Ash

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

"You never told me he cheated on you."

She passes me my morning cup of coffee. I'm glad she didn't argue with me today. On a normal day she'd make me cocoa when I say I want coffee but today she must want to please me into talking.

"I didn't exactly feel like diving into the details."

"At your party?" She sounds both baffled and enraged.

"One of the suites in the hotel. Closest one to the hall where we had the party. I, Gwen and Frankie already booked it cuz we didn't want to go back home that night and I gave him my key card because well, I just did."

"And he took another girl in there?"

"Uh-huh."

"Was she a friend of yours?" I wish my coffee wasn't so hot. I'd drink it to avoid talking but I can't now without getting scalded.

"No. She was older than me. In her senior year then and I didn't know her well."

"Did you invite her?"

"Nope."

"Then why was she even there?"

"I don't know. She lived on our street and she must've gotten word about it and just decided to show up."

"Just to crash it!" She exclaims, stabbing the butter with the knife and making it splatter. She cleans it up angrily and continues buttering the toast. "Was she even pretty?"

"I suppose. She was Spanish. Dark hair, tall, tanned, lean." I grimace at the image of her in my head. Oh I hate that bitch so much.

"Was she prettier than you?"

"I don't know. What are you driving at Aunt?" I stop stirring my piping hot coffee.

"I've just been milking my brain since yesterday trying to figure out one, just one solid reason why he would choose her over you. I don't get it. You were everything to him and you were the perfect couple. It was glaring to anyone with two eyes. What kind of black magic did she use to steal him away?" She waves the knife around angrily in one hand. There a dollop of butter on the end threatening to slip.

"She didn't steal him away. Look, it's complicated Aunt. All that matters is we've worked it out. We're past that now and if you wave that knife one more time you're going to drop the butter."

She looks at the object in her hand and wipes it on the now cold bread in her other hand. I take a sip of my drink and nearly spit it out. Still too hot and not sweet enough.

"I just don't understand why he would do it in the first place. He seemed like such a good boy and we even had a friendly conversation. And there I was about to give him my blessing when you and Danny came in."

"You shouldn't have and it was a good thing you didn't. I've told you I'm dating someone else and I don't know why you won't drop the subject of me and Evans as a couple."

"Well I'm sorry if it bothers you but I don't know this other boy and all I see concerning him is the heartbreak he made you suffer. I wanted someone better for you, but now I can't trust Evans either. It's so annoying."

"It's not your problem to worry about Aunt Jenny," I reply seriously. She purses her lips in an expression that says she's still worrying about it and sets down before me the three slices of toast she's been buttering for the past five minutes.

"Your brother's knuckles are still bruised by the way. What the heck was that?"

I've already stood up to grab the sugar jar out of the cupboard and take my time in closing it. I add what I want and put it back before I look up at her impatient face all the while thinking of the right excuse.

"Maybe he misaimed."

"There was nothing wrong with his aim. I saw when he threw that punch. Evans didn't even flinch and he got a really sore hand!"

He should be glad all he got was a bruise. He basically threw a blow at a marble statue and expected not to get hurt.

I reclaim my place on the stool adjacent her as she sits to begin her salad. "Well it's not like I know what happened. Maybe it was just karma punishing him for being so violent."

"I would throw a punch too if someone who broke my sister's heart just showed up at my house with all smiles. I wish you would have told me. I wouldn't have been so friendly with him."

"Don't take it out on him. If I'm not mad at him anymore you shouldn't be either."

"Well it's very obvious you aren't mad at him anymore. You spent hours out with him yesterday." Her tone tells me she's asking a question and not making a statement.

"We grabbed a smoothie and had a long conversation."

"Mmm. So you're still going on smoothie dates with him."

"Aunt Jenny," I'm getting bored of this. Everything goes back to dating with her.

"Friends can go on smoothie dates. I didn't even say anything!"

I roll my eyes at her. Gosh, sometimes she can be so annoying!

"If you went on a date it's not like you'd be doing something wrong. You're old enough and if you say you've overlooked his mistakes then I'm not out of line to make a few assumptions," she continues.

"It isn't about his mistake. It's about me being in a relationship with someone else. I can't just forget Jordan like that and all of you need to stop putting ideas in my head!"

"Who's putting ideas in your head? I'm just talking, that's all." She shrugs.

"Well maybe you should stop talking!" I snap.

Her expression contorts with indignation and hurt. "I'm sorry if I've gotten over involved in your private life but you should know I'm still your aunt and you should watch the things you say to me," she answers sternly.

I give no reply. I don't want to fight. It wasn't my intention to argue with her this morning. I've just been in a crabby mood all night and she gave me an opening to vent out on her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you," I mumble and don't hesitate for her reply before I leave the table and grab my school bag off the couch. She follows me to the living room and stands by the stairs with arms crossed.

"Aren't you going to finish your breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry anymore. When Danny comes down tell him I've left." I head for the door and hear no more from her before I step out.