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“Justask.”
She scoffed, but turned back to Asher, looking him in the face. “Tell me about Kim. How are you involved with her? Are the two of you dating.”
Asher’s eyes closed, and it seemed like pulling them open again was a struggle. “No…. No. It was her fault that…. Her fault they hurt you.”
“Her fault thatwhohurt me?”
“The…. The break-in. She betrayed you. I…. I never would’ve done that. But you… and her… and her…. You’re all the same. Ungrateful…bitch,” he spat, with more energy and vigor than any other words he’d said, and the only thing that kept me from lunging at him was the hand that Monica held up, wordlessly urging me to chill.
“Ungrateful bitch,” she repeated. “Me? You’re talking about me, Ash?”
His face crumpled, but no tears came this time. “Ilovedyou… you don’t understand. I was…. Always the one keeping you safe… taking care of you. I exposed Kellen and you… didn’t even care. You stayed, but it was never supposed to be him.”
“Explain, Ash. You say I don’t understand, so explain.”
“It wasneversupposed to be him. Never. From the start. He wasn’t even supposed to be at work that day. Should’ve been me.”
Monica frowned. “Wait…wasn’t supposed to be at work…Asher, are you talking about the day Kellen and I met? You’re the one whose shift he took over?”
“He… just wanted to fuck you. That was it. And you let him.”
“Kellen and I were dating for nearly a year before I had sex with him. I was a virgin, you creepy bastard,” Monica hissed, which only made Asher laugh.
“He wasn’t. No. He wasn’t. He was screwing half the campus behind your back. And… screwing Amanda.”
“What?” Monica’s eyes went wide. “What? What the fuck did you just say?!” she asked, snatching him by the collar when he didn’t respond, and wouldn’t open his eyes.
“Hey!” Savannah shouted. “This is delicate work, I can’t have you snatching him around!”
“He needs to answer me! Wake up!” Monica screamed, right in his face, just before she smacked him with so much force that it sent his head lolling uselessly on his neck.
“He can’t wake up if you knock him out,” I told her, grabbing her around the waist to pull her away, only to have her employ – well, attempt at least – one of the defenses I’d taught her, to get out of this very situation. Luckily for me – and probably Asher – I was quick enough to readjust, which only made her angrier.
But I couldn’t let her at him.
Enough had happened already that would be hard as hell to explain, but at least Harrison, Savi and I had the connections to possibly explain it away. Monica didn’t have those kinds of resources, and I wasn’t about to allow her to be further implicated, even if I empathized with her pain.
I didn’t let her go until we were back upstairs, and I was between her and the door. As soon as she was loose, she went right back to pacing like she had in the hall.
“Tell me I didn’t hear that right,” she said, in a desperate tone that made my chest hurt. “Tell me that he didn’t say that Kellen was… no. There’snofucking way. They didn’t even live here!”
“Maybe he meant before… like back when you guys were in school, or lived closer?” I supplied, about two seconds before it occurred to me that it wasn’t helpful. But Monica had already deflated, hanging her head as she scrubbed her hands over her face.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “You’re probably right. Hell, maybe that’s why she hated me? Maybe she wanted Kellen all along. And Asher wanted me. So… those two were just a match made in hell from the start. I feel… so fuckingstupidright now.”
“It’s not your fau—”
“How can it not be?!” she asked, before I could even finish. “I have beensurroundedby snakes, for damn near eighteen years! And it just… it doesn’t make sense.”
“Monica… liars are very good at what they do – especially when it comes to someone like you, who… just wants to see the best in people she cares about. It’s not your fault that they chose to take advantage of you.”
She shook her head. “You keep trying to make that point, but what it all boils down to is me being stupid. That’s it. Bottom line. I devoted so much time and energy into dreaming up and building my company that I didn’t even see the shit developing right underneath my nose. And it turns out, with all the attention I was giving it, it wasn’t enough for me to see that my right hand was sabotaging me. So… please stop saying this isn’t my fault. Because this time… that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. I know you’re just trying to make me feel better, but… please.”
“Fine. I’ll stop saying that, and instead I’ll just ask… whatwillmake this better? Tell me how to fix, and I will.”
“I just want to know why this is happening to me. What did I do, and who did I do it to, that my karma for it isthiskind of pain.”
I gave her a single nod. “Understood.”
