“If it means I get to have you in mylife, yes.”
“See, that’s the difference between me and you because when I see you, I have to fight the urge to kiss you every damn time. I don’t know if that will go away anytime soon.”
“Then kiss me.”
Ashley shook her head in disbelief. “No! That’s the whole point, Georgina. That’s what we cannot be doing. I hate that I want to kiss you, I actually hate it.”
“Did you hate kissing that girllast night?”
“That’s none of your business.” Secretly, Ashley enjoyed watching Georgina squirm. The jealousy was evident and she would bask in the glory of that for days to come.
“So, you did kiss her?”
She considered taking the high road, but the opportunity presented itself perfectly. “We spent the night together, Georgina. So yeah, we kissed.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt petty—childish—for implying something more had happened in orderto hurt her.
“Oh. Well, I really hope you enjoyed her company.”
Georgina pulled a photo from her bag and forcefully pressed it against Ashley’s torso.
“I guess it’s time for me to stop carrying this around.” She spun dramatically and headed for the door.
“You’re kidding, right? You’remad at me?”
“I’m not mad. I just realised it’s time to stopholding on.”
The look on Ashley’s face said a thousand words. “Since when were you everholding on?”
She wished that was the truth, but something inside told her to stay strong. There was a visible tear in Georgina’s eye as she left, theatrics that came naturally to her—she was an aspiring actress after all. The mixed signals over the past two months had sent Ashley running back and forth, late-night phone calls, ‘good morning’ texts and secret meetings in the park. She could have been completely over her by now, but the loneliness crept in every time she considered saying no.
The night before, with Megan, was the first time in a long time she’d felt content, like the universe had come together to plant a small seed of happiness, and now the responsibility lay with her to help it grow. She looked down at the photo of her and Georgina—it was of a happier time. In the beginning, when they’d fallen blissfully in love, before the betrayal, before the lies, a time when Ashley thought she might be the one. They were sitting on the sofa in Ashley’s apartment, Georgina on her lap, cradling her face as Ashley looked up in awe, completely in love. The picture would have brought her to tears a month previous, but now the sorrow was manageable, small progress she was extremely proud of.
The photo was of a time she had to forget; it took an unimaginable amount of mental strength to tear the photo in two. It signified all she hoped she would one day feel towards her—absolutely nothing.
7
Megan
Megan sat upright in the window of her aunt’s condo; the tactically placed accent armchair engulfed her body. Accompanied only by a cream throw, she thought about her earlier conversation with her agent Cheryl. She reached for her laptop. The screen came to life immediately and the email she had read through four times already sat open in the web browser. Cheryl had revealed her future and a whirlwind of emotions now surrounded her. She read the email once againfor clarity.
Meg,
Congratulationsonce again!!
Below is a brief overview of what I have attached and what I need from you so we can officially accept and get the ball rolling.
I have attached the contract agreement and highlighted a few things I think we can negotiate on. Have a look through and let me know if there’s anything else, but the majority looksgood to me.
The salary was a stat better than Lyon, the performance-based bonuses are achievable and your general quality of life will be better in terms of accommodation, career development,travel, etc.
I know your dad will want an input, so I have sent the email to him as well. This is what we wanted though! This is the perfect stepping stone to one day get into the WNBA. You will have a starting role with the Mystics, a league that is just starting to make a name for itself. The English league is getting a lot of press lately and the momentum is building, so we will be sure to take full advantage of that.
I am already working on some advertisements we can get you involved with and start to buildyour brand.
Talk to your dad about getting back to England as soon as possible. Your contract won’t officially start until August, but you want to be in close proximity. Stay ready, keep working hard and I’llbe in touch.
Cheryl
Megan found it all so surreal; she would soon be a member of the Manchester Met Mystics, which meant a return to England for the first time in four years. The prospect filled her with excitement. It meant a new beginning and the chance to spend some quality time with her parents. There was a momentary wave of disappointment when Cheryl revealed her new team. The natural choice would have been Lyon, but it wasn’t meant to be. She would make the most of the opportunity given, that much she knew.
