Adler | The Monarch & The Heirs BOOK 2.

Mismatch | A THIRTY SEVEN

A/N: Dedicated to Sade959 and sunflowerjj

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"Liam's been avoiding me."

Stevie almost didn't want to believe her eyes when she caught the slight curl of the lips from the girl sat across from her. It was gone in a flash.

"What do you mean?"

Stevie clenched her hands tightly on the tablecloth. "I mean he's been deliberately ignoring my texts and calls and I think you know why, Ashton."

"How should I know?" Had been Ashton's nonchalant reply.

"Quit the bullshit, Ash. You told him something after that party. After I saw you—"

"You don't know what you saw." Ashton snapped. Despite the jaded stare, her tone held hostility unlike anything Stevie had ever heard. It was hateful and malicious. "You just barged in and made assumptions. Do you know Liam told his parents what you said? Now they hate me— well, they always did but now they've found the perfect excuse to be open about it."

"I didn't think he would just break up with you. I thought he would've tried to talk things out. Like the first time he told you he had a problem with Vincent."

A scornful scoff left Ashton's lips. "Oh and how would that talk have gone when you told him we were both fucking high, too?"

"So he'd understand you weren't in the right state of mind." Frankly, taking in the vibrant anger flaring and how tightly her fists were on the table, Stevie was skeptic if her rattled friend had slipped in a little something before coming.

Ashton was an artist with concealer make-up. Catered by a high staff stylists had honed it to make any traces of hangovers or fatigue from doses nearly inconceivable. There were red lines around her eyes Stevie had assumed was from crying— maybe not.

"You know what I think?" Ashton spoke in a low voice. "I think you knew Liam would freak and just went and told him behind my back so you could move in on him."

"What?" Stevie was close to chuckling, but ceased in an instant the glower sent her way was not a joke. "Ash how can you say that?"

"I'm not hearing a denial."

"Because this is stupid. I don't like Liam like that anymore, you know I have Shaun too—"

"Oh, save it." She hissed. "I know you two aren't together anymore. It's obvious from how you always change the subject when I ask and haven't invited him once since I've been in town. What, thought I couldn't figure that out?" Ashton cocked her head to the side. "Or has Garren brainwashed you to the point you think everyone outside of him and his vain fuckboy squad are idiots?"

At that, Stevie had lost all tolerance. To think she'd picked missing Ben's birthday over this. She let out a sigh and released her grip on the cloth. "Clearly, I've just wasted your time in calling you here. Have a safe flight back to Washington."

She elected to avoid whatever disdainful expression Ashton had in response, focusing her eyes on fishing out the small cash on hand to cover her bill. Before her folded notes touched the table, a hand seized her wrist.

Stevie saw she'd been wise to look away. When instinctively peering upwards, she was stumped by the heavy snarl sculpted on the girl. The girl she'd been dying to see all summer. It had Stevie close to tears to who had really turned up at her suite that first mid-day of break. A different, happier Ashton who didn't need her little nerdy friend to interfere in her new, exciting life.