Page 69 of Dirty Like Seth
I took a deep, slow breath. “Ash, it’s none of yourbusiness.”
“Sincewhen?”
“Since when do you think it is yourbusiness?”
“I don’t know, Elle. Maybe since you started fuckingme?”
“Asfriends. You said it yourself. ‘Friends with benefits.’ You made me agree we weren’t gonna mess with our friendship byfucking.”
“So? That doesn’t mean seven months later, when I’m the only guy you have been fucking, it’s okay for you to run off with someone else without even fucking tellingme.”
“I didn’trun off. And I don’t have to tell you anything,Ash.”
“So that’s it? You’re just blowing meoff?”
“I’m not blowing you off. We’re friends. That’s all we’ve everbeen.”
“That’s fucking bullshit,Elle.”
“No. It’s the truth.” And finally, I said it. “There’s nothing between us, Ash. Just… let itgo.”
There was an awful, crushing silence on the other end of theline.
Then he hungup.
That was when I felt it; someone standing close behindme.
I turned to find Seth holding two mugs of coffee. He reached to set one down on the table in front ofme.
“Thanks,” I managed, setting my phoneaside.
Seth stood there looking uncertain, maybe wondering if I wanted to be alone. But right now, the last thing I wanted was to be alone. If I was alone, all I’d hear in my head was that conversation. And that horriblesilence.
The sound of Ash hanging up onme.
“You can sit down, if youwant.”
Seth sat in the chair opposite me. He didn’t seem to want to look me in the eyes though, his gaze stuck on hismug.
How much of that conversation had heheard?
“I’m gonna head up to Vancouver,” he said to his coffee. “You know… I owe Ray thatvisit.”
I didn’t know what to say; that was kinda the last thing I expected him to say. “Oh.Okay?”
“I booked a flight out.” Finally, he looked up at me. “Today.”
“You booked a flight?” I repeated, stunned. “When?”
“Lastnight.”
“Last night…? Before we wentdancing?”
His eyes slowly darkened, maybe recalling the way we’d steamed up that dance floor. He shook his head a little. “In the middle of thenight.”
“In the middle of the night?”Damn. That came out… bitchy. Weirdly high-pitched.
I was starting to freak out. My lunch sat in a glob in mystomach.
