?” he