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“How are you?” I ask.
“Business is crazy.” She hesitates for a beat but wears a strange smirk. “But you….” She twirls her finger in the air in front of me, pointing at me like I’m the plat du jour and she’ll take a slice of me. “You have been reeeeeally good.”
Everything about the way Shay is smiling at me is weird. First of all, I have been the total opposite of good, and she’s ogling me like I just won the lottery. Second, she’s making goo-goo eyes or something.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I pull the duvet up around my middle a bit higher.
“Becaaaause…” She draws out the word, waiting for me to interject.
But I’m not sure what she’s expecting me to say.
“Because yoooou…” She waits another beat for me to complete her sentence. “And Ashton?” She’s beaming ear to ear now.
Meanwhile, my jaw falls to the floor. It’s not the response she expected, and her eyebrows pinch together instantly.
“Oh…” She flicks her eyes back and forth between me and my mom. “Are you and Ashton not…?”
I glare at my mom.
She puts her hands up innocently. “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
Mom didn’t tell her? Monica? I know there’s some evidence out there but it’s not the kind of news Shayprobably reads. Ashton said it was on fan sites and even I don’t read those anymore.
Shay is embarrassed. “Sorry, Jolie… I overstepped. I just thought…” It seems like she’s going to drop it but then picks the conversation back up again. “So you’re not dating? I was just happy for you, that’s all, not prying exactly. I just knew, you know, when we were younger…”
When Shay dated Logan, she was always so nice to me, and I confided in her, the least secret-secret in Starlight Canyon, that I then wanted to marry Ashton Dane.
I don’t want to make her feel awkward. But I have to deny it. Even though I have no idea where Ashton and I stand right now, I made a commitment. “Why do you think we’re together?”
Shay has the most beautiful, flawless tawny skin, but blotches of crimson dot her cheeks now. “No reason.”
I tilt my head to the side, urging her to cough it up.
She mumbles while pushing hair behind her ear. “Puck bunny news dot com.”
“A puck bunny fan site?” I blurt.
The blush creeps down her neck.
“Sorry, not judging, I’m just surprised,” I say. “One—because I haven’t read those sites since college and…”Shay does?I guess she still has a thing for hockey boys even more than I do. “Sorry, I… but what made you think we were together?”
“There was a picture of you and Ashton. On there and…” She mumbles again. “A couple other fan sites.”
She fumbles around in the purse slung over her shoulder, giving me a few sheepish glances while she pulls something up on her cell. She leans in next to me, showing me a photo of Ashton and… me. “This is you, right? If not, he’s only just gone and searched the world for your twin.”
My misery has been so thick I haven’t bothered to search for the photo of us that ended up online.The Blackhawk Ice Rink.There was nobody there. Ashton bought every ticket on sale to give us privacy. It was deserted apart from a couple of employees… one of which clearly didn’t realize the point of buying a place out.
She takes her phone back and considers the picture closely again. “I swore that was you.” She’s apologetic and confused. She offers a kind smile. “But you’re so much prettier.”
During our conversation, my mom has gone to do something in her bedroom and now peeks her head out. “Sorry to interrupt you ladies, but Jolie, I need you to drive me to the Superstore for a few more balloons. Mon just texted it looks empty around the buffet table.” She’s saving me.
Shay drops her phone back into her handbag and appears as fine with ditching the conversation as I am. “Enjoy.”
Mom says, “I wish you could come, sweetie.”
“Yeah, I appreciate the invitation. But Tony has soccer practice.”
“The day after Thanksgiving?” I’m surprised.
