“Because Gloria won’t tell me.”
Gray pushed his chair back and stood, his plate in his hand. “We owe you nothing.” He walked away from the table.
“I’ve covered for you,” I cried out as he walked into the kitchen.
Gray turned around to face me, his hands behind him resting on the counter. “Did you?”
“My apartment got wrecked because of you. I got assaulted because of you. I ask this one thing, and you go all Devil on me.”
Gray snorted and left the kitchen. Jett pushed his chair back and stood. He said nothing as he picked up his plate and Ava’s, crossed to the sink, and then he left as well.
I felt Ash move, but I knew I had lost my moment, and I dropped my gaze to look at the table. I didn’t look as one by one, they left.
When I looked up, thinking Ava would remain, I was surprised to see Quinn. Ava left?
“It’s one small thing. Is it too much to ask?” I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my voice.
“Perhaps the way you asked?” Quinn suggested. “Or the fact you threatened them?”
“I didn’t—”
“Mia, please don’t think any of us are stupid. The threat was there — that’s why Ash asked youor what. Using the wordoweamong friends? Not very friendly.” Quinn stood too. “Someone will take you back to the room tonight. I think it’s best you avoid Ash just now.”
“And Ava?”
“Left of her own accord.” Quinn ran her eyes over me. “Thank you for your help, your support. It really has meant a lot. I’m sorry we involved you.”
She walked out and left me sitting at the table feeling terrible. Had I been wrong? I had thought they would appreciate my frankness. Had I been aggressive? How did this go wrong so quickly?
A throat clearing made me look up. Casey was standing awkwardly at the edge of the room. He had my purse and my jacket. “You ready?” he asked me uncertainly.
And there it was. The dismissal. Clenching my jaw, I stood, and with quick jerky movements, I put my coat on and grabbed my purse.
“I don’t need you,” I told him with a bright smile. “I know the way home.”
“But they said—”
“They can shove it up their ass.” I gave him another fake smile. “I’ll see you around.”
Once again, I was walking out of the football house, with my head held high. Once again, I was walking away, and my best friend wasn’t following me. Once again, as I walked away with my heart breaking, I wondered if this was the break that was unfixable.
The walk back to the suite was actually quick. Once inside, I picked up the envelope that was under the door, and after I opened it, it spurred me to pack up my few belongings, and thenwith purpose and determination, I made my way back to my apartment block.
The door had been replaced, and as I opened the envelope with the new key inside it, I went in and closed the door behind me, effectively locking everyone else out. Slowly, I looked at the repairs that had been made.
If I hadn’t known, I would have said nothing had happened. The TV was replaced, still too big, still too new, still too Devil. Heading to my room, I placed my bags down on my bed, which had been made, and checked everything to make sure nothing was missing. Everything was as it should be.
Making my way into Ava’s room, I glared at the oversized bed, which took up most of the room. The closet doors were repaired, the bed made, the desk turned the right way up.
Everything was in its place. Everything had been set straight, put the right way up, fixed. The apartment was the same. Like nothing had happened.
But everything had happened.
The apartment was the same, but I wasn’t.
It had been a week? More than a week? How did everything change so quickly, sopermanently?
Lowering myself to sit on his bed, I felt the tears well, and then I heard my phone ring. Running back through to my room, I grabbed it.
