The Worst Love Story Ever (18+)

3. Witch Hunt

They were a fun group, my friends. We had met shooting a medieval fantasy TV show in Ireland; all actors, except for myself and Kiara. We had started as background actresses, a way of making some extra money. Now, over a year later, I had become a regular actress and tonight we were all celebrating the wrapping of a season before they had to go back to their respective homes.

We sat around the dinner table, drinking and chatting. The food had been a success, and I decided to let Ash have his moment, keeping my last-minute help a secret. Of course, with my luck, they had to shift the conversation to the one subject I'd been avoiding.

"Hey, where's Aedan?" Kiara asked me during dessert. "I thought he'd be here tonight."

"Oh, I love Aedan! His accent makes me so happy." Noah mimicked Aedan's thick Irish accent. He turned to Kiara with a charming wink. "No offense, kid."

"Hey!" Lena kicked him under the table. "His accent is sexy, and you know it."

"Easy, Kotik..." Mikhail said, and Lena kissed his cheek to ease her boyfriend's jealousy.

"Noah's being unfair, Mysh. Even you have to agree that Aedan is awesome."

"No freaking way!" Ethan cut in, his washed-up Scottish accent resonating deeply through the dining area. "Guy shows up on his bike an' leather jacket, smiting our women like he's the shit."

"You and Noah never like any guys I date," I said. "Why would he be different?"

"Cause he's too hot."

"What? Even you, man? Noah yelled.

"He's got a beautiful voice though," Zoey said, and Ethan made an offended act before she pulled him into a quick kiss.

"Is he coming or what?" Kiara asked.

I raised my brows at her. "Um... No."

"Ash, what did you do now?" Noah shouted. Whenever he drank, he got as loud as a rock concert.

The girls followed his lead, inquiring Ash on why he didn't like "poor Aedan".

"I didn't do anything, okay?! She broke up with him!"

Everybody looked at each other. I dropped my fork, glaring at Ash.

"Did you really do it?" Kiara asked.

Ash and I exchanged a conspiratory look, and I signaled it was fine. I looked down at my plate before answering, "Yup! Never gonna see his ginger face again."

My friends exploded in their reactions. The girls were mad at me for telling Ash and not them; Misha seemed disappointed, and Noah paid Ethan twenty bucks.

"You guys really live through me, don't you?" I asked the couples.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lena asked.

"Because you two keep meddling in my life!" I pointed at her and Zoey.

"No, we don't!"

"Yes you do!" 

"Either way, you two were hitting it off so well... Two months, Val!" Zoey said. "I was really starting to think he'd be the one."

"Why are you so invested in my love life?"

"Because love is wonderful." She gave Ethan a full-on lovesick look.

I felt a different kind of sick, staging a barf. "Yeah... Been there, done that. No, thank you."

"Seriously, though," Misha said. "You always date these cool guys, and as soon as we get attached, they're gone. It's affecting us too."

"Exactly!" Lena said. "We're emotionally invested."