Spiked by Love(52)

And I tell her. Everything.

“I knew you liked him at camp.”

I give her a sideways look as I pull the muffins out of the oven. “No way.”

“Yeah, there was no way in hell you really liked that damn string-and-cans shit he always wanted to play with. It didn’t even work!”

For the first time in days, I really smile. “It did too! That’s how we talked at night!”

Posey doesn’t agree. “No, you did it because then it was only you two.” She’s not wrong. “The same with when we’d play Barbies. Even I’d get bored and want to do something else, but still, y’all would play for hours. Even now, Ally, it’s always just you two. No matter the distance, no matter what, you guys love being together. While I’m pissed you didn’t confide in me, I’m not surprised by your feelings.”

“Well, he was.”

“He was not,” she says, shaking her head. “He feels the same, and again, I’m not surprised he never loved Jasmine. She wasn’t you.”

I wipe away a stray tear and wiggle my nose before explaining what happened the night I want to forget but is seared in my heart. She cocks her head to the side as if she doesn’t understand.

Join the club, sister.

“He said Thanks?”

“Yeah.”

She blinks. “He gave you that ring, but he still said Thanks?”

“Yeah, you can keep saying it, but it’s still just Thanks.”

“What a dumbass. God, how can he be so damn smart but so dumb at the same time?”

I wipe away another tear before reaching for the crumble I made before I started the muffins. I sniffle as I top the muffins. “I don’t know.”

“You know he loves you, Ally.”

I shake my head. “I don’t, actually,” I say, meeting her gaze. “He’s done this with every other girl—”

“But you’re not them,” she insists, her eyes burning into mine. “Seriously. Don’t get in your head and ruin this. That’s what you’re doing, huh?”

I shrug. “Yeah, I’ve proved to myself I can live without him.”

She narrows her eyes. “Seriously?”

“I don’t know, Posey. I have to be smart here. What if he doesn’t love me? What if he isn’t capable?”

“Then I’ll take him out, and you can use Wes as a rebound fuck. And boom! That ruins his day because he was wicked jealous when Wes was interested in you.”

“He was?”

“So jealous, which was why I always thought something was going on.”

“I don’t know.”

But she seems so sure of herself. “For real, Ally. I feel y’all are the real deal. I’ve always said you two would complete each other.”

“I thought so too, and we did. Until he wouldn’t get on my level.”

She makes a face. “He’s on the struggle bus, and I love that you’re giving each other time. Let him miss you, let him realize the queen he has—even though I’m sure he already knows.”

“Who?” We both look back as my mom and Elli come down the hall. I bite my lip as my mom says, “Please don’t say Taco.”

Elli glares at me. “This isn’t something to joke about since we all know what that asshole has done. But I will strangle you, girl!”

Before I can reassure them it’s not—though, I may want to go with it so I don’t have to talk about Asher—there is a knock at the door. Elli goes to answer it, and a gorgeous grin comes over her face as Fallon and the girls enter.

Fuck me.

“I come with gluten-free, sugar-free cupcakes from Audrey and a week’s worth of food for my baby and her honey,” Fallon declares as she and the girls bring in trays of food and then the box of cupcakes. “So y’all don’t need to cook.”

Posey makes a face. “Sorry, I need the gluten and the sugar.”

All three women glare at her as Fallon says, “Boon Hoenes told me otherwise.”

Posey looks back at me, but my heart is in my throat. “Why am I in love with him?”

“He’d die for you,” I say, my voice breaking as the girls set their trays beside me. I feel their gazes on me, but I’m looking everywhere but at them. I bet they know. Surely, they know. Or maybe not. He doesn’t like talking to them. I don’t know, but my anxiety is out of this world right now. What if they say something? Emery is the one I’ve got to worry about.

I run my hand down my face, trying to get myself together, but then Fallon exclaims, “Wait, that’s my ring.” I look up to see who she’s talking to, but she grabs my hand, and my body goes still. “What are you doing with my ring, Allison Titov?” She says it in a joking manner, but confusion is deep in her eyes. “Well, it’s Asher’s—”

Her words fall off, and she narrows her eyes as if it’s all finally coming together. Everyone is staring between the two of us, and I slowly pull my hand out of hers. It’s shaking so badly, I tuck it deep in my pocket and look down at the counter.

“What?” I ask, and she nods her head toward my hand.

“That’s my engagement ring that I gave Asher to give to Jasmine.”

It’s like being hit in the face with a wicked quick spike from a 6’2” Russian volleyball star. Posey fills her cheeks with air as she shakes her head. My mom and Elli are utterly confused, and the girls press their lips tight together. “I’m sorry, what?” I somehow choke out, and her eyes are searching mine.

Did he really give me Jasmine’s ring?

I am the new Jasmine.

Keep it together, Ally.

“Asher never gave it to Jasmine.” All the attention shifts to Emery. She stands there with no cares in the world, crossing her arms over her chest. “He bought her another ring because that ring was for Ally.”

All the attention swings back to me, and I’m so confused. “This is your engagement ring?”

“Yes, and I guess since Asher gave it to you, I’m correct in assuming you two are an item?”

My mom whips her head to me, and tears threaten my eyes. “Are you engaged?”

“No, no,” I say, and I twirl the ring around my finger as it all hits me at once. Asher gave me his mom’s ring. Her engagement ring that is for the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. The ring he was supposed to give Jasmine but didn’t.

What in the actual fuck is wrong with him?

“He didn’t tell me that.”

Stella coughs. “Because he didn’t want to make such a big deal about it.”

For real, though, what is wrong with him?

“This is so complicated.”

Everyone just stares at me like I’m dumb. I don’t know what to say, but I guess I don’t have to. Not with Emery Brooks in the room. “Asher won’t admit to loving Ally, when she is totally in love with him. Because of that, they got into a huge fight and haven’t talked in six days.”

More gasps as everyone stares at me. Stella’s jaw is hanging open as she gawks at her sister. “Please, don’t hold back our brother’s business.”

“She isn’t going to say anything. Look at her. She’s almost as bad as he is, and the thing is,” she says, looking back at me, “you guys are being stupid. He does love you. He’s tired of people telling him how he feels, and he wants to feel it himself. Believe me.”

Stella clears her throat, stealing my attention. “Sometimes, actions are more important than words. If a guy did half the stuff for me Asher has done for you, I wouldn’t care one bit if he said the words or not because I wouldn’t need them.”

I blink. “It’s more complicated than that.”

They both nod. “Maybe so,” Stella says, looking uncomfortable. “But we hate seeing two people we love, who we know love each other, suffering.”

“Asher is suffering?” Fallon asks, and my mom pipes up.

“Well, obviously, since Ally is. They’re meant for each other.”

I bite my lip as I exhale through my nose. Fallon is pissed. Join the club. “I’m gonna call my boy,” Fallon says, in full mother-bear mode, but Emery stops her.

“Leave him be. No one can talk this out with him except him…and her,” she says, pointing to me.

She may drive her siblings crazy, but Emery would die for all of them.

All the eyes fall back on me, and I take that as my cue to leave. “I have a game tonight. I’ll see y’all later.”

“Allison,” my mom says, but I ignore her, kissing Posey’s temple.

Posey stops me, though. “Call him.”

I shake my head. “No. I need more time.”

Before I can make it out of the door, though, Fallon takes my arm, stopping me. I meet her heated gaze, and I’m not sure if she’s gonna tear my arm off and beat me with it. I’m sorta scared. Emery has to get her crazy from somewhere. “The girls are right. I’d rather be with someone who made me feel loved than who just said the words.”

I bite the inside of my cheek as my mom says, “Allison, you’ve wanted this.”

“Please let it be,” I say a little louder than I intended. I exhale hard and head out, holding back my tears. I’m almost down the hall, but then Stella and Emery are beside me. “Guys, I apprecia—”