Page 177 of Steeling Her
It was shady and uncalled for. I’m livid. I didn’t think that she would do something like that. When I asked her about it afterwards, she told me it slipped her mind, meaning she did it on purpose.
Despite her “confession,” I still don’t know the motive behind it.
I’m also mad at her fiancé for not informing me either. They were tight-lipped about his arrival. I did not know that he’d be coming to LA, let alone play on the same team with Chris. Chris is harboring unhappy feelings about him too. I can see that much. He saw how distraught I was about our breakup and I penitently took it out on everyone but Nick. I stayed neutral in front of TJ and Haley as best as I could because I didn’t want Nick knowing how I was handling things. I didn’t want to put them into an awkward position. It wasn’t their fault, it was his choice.
“Are you waiting on someone else or would you like to order now?” The young waitress positions herself next to our table and I instantly drop the frown I know I was holding.
I’m just mad in general today too. Jody had returned from her sister’s wedding and has gone through the catalog of men at her beck and call. Anything she ever does involves a guy hanging off her arm. Half of the time, I really question how accurate she’s telling the story.
It’s so emblematic of her, too, but she overexaggerates on everything, and I do mean everything.
She really is a beautiful woman. She doesn’t need the praise for it, either, she knows she is. Most of the young men that walk into our office ogle her as if their lives depended on it. Her voluptuous figure gets the guys attention as soon as she enters the room. She demands their attention, and it works for her. It’s doesn’t help that she’s actually pretty smart, but she can be such a hypocrite. Her sex life is the primary focus on most days and the rest of us can’t bear to listen to how quickly she can make a guy have a boner just with one simple look.
Yeah, we get it, you’re hot.
She yakked the whole day about this guy she hooked up with on the flight on her way back to LAX. She kept talking about how ripped and rugged he was and that they were both officially in the mile high club. I think I was more astonished at the thought that she hadn’t joined the club previously. She was convinced he was an athlete too. I have no doubt in my mind that she’s the type that could pull one into bed with her at this day and age. She seduces just about anyone into whatever she wants to do, and she’s good at it too. Well, she’s just very blunt.
She didn’t say what his name is. If she did, I sure as hell wasn’t listening to her like most people at work.
“We have one more coming, but I think this woman needs a glass of your house wine. White, and make it two please.” Danielle holds up two fingers, notifying to the waitress the order before Haley arrives.
Chris dropped both of us off at this restaurant. We have a girls night every two weeks to chat and catch up. The guys sometimes gather at Chris and Danielle’s house because he has to keep an eye on Taylor. Taylor loves hanging out with all the guys, too, she gravitates to them when they’re around when she warms up to them. Now she has another one to swarm to.
I was pretty furious at Haley when we were at the restaurant, but it was such huge news that I couldn’t hold the grudge that day and ruin it for them. I just couldn’t do that to either of them. It wouldn’t have been fair.
So, I waited until today.
“Talk to me.” Danielle settles herself across from me, placing her lavish handbag down beside her. I shake my head and sigh loudly. “It’s about Nick, isn’t it?” Just hearing his name makes me fist my hands harshly. Not because I want to punch him, but because I could feel my hands longing to run my fingers across his skin once more. I categorically hate myself for feeling this way.
“I just . . .” I stop myself because I don’t know what to even say at this point. I can’t get over seeing him again. Even if it’s been five years, the heartache is still there, it still lingers. As much as I loathe myself for even thinking that while I’m in a relationship.God, why am I doing this to myself?“It wasn’t fair,” I speak softly to my hands that are toying with one another. I feel disgusted with myself. I feel like I’m cheating on Ted even when I have done nothing. I feel dirty and I’m sick about it. My heart feels heavy just thinking about it.
“I know, it wasn’t cool for her to do.” My head snaps up when I hear her agree with me. “Don’t give me that look.” She stares pointedly at me but a smile rests on her glossy lips. Danielle is a far cry from the student she once was, scrimping and saving for money each week. Now, she’s a mother of one and living the life with my brother who is obsessed with her.
“You agree with me? I thought you wouldn’t,” I confess, slightly amazed. Once the waitress reappears with our glasses of wine, she sets them down and we take our first sizeable mouthful. We both moan, more at the feeling than the taste of something cool and alcoholic being swallowed. It’s been a rough few days.
“Yes, I agree with you. She was in the wrong with keeping that huge information to herself; same goes for TJ. I know they’re loyal to him, and I get that, but they have loyalties to you too. They should have at least given you a heads up. Unless they wanted to surprise you?” She shrugs, breathing in deep with the flavor that was laying in her mouth.
“Surprise me? With what? A heart attack?” I exclaim quite loudly.
“Or life?” she mutters, sipping on the cooling beverage.
“Life? What the hell does that mean?” I counter, a little bit offended.Do I look dead to her or something?
“Hey, girlies!” Haley rushes in through the door with a few shopping bags on her arms. Both of us look over towards her at the entrance to see the mass of blonde hair whipping through the surrounding air. She shuffles around to hug us both but I’m too mad at her to reciprocate it. “Traffic was awful on the way here with TJ.” She rolls her eyes heavenward and plonks herself next to Danielle on the far side of the table. “You guys ordered without me?” She pouts and I glower back at her, making her eyes widen a little. “I knew you’d be pissed at me . . .” She exhales and drops her hands below the table in defeat.
“Damn right, I’m pissed at you! Haley, you could have warned me,” I tell her off with a harsh edge in my tone. The look she’s giving me is one of shock and hurt, like she knows how badly it had affected me. More than I care to actually admit.
“Look, I am sorry for springing it all on you. He arrived early Monday morning and is staying with us until he finds a home for himself. Not for the lack of finances, he’s the richest guy I fucking know.” She smirks and stretches across for the menu standing on the table in front of her. “I get it was a shitty thing to do, and I’m sorry about that; I really and truly am. I know how hurt you were when you both broke up. It wasn’t my intention to bring back up those emotions and feelings,” she promises me. I can tell by the glint in her eyes that she means it. She’s saddened about it too and could gauge from my reaction right now that I was really put in a bad position, and yet I still loved seeing him.
“Then why did you do it?” I ask with impatience. I just need to understand why she threw me to the wolves.
“I wanted everyone to know TJ and I got engaged, and if I told you he was coming, you wouldn’t have come at all. I know it was selfish on my part, but I just wanted everyone to be there to celebrate,” she confesses. The sad part about it is that if she really had told me that Nick was going, I wouldn’t have shown up at all and would have missed out on the amazing news with everyone.
I would have missed out on it all and I probably would have been angrier at her for that then what I’m feeling right now. I understand why she did what she did. Haley wanted us all to be happy for them and to celebrate with them. My breakup five years ago shouldn’t have deterred her decision, and I feel so responsible about that. “Can you forgive me?” she pleads, placing both of her elbows on the table to prop her head up, all while batting her eyelashes in my direction.
I roll my eyes at her and chuckle. “That’s emotional blackmail.” I point at her and sit back in my seat, pretending like I’m weighing it out.
“But you still love me.” She grins and flicks through the menu, trying to find a drink to order.
