Chapter 4

The letters had a kind of laid-back elegance, but they were tough to figure out.

I'd pored over basic textbooks more times than I could count, trying to keep up with David.

But I never really got anywhere.

It wasn't because I wasn't putting in the effort.

Everyone had their limits when it came to energy and talent. Learning Murannarian was already a struggle for me.

And that was not even counting work and dealing with everyday life.

I could never catch up to David, who was fluent in thirteen languages. I couldn't even keep up with Ashtyn.

I wondered why David would like me.

*****

Ashtyn rarely invited me out for dinner, but this time she said it was to celebrate her cheating death.

The villa was buzzing with people, all childhood friends of Ashtyn and David.

When I arrived, Ashtyn grabbed my arm.

"Lacey, what am I gonna do? My housekeeper called in sick, and now there's nobody to help," she said.

I sighed and said, "Guess I'll help out then."

Ashtyn handed me an apron.

"Thanks," she said.

Everyone was having a barbecue outside, and I was the busiest one there, darting around like a headless chicken.

I was supposed to be "helping out," but everyone was ordering me around.

I was hauling drinks, grilling meat, cleaning up, and running errands all day long.

Ashtyn sat right in the middle of the crowd, like a princess surrounded by her loyal subjects.

Someone brought up old times.

"I remember back in college, David finally admitted Lacey was his girlfriend. That must've been at least ten years ago, right?"

"Who would've thought they'd stick together this long? Guess I totally misjudged them."

"Honestly, I thought David would get tired of her in less than a year and kick her to the curb."

I was busy grilling, the smoke stinging my eyes so badly I could barely keep them open.

But all those eyes on me felt like needles pricking my back, making me want to keep my head down and not turn around.

They got bolder, gossiping about me right in front of everyone.

"Lacey's so average. What's wrong with David? Why would he pass up a knockout like Ashtyn for her?"

Someone snickered, "Guess you gotta eat some chaff before you know how good the real deal tastes."

"Relax, Ashtyn. David's mixing things up. He'll be back in your arms before you know it," someone teased.

Ashtyn was poking at her fruit with a fork, finally giving me a quick glance.

She said, "Cut it out.

"If she bursts into tears, David's gonna think we're bullying her."

*****

I never wanted to go to parties like this.

But Ashtyn would always complain to David about me.

If I didn't show up, she'd run to David and ask if I was shutting her out or didn't like her.

Then David would hit me with the same old lecture, telling me not to upset Ashtyn.

But every time I showed up, I was the target of everyone's jokes and gossip.

The barbecue kept going, and I was running around like crazy, getting bossed around by everyone.

The food delivery showed up, and I was the one sent to grab it.

The trash piled up, and I was stuck taking it out.

We ran out of spices, so I had to hop in the car and go buy some.

By the time night fell, everyone was already wasted, stumbling around and slurring their words.

David finally got off work and came over to the villa.

He spotted me right away, sweating and exhausted from all the work, but didn't say a thing.

He took a seat next to Ashtyn and started chatting with the others.

One of the drunk guys slurred, "Hey, didn't David have Lacey memorize some list? Why don't we test her and see how she did?"

My chest tightened. I couldn't help but glance at David.

David replied calmly, "She's not exactly good at memorizing stuff."

Another childhood friend piped up, "She's not as brilliant as you two, but wasn't she always in the top ten back in high school?"

Some people started teasing me, asking questions about Ashtyn.

"Surely you know what kind of cuisine Ashtyn likes, right?"

I kept my mouth shut.

The guy was drunk and kept pressing me for an answer.

"Come on, you can't even answer that? Then tell us, what's her favorite car?"

He was getting aggressive, and when I stayed silent, he looked like he'd been humiliated. He rolled up his sleeves and glared at me, refusing to back down.

That was when David finally turned his head and stepped in to help me out.

"Lacey, go grab the red wine," he said.

*****

I thought that little drama was finally over.

As the party was winding down, I started serving coffee and handed Ashtyn a glass of lemonade.

Ashtyn swirled her glass and said, "I don't like anything sour."

I paused for a second, then switched it out for some rose black coffee.

She smiled, drawling, "Coffee this late at night? Are you trying to make sure I don't get any sleep?"

She always carried herself like royalty.

But I wasn't into her, and I wasn't one of those guys falling all over themselves to please her.

I looked at her, and she was still waiting.

She was waiting for me to keep swapping out her drink, so she could keep finding ways to mess with me.

I slammed the tray right in front of her, and the coffee splashed all over her face.

She shrieked in shock.