Chapter 169
ASHLEY
"Octavia is a dead end." Asher informs us in the game room. "Apparently, she and Skylar didn’t keep in touch for long after that fateful evening when she ran into me. She gradually went cold turkey on Octavia. They’ve gone their separate ways since then. Octavia was willing to make contact with Skylar but I suspect Skylar will smell a rat if another one of her old friends suddenly tries to make an appearance in her life. She’d know we are onto her."
"I think we’re past that now." Ashton replies. "Who’s to say Demi hasn’t already told her whatever she needs to know about us. They’re definitely working together." He grinds his teeth angrily.
"Is she still sending you those messages?" Asher asks him calmly.
"Blocked her. Can’t stand her being so two-faced. She’s trying to mess with me as usual." He hisses out a breath. "I was such a fool; a complete fool and she knew it. She knew it and took advantage of it, of me! She counted on my blind trust to shield her from everyone else’s suspicion. And every time, I never disappointed the stereotype. I made her work easy and now because of me, Ashal..."
Asher snaps his fingers at him. "Stop it. We promised we wouldn’t talk about him like that. It’s nobody’s fault or it’s everybody’s fault, remember?"
Ashton sniffles. "By nightfall tomorrow, Ashal will be here with us. Everything will be fine. That’s all I want to think about."
Our birthday is tomorrow. Billion-Err has been actively publicizing it and teasing about Ashton’s big confession. The guest list has long been completed but our phone lines keep ringing off the hook from uninvited rich folks that are pleading for a chance to attend.
Some even suggested the venue of the party be changed to a hotel auditorium with a sitting capacity of one thousand to accommodate more guests. They were willing to pay for it but we vehemently refused their disguised ploy to watch our ruination in 5D.
The mention of Ashal makes the hole in my heart deepen.
"You’re awfully quiet." Asher observes, staring at me. "What’s up with you?"