Page 66 of All That Glitters
“Nothing.”
“Really?”
“Really. Why?”
There was the snappy girl I’d become.
“Because I know you and you haven’t been the same since he showed up here that one day, since dinner that night, since you went back.”
I sighed. “We’ve had this conversation before, Hale. Remember? Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to. And don’t ask questions that I can’t answer without lying.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want them.”
“You would because you don’t like not knowing everything that’s happening in my life at any given moment.”
The second the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. Hale looked like I had struck him. What was happening to me? Why was I acting like this? I knew though. We both did.
“That’s not fair.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” But nothing going on in my personal life was fair. The kicker was that I let it happen, and I would continue letting it happen as long as I could.
It hurt. I didn’t like that it did, but stopping it wasn’t an option. Ashton asked for my help and for some reason he trusted me. I had no idea how to help him, but I would give whatever he needed.
Maybe it was just sex. Maybe it was more. I didn’t know and I really didn’t care.
“I don’t like that he’s come between us.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t say anything. I wanted to deny it, but I didn’t think I could. Everything was such a fucking mess and it hadn’t taken long for it to get that way.
I reached for my wine glass and downed the contents. It had lost some of its body. I didn’t care.
“Are you at least being careful?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what it means.”
I try to keep my expression bland. “Hale…”
“I’m serious, Helen. Even though I don’t know what’s going on, I can’t imagine it’s anything good.”
“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“I might’ve agreed with you if it wasn’t Ashton we were talking about.”
“You used to be his friend,” I said, my words and tone and posture softening. I hated being defensive, hiding things, lying. It didn’t come naturally to me. It came easier than I’d expected it would, though. I had Ashton to thank for that.
“I still am. I think. At least for my part.” He sighed with frustration, running his fingers through his hair and gripping the short strands in his fists. “This Ashton… I don’t know how to be his friend. And more importantly, he doesn’t want to be my friend.”
Not for the first time, I saw the hurt in his eyes. He’d lost his best friend on the track that day.
Ashton’s heart still beat. He could walk, talk, smile. But he wasn’t the same man who started the race that day. Hale wasn’t, either. I wasn’t sure he was ready for that conversation.
We all lost something when Ashton had to be life flighted to a nearby hospital while Hale climbed from his own car and walked away.
“You have something in common then. He doesn’t know how to be a friend, either. Not with me or you. He and Brax are at odds. He’s angry with the whole world, Hale. Everything he knew has been turned upside down.”
“He’s not the only one that’s happened to. He’s not the only one under a microscope.”
