Free So Into You [The Jane Austen Academy Series #2] by Cecelia Gray Page B

Emma, curled in a ball, bawling.
    Hot and heavy tears streamed down her face.
    "Emma, what’s wrong? What are you doing here? I thought you were in LA."
    "Josh . . . Josh . . . Josh . . ." she hiccupped, unable to finish the sentence. Ellie flipped on the light and Emma buried her face in the pillow. Ellie pulled her up so she was sitting. Her cheeks were stained black from running mascara and her nose was an ugly red from crying.
    "What happened to Josh?" Ellie sat beside her and rubbed her back in circles.
    "Josh . . . dumped me!"
    "What—but . . . what do you mean? Like you had an official breakup talk but not an official going-out talk?"
    This only made Emma wail. She pointed to the laptop at the foot of her bed. Ellie pulled it up and noticed it was loaded to a video. She pressed Play.
    A hot girl in a sparkly dress and a microphone introduced herself as "reporting live from the Teen Movie Awards."
    The camera panned back to reveal a red carpet and then did a quick shot to different celebrities in suits, skirts, and awesome outfits.
    Then there was a close-up of Josh—only he had another girl on his arm. One Ellie recognized from other movies, although she couldn’t remember her name.
    "Is that his girlfriend?" Ellie asked.
    "I don’t know," Emma wailed. She pulled her phone out of her purse and pulled up a text message from Josh.
    Sorry. Had to bail.
    "Oh no, Emma." Ellie crawled onto the bed next to her and gave her a hug. "Screw him, okay. It’s his loss. Screw all guys."
    Emma hiccupped on a laugh. "That’s so unlike you. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the feeling. But all guys? Even Edward?"
    Especially Edward , she wanted to say. "I met Edward’s girlfriend today."
    "His what ?" Emma shouted.
    "His girlfriend." Ellie forced a cheerful smile. "Her name is Lucy. She seemed very nice. She came with his parents."
    "She came with his—he has a—how can you be so calm?" Emma stormed to her feet and angrily paced. "Men are so . . . urgh . Just . . . uuugh! Maybe I should have expected this from Josh. He’s a shallow movie star—and you know there are rumors he tried to seduce Georgiana, but she was having none of that."
    Ellie did not feel Emma would want to be reminded that she was the one who had brought that very rumor to her attention, but she’d discounted it.
    "But Edward? He played the nice guy role. And all this time, he had a girlfriend. What a hypocrite!"
    "Actually, he never said he was into me," Ellie said. "If anything, I was in the wrong."
    "Don’t even," Emma said. "Don’t even blame yourself."
    "But Edward did nothing wrong—be fair."
    "I am being fair, more than fair," Emma said. "In fact . . ." Emma’s eyes lit up as she spotted something in the courtyard. "I’m going to give Edward a piece of my mind."
    "Emma, no!" Ellie chased Emma as she ran into the hall and headed for the courtyard. She had no idea how Emma was outrunning her, since she had half the leg and was in double the heel, but somehow her friend outpaced her.
    Edward dragged two suitcases behind him—probably toward the parking lot.
    "You! Ferris!" Emma said, pointing at him. "Yeah, you!"
    Edward dropped the bags as Emma approached.
    Ellie gasped as she ran up. "Emma—Emma, get back here."
    Ellie noticed Lucy just behind Edward. She stopped and rested her hand at his hip. Ellie felt a cold fist squeeze her heart.
    "Is this Lucy?" Emma asked.
    "Something wrong, Emma?" Edward asked, his voice dangerously low as he glanced between Emma and Ellie.
    "You tell me," Emma said.
    "I don’t think we’ve met." Lucy stepped forward and held out her hand with a bright smile.
    Emma stared at it, but good manners must have won, because she shook it.
    "Emma is my roommate," Ellie said quickly as she finally reached them. "I was just telling her about meeting you and Edward’s parents."
    "I love your shoes," Lucy said. "They’re from his spring collection, aren’t they?"
    Emma frowned at the compliment. "Yes."
    "I knew I