How to Date an Asshole

Chapter 57

"Why are you laughing? This is no laughing matter, Lauren. They did you wrong."

"And you think I didn't know that? I'm just laughing at the irony."

His brows pulled together.

"No one can hurt me? But you did."

"I thought it was all in the past, Lauren."

"Yes. As those were too. They were all in the past. Heck, when you lay out the timeline, out of you three, you're even the latest, so..."

"Alright, I get it."

"Listen, I explained everything not because I wanted you to take revenge for me, but because I wanted you to understand me – where I'm coming from, why I'm not the trusting kind. And besides,"

"What?"

"You have to know about all this because of Katie."

His brows raised and his mouth twisted, "Right, right. We need to –" he cleared his throat, "focus on that."

"Yeah, it's just that everything has become so complicated and I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't even know if what I'm trying to do is still worth it. I feel like I'm just wandering with no direction and outside forces are actively trying to get me and I don't have a single clue on how to beat them."

"Hey," he moved towards me.

"I guess I'm just glad you understood because I never thought anyone would understand me."

He sat next to me, "Anyone? Wait you haven't told Dean?"

I shook my head.

"Not even Hailey?"

I shook my head again.

"Wow. That's kind of hard to believe."

"That I can keep a secret?"

"No. That Hailey never got a whiff."

"Yeah, well, we weren't able to hang out as much when I was working at Steinhouse. I was very busy, worked late hours - you know, first in, last out, unlike now in MGC. Which is why I'm glad to be working there right now."

He smiled sadly, "And now all of it's in danger because of me."

"No. It isn't all because of you. If there's one useful thing about this letter, it's that Clark practically clarified that Katie's doing it because of Randall. His ex-wife is her aunt. From what I know they have kids."

"Maybe she's taking revenge for her cousins."

"Exactly. And it's hard to beat someone with filial motivation."

"But she had it all wrong."

"It doesn't matter to her. Remember you told me that it would be near impossible to break her beliefs? You know her a heck of a lot more than I do."

"Once she thinks it, it's set in stone."

"Lauren!" somebody called out.

"What was that?" Axel asked.

"Lauren!"

"Shut up, man!" Somebody from the street shouted.

"I think it's from outside." I rushed to the window and saw Dean below.

"Lauren! Lauren, oh thank God."

"Dean? What are you doing?"

"They won't let me in." his voice was slurred and the way he stood was unstable.

"Are you drunk?"

"It doesn't matter. I need to talk to you."

Axel's head popped next to me. "What does he want?"