Sleeping With a Friend

Chapter Twenty-Two

We need to talk...

When I had first read the message, I thought nothing of it. Sophie was always making situations more serious than they actually were. I had no idea what to expect as I waited for her in the coffee shop. It had already been 10 minutes and I hoped she hadn't already forgotten she was the one who made the plans. The dot-dot-dot after the sentence could mean either one of two things: 1) she needed a way to get my attention or 2) this was actually something serious that needed immediate attention. Either way, I wouldn't find out until she actually showed up.

But then, any thought of her not doing so was quickly demolished when she came bursting through the door, the bell above it ringing violently as she rushed over to me, swiftly sitting down and placing her hands on a table with a "clap". I gave her a puzzling look, opening my mouth to start conversation, but he beat me too it.

"What the hell happened with Ashton?" I sucked in a breath, remembering the three nights ago when he had shown up unannounced at my door. "What did you do to him?"

"Me?! What did I do? More like what did he do! Sophie he basically called me trash." He didn't exactly say those words, but he damn well meant them. "Besides why are you even talking to me about this? It's been days." I shook my head in disbelief that this was actually happening. If I were to ask if she was picking sides, I'm sure she wouldn't be on mine at the moment.

"Because, Y/N, that night he came barging into Luke's gushing blood and a mess. Honestly, I have never seen him like that in the whole time that I've known him." She sympathized, her eyes sincere as they stared at my face, waiting for my reply.

"What so you think I punched him? He didn't even tell you the whole story." I told her softly, trailing my sentence off.

"No, I know you didn't." She sighed, "But I do know that Michael did. They used to be best friends and now-"

"Now what? It's because of me they aren't?" I hissed, feeling the accusation quickly approaching.

Sophie sighed, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest, "I wasn't going to say that." Now, sincere Sophie was going to come out and try to retract the hostility she had just let slip out. I wasn't going to fight with her on any of this. It wasn't even about her. I knew she was just being herself, trying to get the bottom of everything and try to fix it, that's just what she always tried to do. She did it with me, getting me to go out with Michael. Sophie always just tries to make sure all of her friends are friends with each other. That way her social life isn't ever in jeopardy.

"Look, I didn't expect to see Ashton that night. And I especially didn't know he was going to start a fight. Then Michael came and saw it and before I knew it his fist was on his face and Ashton was gone. I may still be pissed at him, but I could never wish that to happen." I explained, leaning forward and setting my elbows on the table. Our table grew quiet, unlike the happenings in the coffee shop around us. The sound of conversations and coffee machines all brewing up different drinks.

A smile then grew on her face and I knew there was something else on her agenda.

"How does it feel to have two guys totally crazy about you?" The look on her face made me think she was bi-polar and so did the way she was acting.

"You're kidding right! There's no way that Ashton still has feelings for me. I'm with Michael."

"No, I'm actually not." She snickered, "If you think Ashton's over you, you're terribly mistaken." An evil chuckle left her lips. I was genuinely confused at the moment, my mind felt as if it was being twisted a million different directions.

"Sophie I don't want to talk about this now. I'm happy with Michael." The thought of Ashton still having feelings for me was settling back in and I couldn't shake it. The more I told myself that it was completely over between us and that I had no feelings for him, the more I thought about him and the more I felt those feelings rising back up to the surface—which I didn't want happening. Now that Sophie was talking about it, I hated to realize that it might still be a possibility. Sophie just looked at me and I could feel a plan brewing up in her sneaky little mind. "Cut to the chase already would you? What's the real reason you wanted to meet up since you changed subjects three times in five minutes." I was getting impatient with her.

"I have some news." She wiggled her eyebrows, placing her hands back on the table. I glanced down at them, doing a double-take. Suddenly what Michael had told me weeks ago came rushing back in like a tidal wave. I didn't think Luke would actually go through with it. Pure shock washed over me as I stared at her, mouth agape with a certain fear I didn't know existed. When I didn't say anything, Sophie held up her hand, left one in-fact, ring finger displaying a new shiny ornament, glimmering the same way her eyes did.

"Oh my god." I muttered, unable to say anything else. "You're engaged?!" I sounded more unpleasantly shocked then I did happy for her, making me immediately regret it. She nodded her head eagerly, I knew I couldn't take this happiness away from her in place of my jealousy. I quickly put a smile on my face, trying my best for it not to be fake. "Sophie!" I cheered, "Congratulations!" I stood and hopped over to her, giving my best friend the supportive hug she deserved. "When did this even happen?"

"Just yesterday! Luke took me out to dinner at this super fancy restaurant. I didn't even know what was happening." She kept rambling about the night as I sat pretending to be interested. God, I hated acting like this, but I knew it was the start of the end of our friendship. Maybe even for good.

"I'm so happy for you." I told her grinning, feeling like a terrible person. "But why couldn't you just call me and tell me instead of scaring me with that text." I chuckled.

"I wanted to tell you in person and I know you've been hanging out with Michael so I didn't want to interrupt by just barging in." I nodded.

"I don't mean to change the subject again, but did you mean what you said about Ashton?" My curiosity was getting the best of me. "About him having feelings for me still?"

"Oh I don't know." She shrugged. I should have known she was just saying that. But still, why make up a lie to just tell me something else. "That's something you'll have to ask him."

I grinned at her once more, grabbing her hand from across the table, "Well I really am happy for you. I know how much you and Luke mean to each other."

She thanked me, "You know what this means now?"

"No, what does it mean?" I amused.

"We have to celebrate!"