I looked down at my hand and cleared my throat. “Look…I appreciate you telling me and thinking that you’re looking out for me, Antonio. Really I do. However…you didn’t see what you think you saw,” I said with a level of surety that did nothing but piss him off.
His jaw tightened as he leaned his elbows on the table to close the distance between us. He spoke just above a whisper, but the tension in his tone still caught me off guard. “Why the hell is it that you think this dude can do no wrong? It’s not like he’s above doing something like this.”
I didn’t miss the reference to the role AJ played in me and Antonio’s breakup, but I ignored it all the same. “AJ’s not cheating on me.”
“Tell that to the Asian chick I saw him with a couple weeks ago, then. ‘Cause I know what I saw.”
My blood was starting to heat in my veins, setting my cheeks ablaze in the process.
“Don’t let him make a fool of you, Sam,” Antonio warned. “Trust me…that’s hard to come back from.”
My eyes flickered while I stared back at him, unable to hide the fact that the statement took a jab at my heart. Antonio’s eyes drifted to my wrist and he shook his head again as he took in the sight of my tattoo. I stared at AJ’s initials too.
Hurt. Frustration. Regret. I could feel each and every one of those emotions practically rolling off of Antonio’s body. The level of discomfort at our table rose to astronomical levels in the short ten minute span of time that we sat there. Apparently he could feel it too, judging by his sudden need to make a quick exit. This time, when he reached for his coat and keys, I didn’t stop him.
“Just don’t be as blind as I was,” he said, standing to his feet. “While you’re sitting there questioning whether my eyes were playing tricks on me or not, ask yourself if he’s been different lately, or if you’ve caught him in a lie or two. Those are the things you should be looking for instead of trying to explain it all away.”
With that, Antonio left me sitting alone at the table with my emotions all over the place. Cheating? Of course not. I tried to picture the scenario Antonio described – AJ hugged up with another girl – Asian, according to his recollection. I couldn’t even wrap my mind around the possibility; it didn’t make sense. While I still was certain that AJ wasn’t with another girl, this is news that no woman wants to hear, from an ex or otherwise.
Sighing out of frustration, I abandoned my drink and headed back to my room. Without realizing it, Antonio had planted a seed in my thoughts. Trying to picture it in my head did nothing but water the idea, whether I meant for that to be the case or not. Now…honestly, I did want to at least mention the information to AJ to see what he’d say, but it wasn’t like I could go to him and say that I’d hung out with Antonio who then accused him of seeing another girl behind my back. Basically, what I’m saying is, I was now stuck with these questions and no possibility of being able to bring it to AJ without incriminating myself. This meeting was something that I swore I’d never bring up, which seemed to be the smartest way to deal with it.
Chapter10
AJ
Westwood was finally in my rearview mirror. After unpacking the few things that I actually bothered to bring with me, I decided to spend my first night on Charleston’s campus with Sam. I hadn’t been this content since I don’t know when – falling asleep beside her, waking up beside her, and knowing that we could do this every night if we wanted. Finally, our college experience was about to be like we’d both imagined it.
Just before passing out, I mentioned to her that I’d probably be gone when she woke up because I was going for a run. I think the excitement of us being here on campus together got the best of her, because next thing I know, she’s volunteering to join me. Of course I welcomed the idea, but I knew, come morning, she’d have a change of heart.