If You Could See Me Now

317 Pages·2009·0.85 MB·English

If
You Could
See Me
Now
Also by Cecelia Ahern
PS, I Love You
Love, Rosie
(originally published as Rosie Dunne)
If
You Could
See Me
Now
C e c e l i a A h e r n
New York
Copyright©2006 Cecelia Ahern
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the
Publisher. For information address Hyperion, 77 West 66th Street,
New York, New York 10023-6298.
ISBN:1-4013-8382-3
First eBook Edition: January 2006
For Georgina, who believes...

If
You Could
See Me
Now

Chapter One
elizabeth’s heart hammered loudly against her chest. She
banged the front door behind her and paced the hallway in uneven strides.
With the phone pressed hard between her ear and shoulder, she balanced
herself against the hall table and pulled off her broken-heeled shoe. An-
other bit of chaos to thank her sister for.
She stopped pacing long enough to stare at her reflection in the mirror.
Her brown eyes widened with horror. Rarely did she allow herself to look
so bedraggled. So out of control. Strands of her chocolate-brown hair were
fleeing from the tight French plait and mascara nestled in the lines under
her eyes. Her lipstick had faded, leaving only her plum-colored lip-liner as
a frame, and her foundation clung to the dry patches of her olive skin. Gone
was her usually pristine look. This caused her heart to beat faster, the panic
to accelerate.
Breathe, Elizabeth, just breathe, she told herself. She ran a trembling
hand over her tousled hair, forcing down the strays. She wiped the mascara
away with a wet finger, pursed her lips together, smoothed down her suit
jacket, and cleared her throat. It was merely a momentary lapse of concen-
tration on her part, that was all. Not to happen again. She transferred the
phone to her left ear and noticed the impression of her Claddagh earring
against her neck; such was the pressure of her shoulder’s grip on the phone
against her skin.
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