Always a Friend

Chapter 38

"I thought you could use some coffee and a waffle from Sweet Escape." Chloe walked over to my desk, setting the drink carrier down. "You doing okay?" She peeked over at me with concern in her eyes. 

"What time is it?" I yawned, propping my pillows against my headboard. 

"It's ten-thirty." She handed me an iced latte. "I got you something different. It's an iced Toffee Nut latte. I got the same thing. It's so good." She smiled, reaching for hers.  

"Thanks. Why does this keep happening to me?" I looked down at the smashed whipped cream under the to-go lid. "Is there something wrong with me?" I wiped the corner of my eye. 

"Oh...Gemma." Chloe crawled up in bed. "There's nothing wrong with you. Those guys were asshats. They didn't deserve you." She opened the bag and set my to-go box in front of me. 

"Ashton had sex with Hannah last night." I lifted my drink, holding the straw in place. I could see Chloe sitting there with her mouth hanging open out the corner of my eye. I took another sip, waiting for her to get past the shock and say something. She turned, propped the pillows against the headboard, and scooted back. I set my drink on my nightstand, then turned around to open my waffle. 

"Hannah, as in the same girl Jude ditched you for?" Her lips disappeared into a thin line as she angrily cut her waffle. "What a dick move." She lifted her fork, her eyes fixed on something across the room from us. 

I took a deep breath and then told her that he had come over after he had taken her home. Chloe dropped her fork down in her box; her narrowed eyes met my gaze. She stared at me for a few seconds with a disgusted look. She leaned forward, staring at my comforter, then turned toward me. "He came over here?" She tucked her hair behind her ears and took another bite of her waffle. "He's such a dickhead." 

I sat there, picking at my waffle, listening to Chloe go on and on about how Ashton was an asshole for coming over here after he fucked Hannah. I shook my head from time to time so she wouldn't accuse me of not listening. I wasn't going to disagree with her, but I didn't feel like adding to the conversation either. Or so I thought. She set her fork down in her box and set it to the side before turning to face me. "What did you say to him?" And there it was... 

"Not much. I was busy getting ice for my hand." I shoved another bite of waffle in my mouth. 

"Ice?" Her brows furrowed. "Ohh...You hit Ashton!" Her eyes widened, and an evil grin appeared. "I wish I could've been here to witness it." Her evil grin got bigger. "What happened after you hit him?" She grabbed her box, taking another bite of waffle.

"Nothing. I told him to leave." 

She gave me a side-eye. "No, you didn't." 

My eyes shot open. "The fuck I didn't. You can go ask man-whore." I motioned my hand in the direction of his house. I dropped my fork in the box and closed the lid. How could she not believe me? My eyes flashed over to her, then down at the black box beside my leg. I asked if she had time to wait for me while I went to get a shower. She nodded, picking at her waffle. I slid out of bed, making sure not to send my box flying across the room. I grabbed my clothes and then headed to the bathroom. 

"Gemma, someone's here to see you," Mom said through my closed door. I rolled my eyes, wondering what the hell Ashton could want after last night. Chloe must have been reading my mind because she didn't hesitate to go downstairs with me. She slid her feet off the bed and straightened her clothes and hair. She opened the door, and Mom was nowhere in sight. I took one last look in the mirror and followed Chloe downstairs.