Not Never (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 3 - Part 2

Without further explanation, Ashley had a pretty good idea where Diane was headed. How could her friend have fallen for that? Didn't she know better than that?

"Tell me." It was what friends did, they listened. She would say all the right words even though she knew it probably wouldn't make her feel any better. It was going to take more than a shoulder to lean on and a pep talk to help her through this.

Ashley hadn't trusted anyone enough to go that far, so she couldn't imagine how betrayed Diane must have felt. It made her want to smack the jerk who had done this to her friend.

Diane exhaled a deep breath. "We'd been waiting until...I was ready to go all the way...and then it happened." Uncomfortably, she shrugged. "Afterward he left with a promise to call me later." A glance in his direction led her to the next part. "Two days he ignored me before showing up at my house to dump me."

That was low. Ashley shot a glare in his direction, wishing there was a way to make him pay. She wanted to make him hurt like he had hurt her friend. "He's a douche bag," she stated.

Diane had a wistful look in her eyes while she stared at the boy who had broken her heart. Ashley wanted to shake her. How could she still look at him like that when he had pretty much abandoned her right after sleeping with her? The only consolation was it hadn't been Diane's first. If it had been, it would have been worse. Her friend had lost her virginity to the boyfriend before him.

When Ashley looked in Noah's direction, her eyes locked with those that belonged to Maddox. He frowned as he took in her expression, before moving his gaze to Noah. How long had he been watching her? Seeing him reminded her of their conversation outside class, and it was something she didn't want to think about. It had hit too close to home for her liking.

Ashley spent the rest of lunch consoling her heartbroken friend. It wasn't easy under the circumstances, which made her angrier.

It was only after lunch that she realized she hadn't given much thought to Logan. It spoke volumes on how much he really meant to her. While Diane was heartbroken, she knew she wouldn't feel the same way if Logan broke up with her.

For the moment it was probably best to keep out of Logan's path, and a certain bad boy who had taken an interest in her. It was easier to avoid the drama of them by keeping to herself and concentrating on her friend.

After cheerleading practice, she walked Diane to her car and gave her a hug.

"I can come over if you need some company," Ashley offered, knowing Diane would mope around the house, and she could help keep her distracted even if it was only for a few hours.

Besides, she would take any chance she got to get out of the house. Her parents fought pretty much all the time and the only break she got was when she wasn't at home.

"Thanks, but I have a date with all the ice cream I can eat," her friend joked through her hurt.

"Call me if you need company."

"I will," Diane said before she started her car and waved as she drove off.

Ashley hitched her school bag higher on her shoulder. She found her keys and walked to her car, startled when she noticed someone next to it. Logan stood there, watching her approach. Anxiety tugged in her belly as she neared him. She wasn't ready for this conversation, but he had sought her out so there was no getting out of it now. Maybe it was best to get it over and done with quickly rather than dragging it out.

"Logan," she said when she came to stop just in front of him. She was very aware of the fact that when his eyes held hers, there was no heart stutter or shortness of breath like she experienced with Maddox.

"Ash," he said.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said, taking her completely by surprise. "I was jealous and I acted irrationally."

It wasn't what she had expected at all. She had expected him to end things with her.

"There's nothing going on between Maddox and me." She shrugged. She was telling the truth and there was no reason for him not to believe her.

He dragged a hand through his hair and let out a heavy breath. "When you wouldn't explain yourself, I thought the worst."

"What changed?"

"I want this to work with you, Ash. You're unlike any girl I've ever dated before and I'm not ready to walk away from this."

The right thing would have been to tell him the truth, that she didn't feel the same and to let him go, but she didn't.

He dropped his school bag to the ground and held the strap loosely in one hand while he extended his free hand out to her. She put her hand in his and he gripped it to tug her closer.

He hugged her and breathed in her hair. He was everything she should want, but he wasn't. She wanted to feel something like the spark that trembled through her when Maddox looked at her, like he was seeing deeper than the surface, but she felt nothing other than mild affection. While he held her, all she could think about was Maddox.

Maddox had sparked something in her that she thought would never happen, and she had no idea how to get rid of the feeling that being held by her boyfriend felt wrong.