“Kallie, your shitty life is here. There’s a difference.”
“The odds are stacked against us, Eris. I have my business here—”
“That you could pick up and take with you.”
“And my family’s here. You’re here.”
“We both know Ash has enough money to fucking fly us out there anytime we want to see you.”
“And what if I did give in? What if I did agree to stay? Ash wants to carve out a life for himself that’s isolated. He suggested I sell off my damn business, Eris. So I could stay at home and pump out kids.”
“Is that what he said?”
“It’s what he implied.”
“What did he say, Kallie?” Eris asked.
“He said I could sell my business and live in paradise with him without having to lift a finger if I didn’t want to.”
“That’s not asking you what you think he’s asking you.”
“What?” Kallie asked.
“You think Ash wanted to sell your business so he could keep you cooped up. That’s not what he said. He said you could sell off your business so you could live out your days with him. At his side. He didn’t say anything in that statement about you having kids and being a housewife. Just that he wanted you to live your life alongside him so he could take care of you.”
“Which is the exact definition of what he and James accused me of being.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Eris.”
“Listen to me, Kallie. I’ve done you a great disservice as your friend. I know you’ve gotten this rule from me about never getting too attached to one guy. But I’ve kind of broken all my rules with Jeremy lately, and it’s turning out better than I could’ve ever expected.”
“Did he slaughter your reputation in the media or debase you in front of a massive crowd of people?” Kallie asked.
“No. But it’s not easy for us either. My point is, you think the odds are stacked against you because you’re looking at Ash through the lens of what James wanted from you. You two always fought about whether or not you’d give up your career to be a stay-at-home wife with kids. But Ash didn’t ask you about any of that. All he asked was that you sell off your business to come be with him. To live with him. To explore with him. And that doesn’t make you a gold digger, because he’s offering even though you’re not willingly seeking.”
“But what if I did stay, Eris? What if I stayed and the press found us anyway? Ash wanted to live this kind of life because he hates the press. He hates how he’s treated because of his money. Ash living in Bali isn’t a headliner, but Ash living in Bali because of a supposed gold digger called out on a national forum? That’s a massive headliner. What if they chase us down because of me?”
“Well, we finally dug down to why you didn’t stay,” Eris said. “And it’s a valid reason. So here’s the only rebuttal I’ve got. If you love Ash, you should fight the same way he’s doing to make things work. Do you love him?”
Kallie chugged back the rest of her beer before she settled into the couch.
“I do,” she said. “I love him, Eris.”
“Then fight for him. That man has done nothing but fight his way back into your world ever since he figured out he fucked up. And he has changed you a lot. You’ve become stronger. More confident in who you are. James tore you down for years. Stripped away my best friend and molded her into this almost unrecognizable person. This is the closest I’ve seen you to the Kallie I knew before James came along and tipped your world upside down.”
“You think I made a mistake,” Kallie said.
“I think that if you’re happier here than with Ash, then you made the right decision.”
Shit.
Eris took a couple of slices of pizza with her, then left Kallie to her thoughts. She opened another beer and sipped on it, grimacing at the taste. How Eris could drink this shit was beyond her, but the burning alcohol helped her to focus. Her friend was right. Kallie needed to step up and fight if this was what she wanted. And Kallie wasn’t happier in her apartment. It was simply what was comfortable. James had been comfortable. But that didn’t mean he had been right. Her apartment was comfortable, but that didn’t mean it was right.
Kallie had to call Ash.
But just as her butt left the couch, her doorbell rang.