Our Hill of Stars

13 Gambling

E L I

Cole sauntered in on his own lunch break, looking apprehensive. He cast a look over his shoulder like he worried he was being followed.

"What's up with you?" I asked, leaning on the counter. The lunch rush had passed and aside from the owner doing the books in the back, it was just Cole and me in the deli.

"Did you see Holly?"

I lifted my eyebrows and curled my mouth into a frown. "A few days ago. She works in that candy shop." I shrugged, doing my best "I don't care" expression even though her presence on this street made my blood boil.

"Oh." Cole scrunched up his face. "Then you didn't see her talking to Ashlyn today."

"What?" I felt a vein in my forehead pulse. I'm sure it was throbbing and noticeable to Cole.

"I saw them talking as Ashlyn left the deli. Holly approached her."

I curled my fingers into fists and my jaw tightened. "What do you think she said to Ashlyn?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Knowing Holly? Probably played the victim and issued a warning. She's always looking for ways to justify her bad behavior. I'm sure Ashlyn didn't believe a word of whatever she said."

I had to know what Holly told her. If I waited until after work she might be off her shift at the candy store. I had no idea what times she worked and I couldn't take the risk of missing her. I called back that I was taking my break early and stormed out with Cole following behind.

"Don't go in there guns blazing," Cole warned.

He managed to keep stride with me, though every third step was a hop to keep up. I didn't respond. My mind had room only for finding my target. I yanked open the door to the candy shop and there was Holly, reading a magazine behind the counter. She looked up and to her credit she didn't look shocked or worried to see me.

"What did you say to my girlfriend?"

Holly rolled her eyes and looked at her nails. "That you used to get drunk and start fires and drag race and how emotionally stunted you are." She cracked her knuckles and looked at me. She had this look like I bored her.

"I am not emotionally stunted!" My voice raised to a level I'd never heard it. I'd never even yelled at Justin so loud.

"Your mom died and you expected everyone to play therapist with you, but you wouldn't seek real help. You pushed people away until you decided they could be near. And let's not forget the drinking. You could have lost Hazel, you ass."

My mouth dropped open. I had been in bad shape when my mom died. Holly wasn't wrong, but I had shaped up quick for Hazel and Justin. They needed me to be strong. They needed me to take care of them. Holly on the other hand only saw the guy who lost it in the first months after his mom's death. In her eyes I never grew out of my reckless phase.

"You act like I was terrible forever. I got over it and you still kept cheating even after the initial shock."

"I sure don't remember things getting much better." She snapped. "Maybe you stopped getting drunk off your ass, but you and I were never close again."

I ground my teeth, trying to get a hold on my anger. She told Ashlyn all these things that weren't true anymore. And she painted herself as a victim now. Was I supposed to ditch my family for her? Just so she could have the attention she wanted?

"You're just being a mean bitch," Cole said. "Stop playing the victim, Holly."

I didn't want to be there anymore. Holly was still messing up my life after all this time. Now I was going to have to do damage control. I stormed out of the candy shop, Cole hot on my heels.