Page 42 of Anonymous Acts


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“Whatever. I’ll be right back,” I told him, leaving him at the bar to duck into my room. If he noticed that I’d put on the matching jacket to my yoga pants when I came back, he didn’t react, or say anything. But, it was more formycomfort anyway.

Having my titties out around my dead husband’s best friend wasn’t a good look.

I took a seat on the opposite end of the couch from him, and didn’t think twice about it when he moved closer to the middle as he started talking. That was justAsh, always wanting to be right in your face as he talked, and talked, andtalked, but honestly, I didn’t mind. As adamant as I’d been about wanting to be alone, the company was nice, and being around Ash really did make me remember the good times I’d had with Kellen, which were honestly plentiful.

Four years of friendship, friends with benefits, dating, being exclusive, breaking up, fucking, hating each other, and then cycling through it all again. That had been college. After that, those first ten years of marriage, building our careers, trying and failing to start a family, learning each other and growing together. Ash had been a pretty consistent presence around our home – he and my friend Amanda, who’d dropped off the face of the earth apparently, after she and Ash broke up.

But it had been beautiful, even with the dark moments. Really,reallybeautiful.

Until it wasn’t.

“Hey, I’m gonna grab another drink,” Ash said as he stood. “You want one?”

I shook my head. “No thanks.”

While he was off taking advantage of the – probably expensive – mini bar, I took a peek at my phone, my heart racing when I saw that I had a text from my lawyer, Demetria.

“Great news – I think you’re in the clear. I got Sam Turner to look into the investigation. Police are heavily pursuing other angles, possible suspects. They may have more questions for you later, but hopefully this helps you rest a little easier. – Demetria Byers (Olivia Pope)”

“Yes, that IS great news. Any developments with the break-in at my house, or the hacking?”

“Not yet, but I’ll stay on Sam about it, and keep you posted. – Demetria Byers (Olivia Pope)”

“Oh, and Monica, SERIOUSLY, try to get some rest. – Demetria Byers (Olivia Pope)”

“I’ll try. Thank you.”

“Do you remember that night before you and Kel got married, how he kept calling, and calling, and calling you?” Asher asked as he returned to his seat beside me, drink in hand.

I nodded. “Vividly. I could hear all the loud ass partying and debauchery in the background, and y’all told me it was just butt dials.”

“It wasnotbutt dials,” Ash laughed. “Kel waswastedbeyond belief, and the strippers wouldn’t leave him alone.”

“Um, it was his bachelor party! Why would they?”

“Because he wanted them to.” He shrugged. “He was cool with the lap dances and stuff, but then, it all started getting more and more raunchy, and it was messing with his head. He spazzed a little bit. He didn’t want anything to do with all that – all he wanted was you. He was terrified that something might happen that night that would… I don’t know, disappoint, or disrespect you, and he didn’t want that. I guess when he called though… he couldn’t find the words.”

“Wow.”

I blinked, hard.

The truth behind that story was… unexpected, to say the least. Kellen had never been the kind of guy whowasn’tup for a good time. As a matter of fact, I would imagine that a stripper in his lap, a drink in his hand, and titties in his face was how Kellen woulddefinea “good time”. Back then, it never would have occurred to me that he would take it beyond that, but being distraught enough about whatever was happening at his Vegas bachelor party to feel bad about it?

“Ithadto have been the liquor,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s the only way that makes any sense to me.”

Ash hiked one shoulder, then dropped it. “Maybe, but I think it was more. He loved you just that much, that he didn’t want to mess it up.”

“Yeah,” I scoffed. “That sentiment certainly faded.”

“Life changes all of us,” Ash agreed, then took a long sip from a drink that looked to be moreMauvethan coke. “He lost his job and never recovered.”

“Well, when you’re a black man, insider trading allegations will do that to you.”

“They fucked him over. Left him bleeding out.”

I swallowed, then dropped my gaze to my hands. “Yeah… and I didn’t do anything to try to stop it.”

“Monica, don’t do that shit,” Ash warned, putting his hand on my knee and squeezing. “Youdiddo something. You worked, while he was down.”

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