The Good Boy and The Bitch

Someone there for me

 “You look really nice,” Ava said conversationally.

I chuckled at her poor attempt, “Well I did just run out of a wedding reception.”

She frowned knowing I was trying to pretend to be okay with what happened. After I collapsed into her arms in a sobbing mess she pulled me into her house and sat on the couch comforting me until I quit crying.

It took awhile, but I finally pulled away and was able to force a smile onto my face. We haven’t talk about anything that has happened the past few weeks or what happened between us. We have only been sitting here awkwardly neither of us knowing what to say.

“Chad got married today,” I whispered. Ava knew Chad through Grayson and after his death she kept some contact with him. I don’t think she talked to him regularly, but if she saw him out she always rushed to him hugging him tightly.

She smiled warmly, “That’s great! I wish I could have went, but Mom would never let me.”

“She has never liked him,” I agreed silence creeping between us again.

I know I’m going to have to be the one who spoke first and try working out what is wrong between us since I walked out. I wanted to beg for her forgiveness and tell her repeatedly that she was right that I should stay away from Dean for the time being. I know I needed to do a million other things than what I actually did.

I instead stood up from the couch slowly and smoothed my dress out trying to keep my face blank. I stepped around her and stepped towards the door my heels making impressions in the carpet, “I better get going.”

“Shelby,” Ava called standing from her spot, “We need to talk and you know that. So don’t run away again.”

I flinched slightly; I should have known she would call me on my shit like that. This is the girl I snuck out with so many times I lost count. She is my best friend in the whole world she knows me better than I know myself, she always has.

I kept my head down not wanting to look at her, “Ava you hurt me, you called Dean a convict.”

“What was I suppose to do Shelby?” she asked her voice raising, “I get a call in the middle of the day that my best friend was kidnapped and is in the hospital with bruises covering her body. How would you feel?”

I whirled around to her glaring, “You didn’t even let me explain to you what happened!”

She scoffed folding her arms over her chest, “Like I needed to hear it Shelby. The last time you were in the hospital because of him you also fucking died!”

“Dean can’t control what people decide to do Ava!” I screamed back.

She took a step towards me glaring, “It’s his fault them men even knew who you are! He is bad news Shelby look what happened to Grayson!”

I froze my face wiped clean from emotion, “Is that what this is about?” I whispered.

A single tear rolled down her cheek her eyes blazing with anger, “I’ve already lost one person I love because of him Shelby, and I will not do it again.”

I took a step back from her disbelief flowing through me, “You always said you never blamed him.”

She ran a hand through her hair looking stressed, “I lied! You want the truth? I blame him every single day the I can never see my brother again!”

“How could you Ava?” I yelled back feeling disappointed in my friend. “He loved Grayson if he could go back and change what happened he would do it in a heartbeat and you know that! He would change places with Grayson any day of his life.”