Page 25 of The Sharpest Edges

Ava gasps. “What? No! He didn’t…there isn’t…stop. It isn’t like that.”

“Uh-huh. Okay. But if it is like that, then I approve because you know all I want is for you to be happy, right? You deserve it. So long as he isn’t one of the inmates, then please continue whatever isn’t going on here.”

She’s about to force a laugh and speed right into denial, but her instinctual reaction to tilt her gaze to the side is guilty, and the slight cringe she can’t control doesn’t help matters.

“No.” Lori’s mouth falls open in dismay. “Tell me he’s not. Ava, tell me this Dean guy is not one of the inmates.”

She needs to lie to her best friend. Her only friend. Not to defend Dean or herself, but to avoid the disappointment she’ll see on Lori’s face at finding out the truth. The impending disapproval from one of the few people who gives a shit about her feels worse than she expected it to when she imagined how this conversation might go.

“It’s not what you think,” she replies. “He’s different than the others.”

Well shit, that sounds far worse spoken out loud. She’s only digging herself a bigger hole, judging by how Lori’s face falls. They stare at each other while her friend tries to formulate a reply, and the wait chafes at Ava’s remaining nerves, convincing her that Lori is about to phone her husband this instant and get her fired or have Dean reprimanded.

“I don’t know what I think. I’m worried,” Lori says softly, pausing to take a deep breath. “It’s not a good idea for any of them to have personal information about you. You know that.”

“I do know that. Especially after what happened, even before yesterday. I’m not giving him my address or my license plate number. It was a few photos, that’s it. It’s not as scandalous as you’re making it out to be. It was one time.”

They don’t talk about the obvious fact that all of this is against the rules and could cost her a well-paying job. That much is obvious. If it were up to Ava, they’d drop the entire thing. She’s not in the mood to justify what she’s been doing with Dean. Not now, maybe not ever.

Lori is still too worried to let this conversation die off. “Why though? I don’t get it.”

Why talk to this one? Why break the rules for him? Why is he different? All perfectly reasonable questions, but how does she explain it to someone else when she’s already failed to explain it to herself?

“He’s never been in prison before. He’s not dangerous. He’s kind to me, and what I said before was true. I asked him what he did for a living and he said cars and I just blurted out all the trouble I have with mine. Fast forward to showing him a few pictures. That’s really all there is to it, Lori. You don’t have to be worried about me. We’re only friends. I can havefriends, right?”

“When you tell me something is going on with some guy from the prison, of course, I think the worst. You should hear some of the stories Greg tells me about the ones with pen pals, how they get women to give them things, money for commissary, gifts, bring them drugs…so yes, I’m gonna worry.” She pauses, palming her coffee cup, her words careful. “I know it’s been hard for you since the accident. A little lonely maybe and that’s normal, okay? I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Ava. In any sense of the word. You’re in a vulnerable position right now and I’d hate for someone to take advantage of your good heart.”

Lori is trying her best to be calm and considerate, but the pity in her tone taints the intent. She has every reason to worry, though. Ava already knows she’s a terrible judge of character and wouldn’t it be just like her to pick the wrong man a second time and get mixed up in a situation that’ll leave her heartbroken, or physically broken?

“He’s not taking advantage of me because nothing’s happening. I promise.”

“Of course. I’m sorry. I’m butting in and blowing this up. If you say it’s nothing, then it’s nothing,” Lori says with a small smile.

“Please don’t tell Greg. This man doesn’t deserve to get in trouble over this. He only has six months.”

‘Can you lie to your husband for me?’is asking a lot, but she’s already in the trenches, so she may as well go all in.

Lori frowns. “I won’t bring it up, but if he does for whatever reason—”

“Okay, that’s fair. Thank you.”

It’ll have to be enough for now and Ava can only hopethat Greg has no reason whatsoever to bring his work home with him and discuss Dean with Lori. She tries to forget this uncomfortable conversation as they shift to talking about all the new vegetables growing in Lori’s garden, but her comment about the inmates convincing women to give them things sticks in her mind.

She thinks back to all the little perks here and there that she’s been providing for Dean. She hasn’t given him money, but he’s gotten extra food and time in the infirmary that would seem like a vacation to anyone in the pod.

All those pieces of chocolate she’s handed him, every fluffy dinner roll, and every takeout meal make her wonder if she’s being played. If he only seems to enjoy her company because she has the power to make things easier for him. Not a lot easier, but perspective is skewed in there and a few candy bars are like gold currency in prison. It could be leading to something else. Get her comfortable offering smaller items and then work up to bringing him real contraband.

Her gut sinks. Lori could be right. She trusted too quickly and was too lonely and desperate to realize what was happening until he already had his hooks in her.

She doesn’t think Dean would take advantage, but she’s been wrong about men before. Her one and only relationship left her with broken bones and dislocated shoulders, trips to the emergency room, and black eyes. John was as kind as Dean in the beginning. Charming. Sweet. Disarming. It was nothing but a trick to lure her into a false sense of security and there’s a chance history is repeating itself.

* **

By the next morning, she’s convinced that this was a mistake and Lori was right.

She should know better. She’s been reckless in allowing it to get this far and has every intention of telling Dean they can’t continue like this. He only has one more day left in the infirmary and once he’s back in the pod it’ll be easier to let it fade away. No smiles, no touching, no letting herself think she can rationalize this into something it never was.

It’s not too late to fix this.

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