More Than Meets the Eye

Chapter Twenty-One

Addison's Point of View

All day was sympathy filled. As it turned out, a lot more people than I thought actually cared about my relationship. A lot of people expressed their sympathy, even after I explained that no, he did not cheat on me. Katie was of course, the most pissed off about the whole ordeal. And, also of course, not being able to tell her the entire story was hard.

"Girl, I never want to see his face again" she tells me first thing when she sees me. "I can't believe he did that to you"

"I told you" I almost laugh. "Whoever this Jessica person is is a liar" I tell her in a hushed whisper. "He didn't cheat, and we're on good terms"

"Why would she make something like that up?" She asks, and I don't have an answer for that; at least, not directly. I can't explain why Jessica would decide to put it out there. To get to the bottom of that, I knew I had to talk to Freddie. I wasn't sure I was ready to face him yet but in all reality, he did nothing wrong.

Addie 🤪
Hey. are you busy today ?

It didn't take him long to reply.

Freddie 🥳
free after practice

Addie 🤪
can you meet me at my place after work?

Freddie 🥳
see you then

"I have no idea" I finally look up from my phone. "But I just want people to stop looking at me like my cat died or something" I complained, and Katie laughed.

"It'll wear off; it always does. Something else interesting will come up" she tells me, grabbing the file I had just handed her and walking away. I sigh, not being able to wait until tonight. I really wanted to know what Jessica said to Freddie, and how worried I should be about what she might do.

****

"Hey, Freddie" I greet him, opening my apartment door. He smiles and walks inside. Aubrey is over at Morgan's, leaving the apartment to myself and Freddie.

"Hey" he greets, as we both sit down on the couch beside each other. I turn on Netflix just for some background noise before I turn to face him. "How've you been holding up?" He asks me; now that's a loaded question.

How have I been holding up? Well, I cried a lot; that was one thing. I felt this sense of grief; like I had lost something special. I felt betrayed, humiliated, and most of all deceived.

"Not great, but I guess ok for someone in this position?" I'm not even sure anyone has even been in my position before; lucky them.

"I know it's tough.. but I guess it's good that it's out in the open, you know?" He refers to my hidden knowledge of Jessica. I do agree, it was bound to happen at some point; I just wasn't quite sure I was ready for it to be yet.

"Yeah, I don't really know how I saw that conversation going well in any regard" I half smile, leaning back on the couch. "I guess it goes without saying, our arrangement is done"

"I half suspected" he frowned. "But even after everything he did; you're still defending him" he points out to me. "You're still, in all reality upholding your part of the deal"

"Yeah, I guess..." I mumble, unsure what to say. "I made a promise and I intended to keep it. And unlike him, I actually treat people I care about with the respect they deserve... maybe even when they don't deserve it" I add the last part in a near whisper.

"He didn't deserve it, no" Freddie confirms what I'm already thinking. "You're a good friend, Addie" his words hurt me a little. Should I tell him about my feelings? Or my lack of feelings? Would it be insensitive, considering the feelings he had for me?

"The worst part is that it was beginning to feel real" I blurt out before I can stop myself. He doesn't look surprised; I assume he heard the same thing come from Auston. "And maybe I was getting some real feelings... but now, now I don't know.." I sigh, grumbling.

"I know it's kind of murky now, but you'll figure it out" he tells me, and I look at him now a little surprised. "These things usually have a way of working themselves out"

"How do you figure that?" I ask, genuinely confused. "I'm not closer to an answer than I was a few weeks ago. I'm just, you know, harbouring an intense amount of anger and resentment" I add the last part as a joke, but it's obvious to even him I'm not joking.

"I know" he falls silent for a moment. "I assume you want to know about Jessica" he assumed correct.

"Should I be worried?" I ask, frowning. "Since I put out that statement- people seemed to have backed off a little.. will she try and do something to me?" I ask, a little apprehensively.

"I- maybe" he doesn't sugar coat it. "I don't know what Auston said, but it really must have pissed her off. She came to try to get with me" he says, and I almost want to laugh it sounds so ridiculous.

"She came with her brother, I think, to try and get with you?" I snort now, was this chick for real? "I saw her flirting with you"

"Yeah, let's make sure there's emphasis on her flirting with me" he tosses back with a grin. "She was going to make a scene, but I managed to talk her down"

"Thank you" I say in a near whisper. "I don't know how I would have ever handled something like that" I add honestly. How does one deal with those exes? She wasn't exactly Auston's ex, but they sure as hell were sleeping together long enough for them to be considered as such.

"But now that you denied her claim, I can't be sure what she might do" he frowns. "I know that's not helpful. She just told me 'you think you've won this fight? You've only lost your mind'" he quotes back to me.

"That's a good song" I point out, and he looks at me, confused.

"That line- it's from a song. Had Enough - breaking Benjamin" I tell him, and judging by the look he's giving me I know he's never heard of them. "I mean not that it's important right now ,  but they're a fire band" I pick up my TV remote and go to YouTube. "Just because I'm going to play you some of their songs" I explain, and he just looks at the tv, interest evident in his eyes. I pick out the song despite its lack of music video, and turn it up loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to drown out our conversation.

"She definitely doesn't know this song" Freddie chuckles as he begins to listen, and I definitely have to agree.

"But what does she mean by that?" I ask, though I'm sure the answer is obvious. She's not going to give up until she destroys me. Would she try and prove my story to be incorrect? Would she figure out Auston and I were just pretend? What wouldn't she do to get what she wanted?

"Honestly, she wants to stick it to Auston" he tells me. "She tried to sleep with me, that obviously failed. And now that you're sticking up for him still... it's hard to say" I could tell he wasn't use to this drama; quite frankly, neither was I.

"Nothing we can really do I guess" I wonder out loud. "Or.. is there?"

"You're right, it's a good song" it's his turn to talk out of context.

"I know right? Here's another favourite" I say, scrolling until I can find their song titled Without You. "I mean, it's hard to pick just a few favourites" I say, getting up from the couch. "Beer?" I ask, just wanting to get my mind off of the drama that seemed to surround my life.

"Would love one" he says, as I head into the kitchen. A feeling overwhelms me to text Aubrey and tell her not to come home tonight; but I resist the urge. As I'm getting the beer I look into the living room at Freddie, who was sitting, just looking attentively at the TV. His gorgeous ginger head was tousled around, like he just got out of the shower and accepted that was his look for the day. He wore a v-neck white tee, and boy was I a sucker for those. I have to shake myself from having these thoughts; I couldn't.

"You like drinking water?" He asks, a snicker in his voice, referring to my taste in beer. I laugh, truly smiling for the first time in awhile.

"Gotta stay hydrated"