Page 28 of Don't Hate Me
Ash2:Hey. Okay, this sucks but you might see some pictures of me at the event last night. With someone.
I hadn’t seen pictures. I’d seen the real thing instead.
Ash2:The man in the picture is Evan Sanderson. He’s the one I told you about. Arthur sprang it on me last minute he would be there.
So that was him. The man Ash believed her father wanted her to marry. Made sense. Rich. Handsome. Probably an asshole. Ash made it sound like she was being sold, but wasn’t that what the rich did? Play matchmakers amongst themselves so they could all intermarry into money. Keep it all where they believed it belonged.
Ash2:I hate this, Marc. I hate not seeing you. I hate pretending you’re not the most important part of my world. Anyway, I went shopping today in the city. It’s pretty cold, and I’m guessing you don’t even have a scarf. You need one if you’re going to work in Manhattan during the winter. I’m sending this to you today. Text back when you wake up. Or don’t, if you’re mad at me. But you really can’t be, because YOU KNOW ME.
I read them all but didn’t respond. I couldn’t tell her I’d been there, seen her, seen him, and how right they looked together. And I hadn’t done anything to make contact with her. It would upset her to think we’d been close. It would upset her to know I let some guy kissing her fucking cheek put me off.
Tossing the phone to the end of the bed, I laid back down and groaned.
I’d told her the drama was worth it. I’d believed it when I said it.
Now, I wasn’t so sure.
8
Landen Enterprises, LLC
March
Marc
“I’ll havethe roast beef on rye with mayo,” I ordered. I grabbed a bottle of water and paid. Then I stepped aside and let Trevor place his order. The place was packed, so it would be a few minutes before our sandwiches were ready.
I found a table for two at the back of the small, cramped deli that had become our go-to for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It was the closest restaurant within walking distance of the office, and on a wicked cold day, it was our first choice.
I took off my coat and scarf. The present Ash had bought me. She was right. More times than not, it was freezing in the city and walking around was unpleasant. An arctic blast coming from Canada was currently blanketing the East Coast, plunging the temperatures into single digits.
Which meant Ash was now in Sedona, Arizona. Fearful of the low temperatures weather forecasters were predicting, Landen didn’t want to risk her having another attack so close to her last one.
For once, I agreed with him.
Ash didn’t. She didn’t like the idea of being so far away, but in the end, she didn’t have much choice.
It wasn’t like we could see each other anyway. Between school and working weekends, I had exactly zero free time. Landen had been right about that.
All we had were texts and late-night phone calls, with exactly zero plans to see each other in the near future.
Ash didn’t seem to mind. She seemed content for us to linger in this limbo because she considered the end, my graduation, in sight. The end, when everything would change.
In some ways, I suppose it didn’t bother me, either. It wasn’t like I had any time for anyone right now. It sucked not being able to get laid when I wanted, but, other than that, not too much had changed between us really.
My concern, which was not Ash’s concern, was what came next. Exactly what did she think was going to happen the day after I graduated? It’s like she could see this definable future for us, just sitting out there. Waiting for us.
For me, that future was far more uncertain.
“Hey, I grabbed your sandwich for you,” Trevor said, plopping down my roast beef in front of me, then opening up the turkey sandwich he consistently opted for.
“Thanks.”
We ate mostly in silence, until, finally, he lifted his chin in my direction.
“What?” I asked.
“So, how’s it going?”
