Surprise Me.

Chapter 10- Backstabber.

Ashley and I had met in college and had become fast friends. We sorta lost touch when she dropped out and transferred to a cosmetology school in L.A. The day before she left, she invited me to her party, teasing me about how I'd better bring someone with me who wasn't a girl. Boy would she be surprised. When I walked into the rented-out event center, I immediately knew exactly where she was, her hot pink mini-dress and knee-high pink boots were showstopping. Colby offered me his arm and I took it, leading him over to Ashley.

"Girls who are shorter than five foot seven are the devil's way of dealing with men." I said as I approached her, calling out an inside joke we'd created in the dorms.

"That's why girls wear heels." She continued, whirling around. "Maddie!"

"Ashley!" I dropped Colby's arm and met her in the middle, accepting the hug she offered. "It's so good to see you." We broke apart and she looked Colby up and down shamelessly.

"Looks like you actually brought someone who isn't a girl."

"Ashley, this is Colby. Colby, this is Ashley."

"Damn he's fine. Except for those scratches." She announced. Colby's cheeks turned bright red and his eyes went wide. For some reason, I felt slightly jealous.

"Babe, I'm right here." Someone sighed. The voice was worryingly familiar. A man moved to Ashley's side and as soon as I saw his face, sadness struck my heart. The man who had just called Ashley "babe" was my ex-boyfriend, Ben. It only hurt to see them together because of how mad Ashley had been at him when we broke up. I felt betrayed.

"I'm just kidding, you know that." Ashley giggled.

"I know." Ben replied, grinning. He grabbed her around the waist before making eye contact with me. "Oh, Maddie. Long time no see."

"How've you been?" I asked politely, holding back tears.

"I've been good. Ashley's been a saving grace." He continued on like Colby wasn't there, blatantly ignoring the fact that he was being stared down. "Looks like the rest of college treated you well. Last time I saw you, you left my dorm crying."

"I've changed a lot in two years."

"And I absolutely love your hair." Ashley cooed. "What made you go with blue?"

"It was part of a truth or dare game."

"Oh we're gonna be playing that later. Spin the bottle, too."

"We'll have to check that out."

"You know what? Go mingle, meet new people." She said, shooing me away. I was grateful. I moved towards the bathrooms when a hand grabbed my arm. I reared back and turned around, ready to punch someone when I recognized Colby.

"Christ, I'm sorry." I said, lowering my arm.

"It's fine, I understand." Colby answered as his brows furrowed. "Are you crying?" He wiped a stray tear from my face with his thumb.

"A little. The guy who Ashley is dating is my ex. She swore she would never go out with him, but here we are."

"That's why he said that the last time he saw you you were leaving his dorm crying."

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, okay? I'll be right back."

"Alright. I'll be right here."

Colby let go of my arm and leaned against the wall, unbuttoning his jacket. I entered the bathroom and sighed heavily, wiping my tears with a paper towel.

"Wanna talk about it?" A slightly-drunk voice said from one of the stalls.

"Oh sweetie, we'll be here all night." I replied.