The responding text is a picture—one of Ashton leaning over in the tattoo artist’s chair, the man with the ink gun at work. Ashton’s face is twisted into a hideous, exaggerated wince.
I burst out in a fit of giggles, the tension sliding off my shoulders. Kacey always knows how to make things better for me. I’m still giggling, typing out a response to her, when a door squeaks open. I clamp my hand over my mouth.
“Did you see who’s here?” a nasally female voice asks.
“If you’re talking about Ashton, then . . . how could anyone miss him,” another voice drawls as the sound of water rushing from a tap fills the room.
My ears perk up. I hit “Send” on my text to Kacey, telling her that I love her. Then I set my phone on silent.
“He’s sitting at a table with two girls, though,” the second voice continues.
That’s when I know for sure. They’re talking about my Ashton. I mean . . . not my Ashton, but . . . My cheeks heat. I probably shouldn’t be listening to this. But it’s too late; I can’t leave now. I’m one of those girls.
“So what? He was here with a girl the last time I was here and I still went home with him,” the first voice murmurs haughtily, and I picture her leaning forward to apply lipstick in the mirror. She moans. “God, that was such a great night.”
Now I’m downright uncomfortable. The last thing I want to hear are details about Ashton’s dirty exploits. I wonder if he chased this one into a classroom and defaced her books with hearts and his number, too.
Either she hasn’t noticed that there’s someone in the stall or she doesn’t care, because she continues. “We did it out on the back deck. Out in the open. Anyone could have seen us!” she whispers excitedly. “And you know me . . . I’m pretty respectable . . .” I roll my eyes and decide that Ashton likely didn’t have to do much chasing at all. “But with him . . . Oh my God, Keira. I did things I never thought I’d do.”
Sure thing, whore.
My hand flies over my mouth as the words register in my head, shocking myself with my viciousness. For a second, I’m afraid that I might have said it out loud.
I guess I didn’t, because the nasally voice adds, “I don’t care who he’s here with. He’s leaving with me tonight.”
I close my eyes and hug my arms to my body, afraid to sneeze or cough or shuffle my feet too loudly because they’ll know I was listening, and then they’ll see me sitting with him when I go back out there. And they’ll know I was eavesdropping.
Thankfully, they’re only there to reapply their makeup and fawn over Ashton’s earth-shattering sex skills so they vacate the bathroom shortly, leaving me to escape the stall and wash my hands. And wonder if this mystery girl will succeed. Probably. My gut tightens at the prospect.
“There you are.” Reagan plows in through the door. With a deep sigh, she pats my back. “He’s never going to let up if you react like that. You need to start dishing it back.”
“I know, Reagan. I know. You’re right. I’m just not good at that.” It’s surprising, given that I grew up with the queen of comebacks. But if I don’t learn to handle him, “slow and easy” Connor is going to run “fast and hard” away from me.
“Just laugh it off.” She gives my arm an affectionate squeeze as we head out the door.
Then I remember the picture of Ashton that Kacey just sent me. I know it’s juvenile but I hold my phone up, a vindictive thrill making me smile. “Take a look at this, Reagan.” By the time we arrive at our table, tears are streaming down our cheeks, we’re laughing so hard.
Connor’s green eyes flicker with a mixture of surprise and amusement as he holds out my chair for me. “What’s so funny?” If Ashton’s earlier comment affected him one way or another, I can’t tell.
“Oh, nothing,” I say casually, downing what’s left of my drink and picking up the fresh one that someone ordered while I was gone, intentionally ignoring Ashton’s watchful gaze.
“Show him, Livie,” Reagan announces with an impish grin, adding, “You know what they say about payback . . .”
Grinning, I hold my phone up.
I’ve never heard three grown men howl like Connor, Grant, and Ty do when they see the picture. Clapping his hands, Ty bellows, “We need to get that blown up and put on our wall!” Then he mimics the look on Ashton’s face, making a low guttural sound and pointing to his roommate, who has no clue what’s happening because I intentionally held it out of his view.