“Truth hurts.”
Ann sighed. “I know I need to be careful. The sex was amazing. But it’s just sex.” So she kept telling herself. “We made a date to go out tomorrow night. In public. And honestly, I needed the breather. I have to be able to deal with him without wanting to jump him.”
“Geez, Ann. It’s happening all over again. You’re falling for him.” Maya shook her head.
Ann flushed. “I am not. The sex threw me. I hadn’t expected it to be that good, is all. He’s learned a few moves since high school.”
Riley snickered.
“But I’m keeping my head. I’m enjoying his body. Like we said. Use him and lose him, right?”
“Uh huh.” Maya sounded less than convinced. “I’m pulling for you. It’s just that you’re a nice person, and it’s hard to go against type. I’m worried you don’t have it in you to kick him to the curb.”
Insulted, Ann glared at her friend. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“She called you nice,” Riley repeated.
“I know exactly what she called me.” Ann pointed at Maya. “You really called me weak. Malleable. Unable to know my own mind.”
“All that fromnice?” Riley and Maya exchanged a look.
“It’s not easy for me to be mean, okay? It would help if Jack weren’t so darned sweet. The good thing is he didn’t apologize, and that really still pisses me off. If I remember how horrible he was to me back then, I can do this.”
Riley rubbed her shoulder. “Honey, are you sure you want to? Maybe Jack being back is a good thing, and not because you can get closure by one-upping him, but by letting the past go. You’re different people now. Why not see where tomorrow takes you by being honest?”
Maya blinked. “Are you high?”
“What?”
“The guy dicked her over, and you’re telling her to give him the keys to the kingdom all over again? He needs to own up to what he did. To apologize and suck up and fucking grovel for treating her like she didn’t matter. Then, and only then, can Ann decide to forgive him. But falling for him and dating like they have no bad blood between them is just wrong.”
“You’re so black and white all the time,” Riley griped. “Life isn’t like that. Life is full of gray.”
“That was deep.” Watching Riley and Maya pick at each other, Ann relaxed, glad to no longer be the center of attention.
“Oh? Well, if you’re going to label me, at least call me white, because I’m on the side of the angels here. But it’s funny, I don’t see you playing kissy face with AnsonBlack.”
Ann laughed.
Riley huffed. “Kissy face? What are you, one of Ann’s second graders?”
Maya suggested she shove her head somewhere that was more or less anatomically impossible.
“Jesus. Anson and I have always been at each other’s throats. From day one, that boy has been on my last nerve. What’s your excuse? Dex was a nice guy. So he made you go out with him on one lousy date. So what? You told us you had fun, so—”
“So? So the little jerk blackmailed me! Me! Maya Werner.”
“Is it just me or did Maya somehow manage to stick ‘The Great’ before her name that we didn’t hear?” Ann teased.
“Hey. I’m trying to stick up for you.”
“Oh? Because it sounds like you’re scared of Dex.”
Maya frowned. “Okay, that is totally two plus two equaling five. We were talking aboutyouand your tendency to see the best in everyone, even when they don’t deserve it. Can you honestly tell me what Jack did to you back then doesn’t bother you anymore?”
Unable to lie, Ann shook her head.
“Exactly.So until you grow a pair and demand an apology or take my advice and make the jerk feel a little of what you felt way back when, you need to zip your lip. Or at least take my side against Ms. Shades-of-Gray over here.” Maya nodded to Riley.
