“Yup.” Neemah nodded. “All for us to see him go home at the end of the night to his wife. She’s a thot!”
“A damn freaky one at that!” Samantha made clear.
The girls busted out laughing. I didn’t, still holding to that life-changing experience I had at her concert last week. That one night changed something in me.
“How was her show?” Samantha asked me.
Thankfully, the girls finally began packing up their things to go. I did, too.
“You went?” Teefah asked. “Didn’t Ashton, Aivery, and them go?”
“Yeah,” Neemah added as she dumped her tray in the trash. “Their whole crew went. I heard they had a suite there.”
“Sounds so like their crew.” Teefah rolled her eyes. “Did you go with them?”
Lyricah’s eyes damn near stabbed me in the face, her head whipped so hard to find me.
I shook my head. “No. But it was a good show. Brielle did her thing.”
“Of course, she did!” Teefah and Neemah hi-fived. “That’s that bitch!”
“Who did you go with?” Lyricah asked.
“Her boyfriend,” Samantha answered for me.
“Does he go here?” Lyricah kept with her questions.
I shook my head again, ready to break from them. We traveled across the large cafeteria to exit the opposite way of the area where we were eating. I had class in ten minutes on this side of campus. At this rate, I’d need a moment alone to come down from this type of girlie energy.
“Speaking of Brielle’s concert and boyfriends, I heard there are muddy waters in paradise,” Teefah whispered. “A birdie told me Ashton and the future Mrs. Spencer aren’t even together anymore—like that.”
Lyricah rushed closer to her and whispered hard, “I’ve been getting those vibes, too! What does that mean?”
My heart slammed in my chest. What did that mean?
“I heard they’re both cheating on each other,” Teefah whispered.
“No!” Lyricah stated firmly. “He doesn’t cheat. I’ve never heard about him ever cheating on her, not even with NormaJean. Trust me, I’ve been paying attention. Cheating is synonymous with being a jock!”
“Who is she cheating wi—”
“Shhhhh!” Samantha shushed, then cleared her throat. “There they go!”
“Where?” Lyricah asked before I could locate them.
“Oh!” Teefah gasped low key in the busy cafeteria. “I forgot it’s her birthday!”
The high balloons gave their location away. They were at a large table near the wall, all in their “Last Supper” positions with Ashton and Aivery being the middle and the center of attention. As we approached the door, which was ironically in the path of the cool kids’ table, I saw Aivery’s narrow shoulders, working to cut into a birthday cake—her birthday cake?
My stomach flipped at the realization of it being her birthday and Ashton sitting, stretched out, next to her observing. She sat on her leg, giggling merrily. There were gift bags all around the table, I guessed from her crew. And she looked cute. Hair straight and wavy down her shoulders, a cream turtleneck shirt clinging to her small, curvy frame, making her appear angelic. Again, they belonged together, looked good together. I’d never experienced this before in my life. But even being able to admit that, I hated the view.
I woke up in his bed naked this morning. Butt-ass naked with his sheet wrapped around me. Ashton wasn’t there. Dedicated to his craft, he went for our usual run without me. He sent me a BBM while I was asleep. Once again, he had a breakfast feast waiting for me. I washed and dressed there with the clothes he had me pack two nights ago—when I began staying in his apartment. Three nights in a row, I’d slept in his bed. Yet, here he was the next day, celebrating his girlfriend.
“Tori!” ShawnNicole’s raspy voice caught my attention. She waved at me with the biggest smile, causing me to stop. The science girls did, too. “Your hair didn’t hold up, I see!” She winked. His heavy gaze found me. For a second, I was able to stomach looking at him. Only for a second. My regard went back to ShawnNicole. “I see he fucked it up!” She winked.
“Who?” Karmen’s nosy ass shrilled.
“Her boyfriend!” ShawnNicole was glad to report.
“Gross!” Aivery loudly coughed into her hand.
Al and the other girls laughed.
ShawnNicole’s smile faded. She was upset. I didn’t want her upset, thinking she had to defend me against her friends. “He took her out last night after y’all took her to that nasty strip club.” She rolled her eyes.
Automatically, my attention went to Aivery, whose attention was below on her cake while