Page 107 of Interference
“Only she couldn’t,” Emery murmurs, making me nod.
“Exactly. She’s the wish version of you, Buttercup, and couldn’t fucking hack it.”
“That’s a lie! You’re a liar. I’m going to the Olympics, and I’m going to win gold! Just fucking watch me. I’ll show you,” Ashley cries out.
I chuckle darkly. “I lie? Really, and for what reason do I have to lie? As far as I can tell, I have nothing to lose. You made sure of that, didn’t you, Ashley?”
“You did all of this because you were jealous?” Emery asks with tears in her voice.
Unable to take it anymore, I reach out and touch her. When she doesn’t pull away, I pull her into my side, holding her tight. For the first time in days, I feel like I can breathe. That everything is right in my world.
It’s not yet, though, but it will be.
“I’m not jealous of you! God, you’re so fucking conceited. Your head is so far up your fucking ass that you don’t even realize you don’t deserve a spot on the Olympic team. You aren’t even that good on the ice, but you have everyone convinced you are. Everyone was so obsessed with you that they didn’t even notice real talent when it was in front of them. It wasEmery this. Emery that. Emery. Emery. Emery,” she mocks. “I was fucking sick of it. Then you did the world a favor and got pregnant. You gave the rest of us a chance to fucking shine for once. We didn’t have to live in your shadow, but once again, it was all about you. Did you hear Emery and Brett are having a baby? He’s so good on the ice. He’s like the star of the team. Did you hear they are dating? It’s like they are a real family. The golden couple of campus. It’s bullshit! God, I couldn’t escape you on the ice, at school, or at home. You’re everywhere!”
Ashley’s eyes go wide as she breathes hard, realizing what she just said.
I shake my head. “No, no, keep going. You haven’t gotten to the good part yet.” I look down at my girl. “Did she admit to you yet how that video came about?”
I look up in time to watch Ashley pale further and sway on her feet.
“What?” she whispers.
“Oh, I know, Ashley. I fucking know. Did you know that I can press charges and have you arrested?”
She shakes her head. “You wouldn’t…”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Brett…?” Emery asks, voice full of confusion.
I don’t look away from Ashley, though. “Now this is what’s going to happen: you are going to stay the fuck away from my family, keep our names out of your mouth, and let us move Emery out in peace. After we are done, you are free to come back, but not a moment before.”
In an instant, her face goes from pale to red.
“Do you understand?”
“You two deserve each other,” she says before storming out, mad as fuck.
Good, now that that’s handled, I can win my girl back.
twenty-eight
Iwatch as Ashley storms out of the apartment, her face red. I’m still standing in shock at what he said. Hell, what she said.
Could it be true?
“Explain it all right now, Brett. Why could you press charges against her?” I demand, my emotions teetering on the edge.
He walks over to me, pulling out his phone. “Watch this.”
The same video from before comes on, but the audio is less clear. I strain to listen.
“No. Emery. I need Emery,” I can hear his voice mumble in a drunken tone.
My heart leaps in my chest.
“Go away,” he moans, trying to turn away from her for a moment before she pulls him back.
