as she forcefully swung the entry door closed.
She ignored Quinn as she march ed up the steps of their parents’ house. She could hear Quinn’s footsteps right behind her as she flew into the bathroom she and Quinn had shared growing up. Her hand dove into the pocket of her jacket as she slammed the door behind her. She wasn’t surprised that Quinn threw it right back open again.
“What are doing?!” Quinn demanded.
Without looking at her, Carly held her engagement ring up for one brief second before dropping it into the toilet.
“Carly! What are you doing?!”
Carly was fuming when she turned to face her sister. “ It’s cubic-freaking-zirconia!” she grated out as she reached over to flush the toilet. She spun back around, just in time to see the cheap ring disappear forever. “I thought it belonged in the sewer. Just like the relationship it represents!”
“It’s what?” Quinn asked in disbelief.
Carly turned back to her. Her chest was heaving. She was on the verge of losing it. Jemma’s idea had seemed like a perfect solution to her mess. She’d just come from the pawn shop.
“I was going to pawn it. But when I brought it in, the guy laughed at me. Laughed at me , Quinn! It was so mortifying. It’s cubic-zirconia and the band—I thought it was white gold, shows what an idiot I am—is just plated in cheap nickel or something. The ring isn’t worth a damn thing!” She dragged her hands through her hair as she burst into tears.
Her tears had nothing to do with the cost of the ring. They had everything to do with feeling that Nolan had betrayed her in yet another way.
“Oh sweetie,” Quinn said as she pulled her sister into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“What kind of person does that?” Carly asked around a sob. “I can’t believe I meant so little to him. I mean everything in our relationship? It was just fake!”
Quinn didn’t say anything. Carly knew that meant she agreed but didn’t want to point it out. That only made her tears fall faster.
“Come on,” Quinn said after a few moments. She latched onto Carly’s elbow and pulled her down the stairs.
It was a Thursday afternoon. Their parents would be at work for a few more hours. Quinn led Carly to the couch, not letting go of her once, as they both collapsed into the cushions. Quinn plucked a box of tissues off the end table and handed it to her sister.
“Carly,” she said sympathetically. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
Carly shook her head as she buried her face in a tissue. Finally she looked up and said, “I feel like I didn’t know him at all. I lived with him and I didn’t know him at all !”
“Obviously there’s a side to him that he worked hard at keeping away from you,” Quinn soothed. “It’s not your fault.”
Carly wanted to tell her that it was. It was her fault for being so stupid and gullible. She knew Quinn wouldn’t have any of that so she kept the words inside.
“Please don’t tell anyone the ring was a fake.”
Quinn gave a little shake of her head. “If you don’t want anyone to know, I won’t tell.”
With that reassurance from her sister, Carly took in a deep breath. It was time to pull herself back together again. Nolan was proving over and over to her that he was not worth her tears.
“What are you doing here?” Carly wondered. She was surprised that Quinn was here, without a baby in sight.
“I had a check-up with my doctor this afternoon. Luke and Nora are home with the kids. I thought I’d stop by since I was already in town. I’ve been here for a while, waiting for you to come home. I was just getting ready to leave. I’m glad I stayed because I thought maybe you would need to talk about something,” Quinn offered up.
Carly cocked her head to the side, wondering what Quinn knew.
“Like, oh, say…Jesse?” Quinn asked. Her expression was completely serious.
“How do you know about that?” Carly demanded. “ What do you know?”
“I heard it
She ignored Quinn as she march ed up the steps of their parents’ house. She could hear Quinn’s footsteps right behind her as she flew into the bathroom she and Quinn had shared growing up. Her hand dove into the pocket of her jacket as she slammed the door behind her. She wasn’t surprised that Quinn threw it right back open again.
“What are doing?!” Quinn demanded.
Without looking at her, Carly held her engagement ring up for one brief second before dropping it into the toilet.
“Carly! What are you doing?!”
Carly was fuming when she turned to face her sister. “ It’s cubic-freaking-zirconia!” she grated out as she reached over to flush the toilet. She spun back around, just in time to see the cheap ring disappear forever. “I thought it belonged in the sewer. Just like the relationship it represents!”
“It’s what?” Quinn asked in disbelief.
Carly turned back to her. Her chest was heaving. She was on the verge of losing it. Jemma’s idea had seemed like a perfect solution to her mess. She’d just come from the pawn shop.
“I was going to pawn it. But when I brought it in, the guy laughed at me. Laughed at me , Quinn! It was so mortifying. It’s cubic-zirconia and the band—I thought it was white gold, shows what an idiot I am—is just plated in cheap nickel or something. The ring isn’t worth a damn thing!” She dragged her hands through her hair as she burst into tears.
Her tears had nothing to do with the cost of the ring. They had everything to do with feeling that Nolan had betrayed her in yet another way.
“Oh sweetie,” Quinn said as she pulled her sister into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“What kind of person does that?” Carly asked around a sob. “I can’t believe I meant so little to him. I mean everything in our relationship? It was just fake!”
Quinn didn’t say anything. Carly knew that meant she agreed but didn’t want to point it out. That only made her tears fall faster.
“Come on,” Quinn said after a few moments. She latched onto Carly’s elbow and pulled her down the stairs.
It was a Thursday afternoon. Their parents would be at work for a few more hours. Quinn led Carly to the couch, not letting go of her once, as they both collapsed into the cushions. Quinn plucked a box of tissues off the end table and handed it to her sister.
“Carly,” she said sympathetically. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
Carly shook her head as she buried her face in a tissue. Finally she looked up and said, “I feel like I didn’t know him at all. I lived with him and I didn’t know him at all !”
“Obviously there’s a side to him that he worked hard at keeping away from you,” Quinn soothed. “It’s not your fault.”
Carly wanted to tell her that it was. It was her fault for being so stupid and gullible. She knew Quinn wouldn’t have any of that so she kept the words inside.
“Please don’t tell anyone the ring was a fake.”
Quinn gave a little shake of her head. “If you don’t want anyone to know, I won’t tell.”
With that reassurance from her sister, Carly took in a deep breath. It was time to pull herself back together again. Nolan was proving over and over to her that he was not worth her tears.
“What are you doing here?” Carly wondered. She was surprised that Quinn was here, without a baby in sight.
“I had a check-up with my doctor this afternoon. Luke and Nora are home with the kids. I thought I’d stop by since I was already in town. I’ve been here for a while, waiting for you to come home. I was just getting ready to leave. I’m glad I stayed because I thought maybe you would need to talk about something,” Quinn offered up.
Carly cocked her head to the side, wondering what Quinn knew.
“Like, oh, say…Jesse?” Quinn asked. Her expression was completely serious.
“How do you know about that?” Carly demanded. “ What do you know?”
“I heard it
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