Fuck. I was in way too deep.
Ava
My phone ringing on Sunday morning woke me up. I expected to still be in that hotel, in that bed, next to Logan with his arms wrapped around me. I groaned and rolled over, reaching for him before I remembered.
I had left.
The decision to leave was a good thing. I couldn’t have stayed curled up against him all night while he fed me food like he had the last time. My gut couldn’t take the guilt. The ringing of my phone ripped me from my trance and into the real world as I blinked up at the ceiling of my apartment.
I reached for my phone and picked it up. “Hello?” I asked groggily.
“Still asleep at eleven in the morning? Must’ve been a hell of a night. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Camilla?” I asked.
“Who the hell else would it be? Why? You expecting a hot phone call I don’t know about?”
“You wouldn’t know about much since you haven’t been around.”
“Ouch. I’ll blame that on the lack of coffee. And speaking of, want to get some with me? Or maybe lunch since you’ve slept the day away? I’ve got so much to tell you, girl.”
I shook the sleep from my pleasure-addled mind before I sat up. The idea of getting together with Camilla the day after I had screwed around with her ex for the second time made me nervous. But more than that, it made me feel guilty. I was glad I had forced myself to leave last night. The last thing I needed was to be cuddled up to Logan while taking this insane phone call.
“Sure. Yeah. Lunch sounds good,” I said.
“See you soon! Can’t wait. I’ve missed my best friend.” Then she hung up.
For someone who was recently single due to doing something idiotic, she didn’t sound upset at all—which made me even more nervous. I slid from bed and pieced myself together, forgoing a shower since I’d scrubbed myself down the instant I had gotten home last night. I piled my hair in a bun and put sunglasses on to conceal how tired I was. Despite the hours I’d slept, they hadn’t been restful.
I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder, then headed for my car. I prayed and hoped I wouldn’t give anything away. I hoped to God on high I didn’t smell like Logan or something. Because even though Camilla seemed to be in a decent mood now, she wouldn’t be if she figured out what was going on. But I was sure if she did find out and I explained what all had happened, she wouldn’t mind—not since her little arrangement with her boss was apparently business as well.
Fucking for a better raise. I shook my head as I slid into my car.
It wasn’t as if Logan had sought me out. Nor had I sought him out. I had sought to lose my virginity under my rules and stipulations. And with the way Camilla had been acting about my sexuality, she should be happy I was no longer a virgin. Ecstatic even. Who cared who I lost it with? I had signed a contract, paid a fee, and done it on my own terms. Of all the people involved, Camilla should have understood the best. Right?
“Oh my gosh! It’s been so long!”
Camilla threw her arms around me the second I stepped out of the car.
“Hey there,” I said.
“Well, don’t sound so excited to see your best friend.”
“Still waking up. Haven’t had coffee yet.”
“And I’m about to fix that.”
Camilla held out a cup of my favorite coffee from my favorite joint, and my stomach rolled with even more guilt.
“Are you going to take it?” she asked.
“Sorry. Yeah,” I said.
“Rough night?”
“Didn’t sleep well.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“No.”
“Good, because I’ve got way too much to talk about. Come on. Let’s go get us some food.”
She linked her arm with mine and dragged me into the little restaurant. We slid ourselves into a booth, and I chugged my coffee, furiously trying to wake up. If anything, my inability to stay attentive would ruin all of this. I’d let something slip in my effortless exhaustion and it would be a knock-down, drag-out fight. I swallowed hard, then set the empty cup aside as Camilla giggled.
“Feeling better?”
“Much,” I said breathlessly.
“What’ll it be, ladies?” the waiter asked.
We placed our orders before Camilla turned her attention back to me.
“So, what’s all this information you have to fill me in on?” I asked.
“You want the punch line or the story?” she asked.
“Punch line and then work backward.”
“I broke up with Logan.”
I slid my glasses off my face and squinted at her.
“You did what?” I asked.
“I broke things off with Logan. And before you launch into some diatribe about how he was a good guy and how perfect we were together, hear me out.”