Sleeping With a Friend

Chapter Twenty-Six

I walked and walked and walked, it was the middle of the night and freezing outside. A part of me had wished I had taken Ashton's jacket when he offered it up hours ago. I knew I was somewhere near the heart of downtown, Ashton lived a few streets away, making the diner we were just in maybe a block further. I had been walking for what felt like thirty minutes when I finally came across the bar that Sophie had taken me to the first time I ever met Ashton.

I could only laugh at the thought, Michael and I had hit it off from the beginning, yet all I remember is being concerned with Ashton, what he was thinking about, what he thought of me.

"Hi, do you have a phone I could use? Mines dead and I need to call for a ride." I asked the bartender from across the bar, seeing that the clock hung behind him read two in the morning.

"Yeah sure." He fumbled with something under the counter and handed me the wireless phone. "You can go in the bathroom, just don't puke on it." I chuckled, he thought I was drunk and oh boy I wish I was.

On my way to the bathroom, I saw the table we had all sat that first night at the bar. In the seats was a group of people who were all laughing and talking amongst themselves. It was weird seeing it from this point of view, of course back then I was just some naïve girl who had tagged along with her friend. Back then I was unknowingly stepping into something I would never have guess would lead me right back here.

The bar's phone was old looking, like something parents only use to talk to their friends. The bathroom was much quieter than the bar area, I could actually hear the buttons beeping their different tones as I remembered them. My buzz was long gone so I didn't really have an excuse as to why I was calling from a random number. I had only hoped that Sophie didn't change her phone number without telling me like she changed everything else in her life, her number was the only one I could remember this late at night.

"Hello?" It wasn't Sophie who answered, instead I heard Luke. He didn't sound tired so I wouldn't have felt bad if I had woken them both up.

"Luke? Uh, it's Y/N. Is Sophie there I need to talk to her." I hesitated before chocking it all out.

"Yeah, she's right here just hold on." I could hear mumbles of people in the background noise. I guess those two really know how to throw a party.

"Y/N!" She was like my mom yelling at me through the phone after staying out past curfew, and funny enough, I felt like I didn't stay past my own curfew, "What the hell?! Where did you go? Michael was going crazy looking for you! Well I was too, okay mostly me, but where the hell are you? Are you alright?" Sophie ranted. I held the phone away from my ear, waiting for her to take a breather.

"I'm fine." I got in when she finally did take a small breath.

But she only continued, "I'm sorry we fought Y/N, I really am. I've just been under a lot of stress lately with the wedding it's just all so much."

"Sophie," I calmed her, "Soph, its fine. I'm sorry too."

"It's good, we're good." She sighed, "Where are you? Luke almost didn't answer because the number is so weird."

"Well I'm thankful that didn't happen. I'm at that bar you took me too a while ago, you know the one where you first introduced me to Luke? My phone died hours ago and I've been-" I stopped mid-sentence, realizing I was about to tell her the truth about where I was and who I was with while she was in front of Luke and most likely Michael as well. "I just came here after our fight and got a bit buzzed. I was alone so the bartender didn't let me leave until I sobered up and called someone." In reality, no bartender would care to do such a thing. Hopefully she was gullible enough to believe it.

"Really? I'll come get you right now! Consider me on my way!" Before I could tell her anything else the other line went dead.

I walked out of the bathroom and back over to the bar, the only empty space was in between some guy and this couple who were getting a bit too touchy-feely.

"Here. Thanks." The guy nodded, taking the phone from my hand.

"Did you get a hold of someone? Sometimes the service in here can suck." I nodded and he half-smiled, putting the phone back under the counter. I slid onto the stool, leaning my elbows against the counter. Someone must have spilled their drink because it was all wet, my forearms getting soaked in the liquid. The bartender saw and slid me a napkin. A nice gesture making me think my story could be true after all. "Can I get you anything? We just got this new apple ale." His offer was kind, but not what I needed.

"Can I just have a water please?" He nodded and poured me a glass.

"So what brings you here?" Small talk, I was not in the mood for it.

I shook my head, "Nothing, just a late night stroll."

"Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?"

"What? My boyfriend? No, no you're way off." I chuckled, there was no way I would tell this stranger anything about my night. It was bad enough he thought of me as some drunk bimbo. I took a sip of the water in front of me.

"Sorry," The bartender cackled, "That's just usually the type of girl I see here alone at this time at night. Never ones who are happy to be out this late."

"Well you're wrong." I smirked at him, "For both of those assumptions actually." I cocked my head to the side, making the conversation more playful.

The bartender grinned, "So then what is it? Get in a fight with your best friend?"

"Please," I clucked, "If I did, I'd rather be home binging on some ice cream." We grew silent as he was called over to another customer, "You'd better get back to work." He nodded and walked off. I had no idea what his name was but it was nice to have some company while I sat alone. I'm just thankful the guy I had been sitting next to had someone else to talk to instead of me, I wasn't in the mood for small talk or creeps.

The water I had was soon gone as I watched the clock on the wall pass by and each time I glanced over at the door, no one I knew was walking through. That was until I had to actually use the bathroom—when I got up I heard my name being yelled from the front.

"Y/N! There you are!" Sophie came rushing up to me, embracing me in a tight hug, "I was so worried about you! I'm sorry we fought I didn't mean any of it!" She was repeating the same conversation we had on the phone like it never even happened.

"Sophie, it's alright!" I pulled away from her. "Just take me home." A sigh of relief left my lips and we exited the bar. "What took you so long? I was waiting for like half an hour." I finally said to her once we got outside.

"I still had guests! I had to make up some excuse for them to leave." Sophie said with a chuckle.

"Oh alright." I got quiet, a yawn then escaping me. When we reached her car I was thankful that there weren't any people surprises hiding inside. It was bad enough I had just spent the night with Ashton, the last thing I wanted to do was face Michael afterwards.

"Michael's waiting for you at your place. I called him and told him just to go there. You know he was worried sick about you." Think of the devil.

"Oh good." I said to myself, more sarcastic then anything.

"I didn't want to say anything earlier, but I saw you talking to Ashton before you left." I shot an angry look at her.

"You did?" Shit. "What did you see?"

"Just you talking." She glanced over, "Did you leave with him Y/N? You can tell me if you did. I won't judge."

"No!" I shot back quickly, "I didn't. He just made me mad then I left." She didn't need a better excuse, even if she asked for one, that's as good of one as she's going to get.

Sophie didn't reply and soon enough she pulled up to my building, "He was really worried, keep that in mind before you come to any rash decisions."

It was my turn to not say anything as I got out of the car. I muttered a thank you before shutting the door and sucking in a deep breath. I made my way up to my apartment, Sophie's last words replaying in my head and she was right. I didn't want to hurt anyone, especially Michael and I felt like that's all I was doing. The thought was permanent in my mind. But then again, I hated to feel conflicted about my feelings, if I ever had any real ones.