I woke up the next morning to Ashley’s voice. She was talking to someone but I couldn’t figure out whom. I looked over next to me to see that she was on the phone. “No, look, it just isn’t working.” She said with a tone I had never heard before.

“Baby,” I said softly and quietly so that the other person couldn’t hear. Ashley turned to look at me and she smiled.

She leaned toward me and pressed her lips gently to mine and pulled away before whispering, “Good morning, beautiful.” I smiled widely at her as I sat up.

She went back to her phone call. “What? That’s crazy, Aiden….You know there isn’t someone else….Fine Aiden there is someone else.” And with that she hung up and slowly placed her phone on the nightstand beside her.

“I take it that was Aiden.” I said in a quiet, raspy voice.

She lay in front of me, only a small space between us, and looked me in the eye. “Yeah, I just didn’t know how else to handle it. I figured now was as good of time as any.” Part of me was happy because I had Ashley for myself. The other part of me was sad because I was the one who caused it.

“I’m sorry Ash.” I said in the most sincere voice I could muster.

She cupped my cheek with her hand and said, “Its okay, Spence. It’s his loss.” She laughed slightly.

I didn’t know why it was funny to her, but her smile was contagious. On cue my phone buzzed across my nightstand and I watched it dance on the wood. I cursed whoever was calling for breaking my moment with Ashley. I picked up my phone. “Hello?”

“Hey girl, couldn’t tell an old friend you were back in la la land?” I heard a Latina’s voice over the speaker of my phone.

“Madison?!” I exclaimed. I couldn’t believe it. She was my best friend, other than Ashley, back in high school. She and Ashley never liked each other, but it didn’t stop me from hanging out with them both. “Wow, word travels fast!”

“Yeah well, your dad told Mr. Landeck who told the misses who told Mrs. Preston who is having an affair with Mr. Wells. So of course she told him. And then Mr. Wells told my dad who told me. And so here I am.” She listed and then took a deep intake of breath.