Page 120 of Faking All the Way
She blanches a little at the intensity of my reaction, glancing over at Edward. “Um, I…”
But I shake my head, not even waiting for an answer. I don’t need one. I know exactly which blonde woman she was talking to.
Fucking Alexis.
“I have to go,” I say curtly.
Figuring I’ll explain my weird behavior later, I’m about to head toward the door, but some impulse makes me stop and turn back. I stride quickly over to my father, pulling him into a tight hug.
He seems surprised, his body going still for a second. But then he hugs me back immediately, his arms coming around me tight, holding me like he used to when I was little.
It’s a bit awkward as we separate, but I guess it would be. It’s been decades since we’ve done that. I give him a little nod, then leave the house, pulling up an old contact on my phone as I walk toward my car.
I slide in behind the wheel, starting the engine as I press the call button.
Alexis answers on the third ring, her voice cheerful and pleased, exactly the tone that used to charm me. “Asher! I was hoping you’d call. I’ve been thinking about you so much.”
I cut her off, my voice cold. “What did you say to Kat?”
There’s a pause. A beat of silence where I can practically hear her calculating. “I’m sorry?”
“Don’t play games with me, Alexis. What did you say to her at the bookstore?”
She tries to play coy, her voice going light and innocent. “I don’t know what you mean. We had a lovely conversation the other day. Just girl talk, nothing important.”
“Cut the bullshit.” My grip on the steering wheel is so tight it hurts. “What did you say to her?”
She sighs dramatically, like I’m being unreasonable. Like I’m overreacting. “I just told her the truth, Asher. Someone had to.”
“What truth?”
“That someone like her, with her weird little freelance job and her figure, doesn’t really belong in your world.” She says it so casually, like it’s just obvious fact. “I was doing her a favor, honestly. Saving her from embarrassing herself further.”
My jaw clenches so hard I feel it in my temples, fury filling every part of me, white hot and consuming. “Oh, andyoudo? You belong in my world?”
“Well, obviously.” She laughs a little, like it’s funny. “I understand your lifestyle. I know how to dress for events, how to talk to sponsors and media. I know what’s expected of a player’s girlfriend. She doesn’t have a clue.”
“You think you belong anywhere near me?” I cut her off, my voice going colder than I knew it could. “With your fake smile and your fake hair and your fake everything? Lying and scheming your way up the ladder, using people for what they can give you and then throwing them away when you’re done?”
“Asher, that’s not fair. I?—”
“If you think someone like you belongs anywhere near me, you’re dead fucking wrong.” I’m gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles are white, my whole body shaking. “Kat is worth a hundred of you. A thousand of you. She’s a better person without even trying than you could ever hope to be. And if you ever say another word to her again, if you even look at her, I’ll make sure the world sees who you really are.”
Alexis starts to talk, maybe to defend herself or maybe to threaten me back. I don’t know and I don’t care.
I hang up the phone and block her number with shaking fingers.
My mind races, a jumble of thoughts rushing by, one after the other. Everything I learned about my parents, about the lies I believed for so many years. What my father said about not letting fear keep me from fighting. The knowledge of what Alexis said to Kat, the poison she dripped into her ear.
A sense of clarity and determination fills me, growing stronger with each passing second, solidifying into something unshakable.
No wonder Kat tried to end things. Alexis hit at her most vulnerable spots, all her deepest insecurities. She was probably terrified of getting hurt.
And I almost let her go. Almost stepped away just like I did from my dad for all those years, because I was afraid of putting myself out there and being rejected. Afraid of loving someone and having them not love me back.
But I realize in a sudden, crystallizing rush that being rejected wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen.
The worst thing would be not choosing to take the risk.
