Page 24 of Beaten

The other reason I didn’t want a ride was a matter of independence. Craig would offer to drive me places, sometimes insisting, then he’d sit outside fuming that I was wasting his time. No matter how quickly I returned, he’dcomplain that I took too long. So, the idea of Jamie driving me and waiting outside, was more than I wanted to deal with right now.

I knew it wasn’t the same, but that didn’t mean I could stop myself from thinking about it. Chris was paying Jamie to keep me safe; it was literally his job to sit outside and wait. Safe from the very man the situation was reminding me of.It’s not fair to compare them.He’s nothing like Craig.

When I asked Jamie if he remembered Ashley, he said yes. And I knew she’d remember him, she’d always thought Jamie was ‘super-hot’ and had no problem saying so. It might have been an issue for us having the hots for the same guy, but Jamie was so in love with Isabelle that we didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in Texas of ever going out with him, and we knew it.

I fought the urge to wave to Jamie as I walked to my car. It was weird ignoring him, but I didn’t want to get in trouble, so I did as I was told.

Jamie called me a few minutes before we got to Ashley’s and asked me to stay in my car after I parked until he gave me the all clear. It seemed like overkill to me. There was no way Craig could know about my plans, so there was no reason to think he’d be waiting for me.

I tapped my hands on the steering wheel while I waited for him to finish. A few seconds after Jamie parked in the guest spot next to me, my phone lit up with a text alert.

Have fun tonight. I’ll be right here if you need anything.

Thanks.

As I waited for Ashley to buzz me in, I started to feel bad about Jamie having to wait for me. But that triggered more memories of Craig, and I didn’t want to think about him.

Anytime I went somewhere without him he’d accuse me of cheating on him or keeping secrets if I left out one tiny unimportant detail during his interrogation. I couldn’t even go on a run without him telling me I looked like a slut, whatever that meant. He was the reason I hadn’t seen Ashley in so long.

Well,fuck him. I’m having guilt- free fun tonight.

Choosing to forget about Craig, and Jamie, my anger turned to excitement as I saw Ashley get off the elevator. It had been far too long since I’d seen her.Fucking Craig. I’d let him control too much of my life. I squared my shoulders.Not anymore! Wanting, needing, to vent with a friend, I couldn’t wait to get this night started. Ashley would make me laugh as we thought of creative ways to curse Craig.

Ashley opened the door and immediately pulled me into a tight hug as she said, “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so much!”

“I missed you too.” Dammit, I said I wouldn’t get all weepy, but here I was tearing up before we even finished saying hi. I blinked away the tears before they could fall free from my eyes. Tonight was for reconnecting with my best friend, cursing asshole exes, and having fun. I’d brought two bottles of wine to make sure that happened. I didn’t think we’d drink them both, since I’m not usually a big drinker, but I figured I’d leave whatever we didn’t finish here.

“You look great.” I said after we broke the hug. Her dark brown hair was in a ponytail, and she didn’t have any makeup on. She didn’t need it, she was naturally beautiful. And judging by how fit she looked, she clearly still worked out. We used to run together in high school and college, but that was pre-Craig. I had to stop running because of Craig, so I did yoga and body weight exercises at home instead. I had to do something, he’d complain if I gained any weight, even though he wouldn’t let me run or go to the gym.

Then it dawned on me. “I can run again.”

“What?”

I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but apparently, in my excitement I had. “Nothing, just thinking out loud.”

Ashley’s two-bedroom third-floor apartment was spacious. The living space and small galley kitchen had gorgeous hardwood floors. Unusual for an apartment. I told her my apartment in Houston hadn’t been half this nice, but at least I had a decent sized kitchen. Though I wouldn’t mind having a small kitchen in my next place, because it’d be all mine.

“Oh, I don’t care about the kitchen, I eat out more than I cook so it’s fine.”

“Some things never change.” We laughed as I put the bottles of wine on the counter. She grabbed two stemless wine glasses.

“It’s good to see you. I’m glad you finally left Craig. It’s no secret I never liked that asshat, too fucking controlling.”

“Thanks. It feels good to be free.” I’d told Ashley on the phone I’d left him, but hadn’t filled her in on all the uglydetails. That wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have over the phone.

“How bad did it get?”

“Bad. Let’s open one of these bottles, order some food, and catch up on the good stuff before we go there.”

“Sounds good.” She gave me a quick side hug, expressing her understanding and sympathy without words. “You want Chinese or pizza?”

“Chinese.”

Ashley ordered us enough food to feed a small army. When I asked why she ordered so much, she said she always ordered extra so she had leftovers. I couldn’t argue with that, leftovers had been a staple in college. Sometimes eaten cold.

Craig hated leftovers, said I was just being lazy if I served them.Forget about him!

We opened the red blend first and put the white in the fridge to chill. Ashley poured two very generous glasses before we plopped down on the couch and started talking.

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