Derailed (Clayton Falls #1)(17)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Gail continued. “Let’s go easy on her; I have a feeling she’ll figure this one out on her own.”

“Fine, fine. But even if you’re just messing around, you could at least ask him about the boat, right?” She fidgeted in her chair.

“I don’t want to have to ask him favors. I hate owing people.”

“Hun, you are doing him all kinds of favors, so you’re not going to owe him anything. I think it’s the least he can do.”

“You do realize I’m using him as much as he’s using me, right? This was my idea, not his.”

“The sex?” Gail asked.

“No. The keeping it casual. It was the only way I’d agree to let it happen again.”

“So you’ll ask him?” Kelly repeated, playing with the cardboard sleeve on her to-go coffee cup. “It would mean a lot to us.”

“Fine, I’ll ask, but I’m not making any promises.” I was pretty ticked at Kelly for even asking. She wasn’t usually the pushy type. It must have been wedding nerves kicking in.

“All right, ladies, it’s time for Molly and me to get back to work.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll leave. By the way, have fun tomorrow night.”

“What?”

“Have fun with Gavin.” Kelly winked at me.

“It’s your fault, you know.”

“No, it’s Tom’s.”

“But you’re a couple, so by virtue of that status, it’s also yours.”

Kelly laughed. “I wonder what Ben will think when he finds out. Oh wait, why would he care? You’re just hooking up.”

“You are such a comedian.”

“I know.” She grabbed her purse and laughed on her way out the door.

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

“For a girl who said she wasn’t interested in getting back out there, you’re sure having some fun.” Gail tossed a dish towel at me.

“And I thought coming home would be the solution to my problems,” I mumbled before going back to work.

Chapter Nine

I brought my phone in with me when I took a bath that night. When I found the container of wild flower bubble bath, I knew I couldn’t resist. None of my apartments in Boston had anything but showers, and I was surprised it took me as long as it did to succumb. I settled into the tub, reveling in the feel of the warm water before calling Becca.

She answered on the first ring. “One second.” I could just see her whispering as she grabbed her phone and left the library. It was something I’d seen her do on an almost daily basis since starting law school.

“Hey, stranger.” Her friendly voice greeted me.

“Hey yourself. How are you doing?” This was the longest we’d gone without talking since we’d met freshman year of college.

“All right. Just studying for the Civ Pro final.”

“Fun, fun,” I said sarcastically. I inhaled, enjoying the fragrance of the bubble bath. It was stronger than I’d expected, but I liked it.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if you were still here.”

“It would be bad for me.”

“True enough. Did you even read one case this semester? By the way, when do you plan on telling the school you aren’t coming back? All of our professors have been asking about you.” I could tell she hadn’t really wanted to bring it up.

It felt like it had been ages since I left school, but really, it had only been a few days. “I guess I should probably call. I also need to cancel my loans for the fall.” I shuddered, thinking about the huge pile of loans accruing interest. I had no idea how I was ever going to pay them off.

“Yeah, probably a good idea.”

“How’s your mom?” I quickly changed the subject.

“The same. Not worse, but not better.” The pain in her voice was real and raw. Her mom had been battling breast cancer for a few years, and she had recently stopped treatments. They were pretty much just waiting for the end.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like it’s your fault. But do you have anything to cheer me up?” she asked hopefully. She didn’t quite sound like herself, and I wondered if things with her mom were worse than she was saying.

“When am I the one with cheerful news?” I’d been a downer for months, and I knew it. Sometimes I wondered how Becca even put up with me.

“Well, you sound better…”

“Do I?”

“Is there any particular reason why?”

I laughed nervously. It sounded phony even to me. “Not that I know of, unless it’s the ocean air.”

I heard the telltale beep of call waiting. “Can you hold on a second?”

“Sure.”

It was Ben. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Hey, Mol. I wanted to see what you were up to.”

“Just talking to my friend from Boston.”

“Why does it sound like there’s an echo?”

“Oh… I guess because I’m in the bath.” I readied myself for a suggestive response.

He didn’t disappoint. “Can I come join you?”

“Nope. I’m on the phone with my friend, remember?”

“Okay, so maybe later?”

I swirled around the water with a hand, disappointed that it was starting to turn cold. “How about I come to your place?” It had been hard to kick him out, and there was no way I was sleeping next to him. He’d freak out when I had one of my dreams.

“Sounds good to me. I’m on Basil Street now. Number Five.”

I hadn’t thought about where Ben lived. I still pictured him sleeping in his bedroom at his parents’ house—the room with the band posters lining the walls and every video game console known to man hooked up to his TV. I was curious what his current place looked like.

“All right, I’ll be over in a bit.”

“Great, I can’t wait.”

I switched back to Becca. “Sorry about that.”

“Who was it?”

“Ben.”

“Wait, as in high school boyfriend Ben?” Becca knew all about the drama surrounding us. She jokingly referred to him as “the one who got away” even though I’d remind her that I was the one who dumped him.

“The one and only.”

“Care to expand on why he’s calling you? Is he the ‘ocean air’ you mentioned earlier?”

I laughed. I loved Becca’s humor. “Maybe a little.”