Jilted (12 page)

“I have but Jeremy’s a decent guy. I don’t want to see Skylar digging her claws into another target.”

“I see.”

Ashely narrowed his eyes at the sound of Tim’s casual tone. “What do you see exactly?”

“The way I see it, Jeremy’s a big boy who can probably take care of himself. If Skylar hasn’t changed, then I’m sure he’ll see through her. She’s no longer your problem…unless something else happened.”

Ashley flexed the muscle in his jaw.

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

“You’re way too perceptive for your own good. You should have been the lawyer instead of me.”

“And deal with the crap you put up with? No thanks. I’m quite happy managing money,” he said referring to the brokerage firm he worked for. “So what happened?”

“Let’s just say Skylar has been put on alert and she now knows that she can’t pull the same bullshit with Jeremy that she did with me.”

“Hmm, sounds like there was more to your confrontation.”

Again Ashley fell silent.

“Shit, man, did you fuck her?”

“I could have if I wanted to but I only tested her to see how far she’d let me go.”

“Damn.” Tim shook his head before taking a couple gulps from his protein shake.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“What exactly do you want me to say? Sounds like you’re just as much to blame in this situation as she is.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whose side are you on anyway?”

“I didn’t realize I had to choose sides. I thought I was listening to a friend air out his problems.”

“Why are you acting so diplomatic now? You didn’t particularly like Skylar before.”

Tim nodded. “You’re right, back then I didn’t give her much of a chance and I have regrets about that. Obviously you saw something in her that you thought was special. I wasn’t that friendly towards her because I bought into the bullshit that people needed to be with their own kind. And before you say anything, I’m not talking about race. She was a girl from the hood and it didn’t matter that she put herself through law school and was smart or that you liked her. Her background disqualified her as a candidate for my best friend’s future wife.”

Ashley laughed without humor. “You sound like my mother.”

“You know how we were raised. Our mothers are of similar mindsets. Don’t you remember when we were kids? We weren’t allowed to play with kids who had above ground pools. I actually started to believe in the garbage I was being fed because I didn’t have the benefit of a father like yours. I’ve thought a lot about how I treated Skylar when you two were together and I regret my behavior. Being with Rachel changed me for the better and it’s made me see things from a different perspective. How me and your family treated her was wrong.”

Ashley frowned. Tim had mellowed quite a bit after he met his wife Rachel, who worked as a teacher and was heavily into social activism. Ashley never noticed how much until this moment. But he needed to remind Tim exactly the kind of woman Skylar was. “Have you forgotten what she did to me? How she couldn’t even wait to say her vows before she was spreading her legs for some random guy. She made a fool out of me and lied about it. And the other night she would have had sex with me even though she was in the middle of a date with Jeremy.”

Tim sighed. “I can’t presume to know what she did, but when I look back on how the two of you were together, it was clear that she was smitten with you. I don’t know what happened to make her cheat, but maybe it’s time to confront her and ask why. The way you ended things with Skylar was pretty harsh, even if you consider her crimes unforgivable. And despite the finality of the way you handled the situation, it didn’t bring you the closure that you probably still need. Once you get answers from her about why she did it, maybe you can be happy again.”

“Happy? You sound like a damn greeting card. What makes you think I’m not happy?”

“Ash, you’ve changed. You used to laugh and smile but not anymore. When I tell a joke you give a half-hearted smirk but there’s no humor in your eyes. And you go through women like they’re nothing. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you with the same woman for more than a few weeks. And worst of all, you’re no longer close with your brother and sister. You always used to look out for them and now they’re both acting out because you’ve abandoned them. I’m just surprised that you haven’t dumped me too.”

Ashley flared his nostrils as he listened to his so-called friend run down a laundry list of his fault. “Are you finished?”

“Don’t take it like that.”

“How the hell am I supposed to take it? You make me out to be the biggest asshole of all time but the way I see it, I’m a realist. On the tail end of what Skylar did to me, I had to deal with Tiffany’s bullshit. If I didn’t get that sham of a marriage annulled, I’d probably be stuck paying that bitch alimony and why? Because I tried to do the right thing. Well my friend I’m not going to live my life for anyone other than me. I’ve been played for a fool twice, but never again.”

“Okay, I get it. You were hurt by what happened but the Tiffany thing was barely a blip on your radar. You never loved her and barely batted an eye when you found out about her deception. But it was different with Skylar. I think it’s time for you to contact her and lay that ghost to rest once and for all.”

“If I see that bitch again, I’m going to strangle her.”

“For what? For something that happened five years ago? Or for what happened recently? I’d say you are just as much to blame for what occurred as she is. But if you want to stay in denial, that’s your problem. I’ll leave you in your misery. I’m heading home now. I hope you at least think about what I said.”

Ashley folded his arms across his chest as he watched his friend leave. Tim didn’t know what he was talking about. He couldn’t possibly fathom the pain of being with someone who he would literally have died for only to find out that everything they’d had together was one big fat lie. No. There was nothing he needed to say to Skylar that he hadn’t already. In fact if he ever saw her again it would be too soon.

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Ashley had played the conversation he’d had with Tim in his mind over and over again, but he simply couldn’t let it go. Skylar Brown was poison and he refused to let her try her tricks on someone he cared about. It would have been so easy to just leave well enough alone and allow Jeremy to make his own mistakes but when he thought of the two of them together, kissing, holding each other, fucking, it filled him with disgust. What lies was she telling his friend?

Did she still make that face where her eyes rolled to the back of her head when she was in the throes of passion? Did she claw at Jeremy’s back like a wildcat, the way she’d done with him? Did she say all the right things while playing little Miss Innocent? It was a kick in the gut to Ashley as he imagined her doing those things with someone else. He told himself it wasn’t because he cared about her, he was just warning a friend, which is why he found himself visiting the hospital he knew Jeremy worked at.

Since his friend didn’t want to return his calls, he decided to make the time to see him. He followed the hospital directory to the neurology unit where Jeremy had an office. The receptionist directed him to wait while she contacted Jeremy who thankfully wasn’t in surgery that morning.

Ashley looked through the appointments in his smartphone while he waited, returned texts and answered some of his messages. When he finally looked at the clock he realized that he’d been sitting there for a half hour. Where the hell was Jeremy, and why would he keep him waiting?

Impatient, he went to the receptionist’s desk. “Does Dr. Sullivan know I’m here?”

The woman behind the desk who was old enough to be his grandmother gave him a blank stare. “Well you saw me contact him, didn’t you?” she returned with plenty of attitude. “He’s a very busy man and he’ll get to you when he can.”

“Could you give him a reminder call to let him know his friend is out in the waiting area? It’s been over a half an hour.” Ashley wasn’t used to being brushed-off and he was highly annoyed.

Another 15 minutes passed and he found himself pacing the length of the room. He was about to go back to the receptionist, when Jeremy stepped out into the waiting room to greet him. The first thing that Ashley noticed was that his friend didn’t seem happy to see him. In fact the expression on Jeremy’s face was downright hostile.

Ashley raised a brow. “Didn’t you know I was out here?

“Yes, I was aware, but as you can see this is my place of business I have other priorities. Why are you here anyway?”

Ashley cocked his head to side. “Jeremy, what’s your problem?”

Jeremy folded his arms across his chest, closing himself off. One of the first steps to being a good trial lawyer was learning how to read body language and Jeremy’s wasn’t very welcoming at all. It was a huge difference from the man he’d encountered less than a week ago. “I’m assuming you’re the one with the problem considering you’ve been blowing my phone up and now you’re here.”

He’d only suspected it before but now Ashley had confirmation that Jeremy’s newfound dislike of him had something to do with Skylar. That bitch must have told Jeremy some kind of sob story to make herself look sympathetic. It was another black mark he could add to her column. “How about we go to your office? I’m sure you don’t want anyone else listening to what I have to say.”

Jeremy firmed his lips and seemed as if he wanted to argue against that suggestion but finally his shoulders dropped and he turned on his heel. “Follow me,” he said begrudgingly.

Once they were inside the doctor’s office, Jeremy leaned against his desk and folded his arms again. Ashley noticed that he didn’t offer him a seat. “Okay, we’re in my office. Now talk.”

“I’m guessing by the cool reception you know about me and Skylar.”

Jeremy stiffened. “Yes,” he answered slowly. “She told me about how you callously dumped on the day of your wedding in front of all your friends and family. You humiliated her and then set out to destroy her.”

Anger coursed through Ashley. When put like that it made him sound like the bad guy, but he was certain Skylar had left her part of the story out. “Is that so? Did she tell you that she was sleeping with another man behind my back for almost our entire engagement?”

“She told me about some phony photographs you doctored as an excuse to break up with her.”

Ashley had to laugh at that. “Fake? I had those pictures authenticated because when I received them in my mailbox, I couldn’t believe they were real either. I didn’t want to think Skylar could do something like that to me. After all, she’d spent the better part of a year convincing me that I was the love of her life and that I was the only one. Look, I’m here to warn you because I’m sure everything may be flowers and sunshine right now, because that’s how a woman like Skylar reels you in. She makes you feel important, that you can conquer anything as long as she’s by your side. She smiles at you in a way that will make you believe she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you. But it’s all lies. She’s a big fraud because while she’s smiling in your face, she’s doing it to someone else. Yes, I may have left her at the altar but when I woke up that morning; my intention was to marry her.

I would have given her my name despite learning the truth about her because she’d had me so deep in her spell that it didn’t matter. But when the time came and she lied to my face about how she’d love, honor and cherish me, I realized I couldn’t do it. Skylar is a liar and has no remorse. I ended things in order to save myself from years of being taken for a fool and to rescue my soul before she’d completely destroyed it.”

Jeremy pushed himself off the desk and stalked toward him until they were toe to toe. “You’re making that shit up. The fact that you cast her aside over some goddamn photos without even talking to her about it makes no damn sense.”

“Because like I already told you, I was still going to go through with the wedding. But it wasn’t just pictures.”

“What?” Jeremy took a step back as if he’d been hit.

“There was a DVD. And her lover got in contact with me. He was more than happy to share many details of their escapades. And despite all this, I was willing to look past all of that because I loved her.”

“She didn’t mention a DVD.”

“Of course she didn’t.” Ashley didn’t tell Skylar that he had a video recording of her with the other man which was sent in the same packet as the pictures, but Jeremy didn’t need to know that.

For the first time since Ashley stepped into this office, Jeremy looked slightly uncertain. He racked his fingers through his hair. “Okay, let’s just say the photos and tapes are authentic as you allege, what’s it to you now? I mean it’s been five years, right? She’s moved on with her life and maybe she’s not the same person she was then.”

Ashley narrowed his gaze. “So you’re saying that despite what I’ve told you, you just don’t give a shit? You’re willing to fall victim to her lies as well?”

“The woman you’ve described is not the Skylar I know.”

Ashley’s breathing grew shallow as the anger once again welled in his chest. “Fine. Do what you will with that information but if you don’t run away as far as you can from Skylar Brown, then you’re a fool.”

After delivering his final warning Ashley stormed out of the office slamming the door behind him.

Chapter Ten

Skylar had barely gotten into the office and her morning was already shitty. The kids decided today was the day to test Mommy’s patience. Harper, who was normally the good one, had decided that she didn’t want to wear the outfit that had been picked out for her, and every subsequent option Skylar had offered was summarily refused. It was only when Skylar put her foot down by making an executive decision did her sweet little princess decide to throw the tantrum of all tantrums. She’d immediately sent the little girl to the “time out” corner.

While Skylar was dealing with her daughter, the boys thought it would be a good idea to put toothpaste in each other’s hair. Since her mother worked the early shift after taking her new position and Izzy was in class, Skylar had to get the kids ready by herself, which she was used to but not when the triplets were acting like little demons.