Chapter 2
"I'm sorry for the hassle," Giselle said, "and I hope you don't mind," she added.
She stood next to me, looking down with a smile that was all for show.
"But it won't happen again.
"Ash keeps saying that, though you grew up together, he only sees you as a little sister.
"You clung to him all the time, so you saw him as a brother, right?"
The lively room fell silent, and everyone avoided eye contact, too embarrassed to speak.
Ashur was still watching me, clearly waiting for my response.
Chloe rolled her eyes, but I stopped her, stood up, and met Giselle's gaze.
"Glad we cleared up. I accept your apology," I said with a faint smile. "Ashur Locke's right. We're just neighbors. Don't misjudge him again; it could cause trouble."
With that, I raised my glass to her. "Here's to a long and happy marriage."
Suddenly, there was a loud bang.
Ashur, looking stone-faced, slammed his glass down on the table.
He frowned but stayed calm. "You can't handle alcohol. Don't drink it."
Giselle's face fell, and her knuckles whitened as she gripped her glass.
Because Ashur was talking to me.
Ashur and I have been friends since we were eight; our families were neighbors.
When I learned violin in elementary school, Ashur was next door, covering his ears and yelling, "Maeve, are you cutting down a tree or playing violin?"
In middle school, Ashur tutored me and tapped my head with his pen if I spaced out. "Seriously, Maeve? Zoning out?"
In high school, he carried me to the nurse's office after I fell in P.E., almost in tears. "Maeve, does it hurt?"
When my parents died in a car accident, he held my hand and said, "Maeve, don't be scared. I'll always be here."
We were childhood friends everyone admired, always there for each other at key moments.
I believed he'd keep his word and stay by my side forever.
A new girl joined our violin class, and Ashur kept talking about her.
"Maeve, doesn't Giselle remind you of yourself?" he teased.
"In what way?" I'd ask.
"She plays the violin just as terribly as you did back then," he'd laugh.
"Maeve, Giselle's actually pretty cool. Could you get her number for me?" he'd ask.
And then he said, "Maeve, I'm dating Giselle now."
The private room was dead silent.
Except for Chloe, most of the people here were Ashur's friends.
I was always either in class or busy practicing violin, so I barely knew them.
Since dating Ashur, Giselle always hung out with them and fit in better than I did.
Ashur's caring words made everyone look awkward.
Some people shot me dirty looks, as if I were a jealous ex from a messy romance, trying to steal the boyfriend.
I stopped Chloe from flipping the table, drank my drink in one go, and smiled politely. "It's just booze, no big deal."
Ashur's expression turned icy as he snatched the glass from my hand.
Giselle stumbled back a couple of steps as he did so.
"Trying to act tough? You get hives when you drink, yet you still did it?" he snapped.
"This isn't about you," I said, frustrated.
Ashur was about to speak when the private room's door suddenly burst open.