Sand & Snow (Sand & Clay #1.5) Read Free

door.
    “Hello to you too, Aralia. It’s not like I haven’t seen you in over a month.” Caroline laughed and closed the door behind her friend.
    “Babe, we are cradle to grave friends. A month is nothing. Now, I was asking about a closet?” She popped her hands up on her curvy, Italian hips.
    “Come on,” Caroline chuckled and motioned for her to follow as she walked over toward the hallway that led to the bedroom.
    She was still getting used to the layout herself, the penthouse took up the entire top level of the building and had a full view of the entire city since the outer walls were floor to ceiling glass.
    “Girl, my apartment would fit in your bedroom. Look at that bed!” Aralia ran up to it, turned, and tossed herself backwards onto the extra large, king size bed covered in a plush comforter, and dozens of pillows.
    “Like any of this is new to the one and only Aralia Gatti? Your parents had the biggest house in all of the Hamptons when we were growing up.”
    “Yeah, but once you live in this city you forget about space. You just get used to rubbing elbows with everyone, including your walls.” Aralia laughed and pushed herself up on her elbows.
    “Come on, sit, tell me everything about Greece. And when I say Greece, I actually mean rockstar.” She grinned.
    “Logan is amazing,” Caroline plopped down on the bed next to her friend, smiling.
    “I don’t even know how to describe it. Turner was sweet and kind, but he wasn’t exciting, you know? Logan is all of those things, but he is edgy. I can’t read him like I can most people.”
    “Since when can you read people? Hate to break it to you, babe, but you’ve never been known for your street smarts.” Aralia teased.
    “That’s true, you win that title.” Caroline relented.
    “He sounds amazing, plus if he lets you live here, well he is a rock god.” Aralia hopped up out of the bed and swung open the doors to the walk in closet, pulling items off the rod to see them.
    Caroline followed slowly, leaning against the door to the closet.
    “He isn’t letting me live here. I’m renting half the space.”
    “What? Doesn’t he own this penthouse?” Aralia gave her a confused look as she put a green dress back on the hanger.
    “Yeah, but I don’t want to just sponge off of him. I want to take care of myself so I told him he has to charge me rent.”
    “You’re an odd duck, Caroline.” Aralia laughed, walking up to her and squeezing her upper arm.
    Caroline just shrugged and followed her friend out of the bedroom and back into the open floor plan living room. Aralia had never been one to sit still and Caroline always found herself trying to catch up. Her bouncy, small frame was tiny yet curvy, and she commanded the attention of any room she entered just with her confidence and bright smile.
    Caroline had no idea why Aralia had chosen to stay single for so long, plenty of men were vying to be not only a one night stand, but more. She turned them all down, preferring to flirt and keep things casual, never letting anyone into her life for long. Caroline could only think of a small handful of times that she had noticed Aralia be serious, or sad, because most of the time she was bubbling over with energy.
    “Are you ready for happy hour?” Aralia asked her, picking up her clutch that she had tossed on the counter when she walked in.
    “Yeah, let me just pull on some heels.” Caroline finished getting ready as the two girls planned to head out to meet Aralia’s cousin, Caroline’s other best friend, Jacqueline Russo.
     
     
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
     
     
    “Caroline! I missed you!” Jacqueline hopped off the bar stool and tossed her arms around Caroline’s neck.
    “I missed you too, Jackie!” Caroline wrapped her arms around her friend, calling her by the nickname she normally went by rather than her full name.
    “Jackie, you should see her new place. It’s insane. Like imagine your house growing up, multiplied by two, and fifty