Free Written on Her Heart by Paige Rion

of whether to believe her. That was a lot of bruising for a simple fall, but before she could say anything else, Carma shrugged and walked off toward Rachel, saying, “It’s nothing. Seriously.”
    Andi hesitated for a moment, but, deciding to let it go, she joined them at their spot next to the giant rock, the one they’d claimed at age twelve, when they’d first started sneaking out to the cove after their parents went to sleep. With the water only several yards away, the spot was perfect for campfires.
    Andi sat in-between the two women, crossing her legs in front of her, then pulled the corkscrew from her bag and uncorked the first bottle of wine. She pulled it out with a pop and took a huge swig. Wiping the liquid from her lips, she passed the open bottle to Carma, who took a longer drink. The bottle moved to Rachel next, and so would continue the process throughout the evening.
    “So today,” Andi said to Carma, “Rachel, here, my best friend, tried to make me lose my job.” Then, remembering herself, she added, “Oh, I got the job, by the way.”
    Carma shrugged. “Yeah, I figured that. But, Rachel…?”
    “She’s so sensitive.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say I haven’t quit playing the game. I’m still determined to win that job. And if you had showed up any later this morning, it would’ve been mine.”
    Turning to Carma, she explained, “Andi was an hour late on her first day, so they called me as a replacement, but then she had to go and show up and ruin everything.”
    Carma glanced between both women. “Wait…You were his second choice? Which means I was his last.” Her eyes moved to the ground and she grew quiet.
    The look of disappointment on her face crushed Andi. Turning, Andi glared at Rachel, who shrugged and mouthed, what ?
    Andi remembered what Ford had said about Carma offering sex in exchange for the job. It boggled her mind. Why did she feel that desperate? And what made her think using her body was the solution to getting something she wanted? Or had Ford somehow misunderstood? Andi could only imagine what kind of place you had to be in to do such a thing, and as she stared at Carma, the bruises flashed through her head, and she wondered if the two things were linked, somehow.
    “How’s Peter? He’s in town, right?” Carma asked.
    At the mention of Peter, Rachel laughed. “Yeah, how is loverboy? See him today by chance?”
    Andi’s mouth spread into a tight line as she thought about Rachel telling Peter to show up at work. “You’re such a bitch. You know that?”
    “I know.” Rachel snatched the bottle from Andi’s hand. “But seriously, how are you two? Sounds like you had a nasty fight.” Her eyes softened and she searched Andi’s face—her friend now, not her nemesis.
    “Again, I’m missing something.” Carma lifted her arms in the air, but Rachel waved her away.
    “Where do I start?” Andi lifted her gaze to the bruised sky. “I’m not really sure how we are. I, mean, we were great before Thursday, but now that I have this job…” Andi kicked at the dirt by her feet. “You remember he’s a college professor, right?” she asked, looking at Carma for confirmation, knowing Rachel would remember.
    When Carma nodded, she continued. “So getting an education is really important to him. I told him about the job and he doesn’t want me to give up school.”
    Rachel rolled her eyes. “Men are so stupid sometimes. This is huge for you. If I don’t steal the position from you first, this could be your in . It’s like the equivalent of someone who wants to be a model getting an internship with Tyra Banks or Cindy Crawford.”
    Andi snickered, thinking of how ironic it was for Rachel to defend her, as she was trying to steal her job. “You’re exhausting.” She snatched the wine from Rachel and took a swig.
    “I tried to explain it all to him, but he just doesn’t get it. He supports my dreams, my wanting to be an author, but insists I