Two Weeks to Fall in Love

1. Two Weeks to Find the Truth

"How can you say that when he dumped you after two weeks?" My hands were balled into fists and I tried so hard to keep the anger out of my voice. She wasn't the one I was furious with — he was.

The audacity. The freaking nerve of this guy. Sure, his very existence bothered me — seeing him date two different girls a month without any bad rumors following him was unfair, unusual, unnatural. But now? Now he'd done it to one of my best friends. His little jedi mind trick, or whatever it was that he pulled, and seeing it first hand was both terrifying and infuriating.

"It's really not like that, Sky. He was good to me for the two weeks we were together. I knew the chances he would fall for me were slim. That wasn't even why I did it." There was a small smile on her face, a complete contrast to the tears streaming down it.

Furrowing my brows, I stared at her, totally incredulous. "Lily, what are you even saying? He's a jerk! Noah plays around with girls and then he tosses them aside when he's done. I don't know how he threatened you, but--"

"I told you he's not like that!" Despite her distraught demeanor, Lily's voice raised a few octaves and my eyebrows shot up in surprise. She let out a deep sigh and entwined her fingers together. "Sorry, but don't—don't talk about him like that. He's a really good guy, I think he's seriously just looking for a girl to fall in love with."

Letting out a frustrated huff, I bumped my head against the back of her couch and closed my eyes. It was like she'd been brainwashed. Who spoke like that about someone who had dated them for a measly two weeks before tossing them like yesterday's garbage?

Everyone who dated Noah Archer, apparently.

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I shook my head in disbelief. "Then help me understand. You're the best person ever so I find it impossible that he'd be actually looking for love and then not fall for you." There had to be a way I could get her to see this my way.

Lily sighed, a sad but soft smile on her lips. "It's not. 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! This was starting to feel a lot like the teen romance version of the Body Snatchers.

"Sounds more like a nightmare," I muttered through gritted teeth, and crossed my arms over my chest. 

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

"Then why did you even—" I felt bile rising up my throat and jumped to my feet, afraid I would actually end up vomiting all over her burgundy carpet.

Pacing around her living room, I tried to organize my thoughts. 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 mid-sentence and I froze in place. All the spiteful images that had flared through my mind — of tripping Noah at school tomorrow and watching him face plant onto the disgusting floor — instantly dissipated. Maybe there was more to the sadness that coated her eyes.

"Before... what?" It was hard to keep the dread out of my voice. Nothing good ever came after a but or a before. My stomach clenched.

Lily let out a sigh, 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...."