“What did I say?” I asked fearfully.
“You said Gray was most likely a control freak and that he was the kind of guy you hear about years later in the NFL up on charges for domestic abuse.”
My hands flew to my mouth, and I felt sick for a completely different reason. “What would make me say that?”
“We were talking about sex — it was silly — and about dominant partners, and Quinn said she didn’t mind if the guy took control, and you said . . .”
“That her boyfriend was anabuser?” I felt the horror creep over me. “Oh, my goodness, I have to apologize.”
“There’s more.”
“Why?” I wailed. “Whywouldn’t you stop me?”
“Hey, you weren’t to be silenced,” Ava snapped before I saw her try to control her irritation. “You were really drunk.”
“That’s not an excuse.”
“Well, the fact you know that, may help.” Ava ran her hands through her hair, shaking it out. “You said Ash was too good for Quinn.”
“Nooooo.” I dropped my head onto the counter. “Why do you remember?”
“I stopped drinking,” she answered dryly. “You were slamming them back like a woman on a mission.”
“This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Well, at least we know how you feel about Ash,” Ava tried to lighten the mood.
It only made me feel smaller. “Why?” I croaked. “What could I possibly have said to make you think that?”
“The explicit detail we had to listen to about his, shall we say . . . size?” Ava was laughing at me now. “And also how well he uses it. Which then prompted you to ask Quinn which Devil she preferred.”
“No, no, no, no.” I stood and half walked to the door and then back again. “Tell me that isn’t true.”
“All true. Plus, you really did want us — well, it seemed that you wanted Quinn — to know how many times you had hooked up.”
My eyes were closed, and I knew I was going to cry. “I’m a terrible person.”
“You were drunk. Really drunk. And honestly, it hit you from nowhere. One moment, you were fine, kinda tipsy, the next you were little miss meany.” Ava’s voice softened. “I didn’t know you had feelings for him though.”
“I don’t,” I answered quickly.
“Mee, you verbally attacked his ex, you’ve slept with him more than I thought you had, and, dude . . . you went to sleep in his room. In his bed.”
“Well, I’m going to apologize to Quinn and promise her I’m not horrible and then follow her around until she forgives me.” I twisted my hands together. “I’ve slept with him more than once, but that’s in the past. And so I slept in his bed, that’s nothing. Well, I could hardly sleep with you.”
Ava tilted her head to the side as she listened to me. “Okay, yes, apologize to Quinn. I wouldn’t follow her; Gray will sendyou packing. I won’t tell you who you can sleep with, you’re old enough to know the consequences. But I will tell you that you insisted you sleep in his bed, and I quote,because you wanted to be near to him.”
I looked at her, unsure what to say, and she looked back, and then, with a sigh, she pointed at my chest.
“C’mon, MeeMoo, stop denying it, you went to sleep in his shirt for fuck’s sake.”
Looking down at myself, I noticed for the first time that I was wearing a Saints shirt that had the number eighty-seven on it.
Looking up at Ava, she nodded in affirmation. “You’re hooked on a Devil.”
“Oh my Lord.” I looked down at the shirt again. “This is horrible.”
Ava snorted out a laugh but tried to cover it. “Well, it could have been worse, he could have been here.”
