The Love of Lies

Stubborn

Ashton’s POV

Cori has every right to be upset. I also become angry when someone calls me out of my name, but I went ahead and put my foot in my own mouth by demanding for her to apologize before getting the context of the conversation.

Now, if I go back and tell the man that he was being disrespectful, it will point out that, not only am I going back on my word, but I jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Even though it's entirely acceptable for me to say, ‘I didn’t know you were an as*hole,’ it won't be seen that way by the people who witnessed the exchange, and by the time I mentally decide what to do, I spot Cori talking to another man.

She’s nodding and giggling, basically enjoying the conversation, and the drink in her hand throws me for a loop. I start to approach, but my brother notices where my eyes are at the same time as Julia, and both block my path, telling me that they will handle it.

I agree and pull my eyes away from the beautiful woman, who should be next to me, flirting with a man I went to college with. He's only a year or two older, single, and from what everyone says, he’s a much ‘friendlier’ version of me.

In school, the man was different from other guys our age, and for whatever reason, he was obsessed with Vanessa, who he swears that I stole from him. According to mutual friends of ours, after that he changed, sleeping with who he wanted, and forgetting about them the next day.

Technically, Cori can become one of those women; being pregnant does not mean that she can’t have s*x, and Toby likely wouldn’t know she was carrying unless she told him.

My mind starts to fill with toxic images of the man and woman together, and even if I try to win her back right now, I know that I’ll just embarrass myself.

She’s so put off by me that she threatened to retaliate against me if I touch her again. I have no idea what kind of retaliation she means, but after she threatened me, all I can think about is her not wanting me to hug her in public.

I just wanted people to see that she and I were intimate, but now, my mother's words are repeatedly mocking me in my mind.

She told me that it would be my loss, and it one hundred percent is. Cori is a beautiful, single woman who has her own career, and because I was being a stubborn jerk, she entered an event where many romantic matches are made, and sought to be made, without a partner.

There are worse implications as well. Cori is of unknown origin and has no familial connection to anyone within our social circle, so it makes sense that Mr. Crosby would have thought she was a prostitute or mistress.

It’s terrible to admit, but it’s a logical conclusion because in our socioeconomic bracket, cheating with an agreed upon ‘sugar baby’ as they're called, is perfectly acceptable. It’s usually done in the ‘dark,’ but people know, we just choose to ignore it.

It's no wonder my parents separated from her to meet with a client. For one, they probably wanted to show everyone that she’s not their sponsored woman, and they probably didn’t want to make the girl look bad, which they obviously failed to do.

Cori’s POV

I’d only just walked away from Ashton when an extremely handsome man approached me, holding, and keeping my attention with his beauty alone. I’m not flirting, but I can tell that I’m laughing a little too much, and that’s not good either.

His name is Toby Freeman, and from what I understand, his father was one of the men who was curiously ‘inquiring’ about me. He’s very personable, and extremely good at turning my awkward responses into quirky comebacks that have my cheeks hurting from smiling so brightly.

“You look so much better when you’re smiling, so do you know what that tells me?”

“What?” I ask, waiting for a cheesy pickup line.

“That you shouldn’t worry about old men like them,” he says, stopping a server and grabbing two glasses of what I assume is champagne. “They are used to women bowing to them, but it's good to see someone stand up for themself. I think that it hurts them more when a woman is unaffected by their ‘charms.’” The man points to an angrily staring and potbelly Mr. Crosby, and I can barely contain my laughter.

Toby playfully chuckles, handing me a glass that I take even though I have no plans to drink. My face eventually falls as I study the liquid, mentally blaming it for my circumstances, even though I should have just said no.

“What are you thinking?” Toby questions, slightly bending so that he can look up at my face.

“I wish that everyone felt that way.”

“And by everyone, do you mean Ashton Lewis?” I scoff, not even wanting to hear the name being mentioned. “What's your relationship with him?”

“There is none,” I reply, which is the truth. Ashton got me pregnant, and is, by all accounts, nothing but a sperm donor to me.

“The look on those two faces tell me otherwise.” The man uses a pinky to point to where Julia and Troy are rapidly approaching, eyeing the drink in my hand disapprovingly.

They approach Toby, and Troy focuses on greeting him while Julia removes the drink in my hands, raising a brow that I shake my head at.

“Is she a recovering alcoholic or something?” Toby asks, making me snort with my laughter, so I cover my mouth in embarrassment because I have no idea why I found that funny.

Alcoholism is no laughing matter. I lived with a man who probably had a fasting blood alcohol level of point zero four, making him legally impaired from the moment he woke.

“I don’t handle alcohol well,” I admit, not wanting the couple to out my ‘condition.’

The man goes to respond, but Julia pretends to have spotted someone ‘we’ know, and pulls me away from him.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m just talking.”

“To Toby Freeman?”

“Is that significant?” Julia taps her forehead three times, clearly forgetting that I have no idea who anyone at the event is.

“Cori, he’s Ashton's rival.”

“Is that right?” I start making my way back toward the man, but Julia stops me from moving with a giggle.

“Don’t be petty. Ashton was wrong for what he did, but I’m telling you that he regretted it from before he left the house.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“I’m serious,” the woman sings. “Troy told me that he changed his clothes after he saw what you were wearing.”

“Because his mother asked him to.”

“Cori!” Julia whines, and I feel bad for being a Debbie downer, but I don’t know what she’s hinting at right now. “Not only are you-”

“Single,” I interject, reminding Jules that I’m not anything to Ashton and vice versa.

“Understood, but I promise you that you aren’t losing anything by walking away from Toby. He’s Ashton 2.0.” I let out an audible huff then follow the woman back to the Lewis family.

I know that I’m wearing the expression of a petulant and spoiled child, but I don’t care. I don't want to be here anymore, and I’m already hangry about it.

People keep staring at me, pointing, and talking among themselves as they do, but I’m used to it.

When my high school’s counselors were first alerted that I was living out of a car, they tried to talk me into going back home, completely, and totally ignoring the fact that home was a dangerous place for me.

Eventually, rumors started to spread about me being pimped out by my father, which, as foul as the man was, I don’t think he would have ever gone that far. But nonetheless, the lies spread, and the judgmental stares from back then are no different from the ones I’m getting now.

I ignore it, and when Julia has to leave my side, I overhear a woman saying that she heard from a friend of a friend that Mr. Lewis is about to divorce his wife for me. The fact that she specifically didn’t mention the ‘friend’s’ name should have indicated to the woman listening that it was a lie, but her shocked expression tells me that she’s buying the story.

They start to approach, but Mrs. Lewis intercepts them, lifting my chin because I’m sure she overheard their conversation as well.

“I tried to warn you both,” she says, gently arranging my hair in an affectionate manner. “But you and Ashton are so stubborn that you’d rather shoot yourself in the foot than to admit defeat.” She points to where her son is moping, but I’m unmoved.

He’s probably angry that people are accusing me of being his father’s mistress, making his mother look bad in the process, but I know that I’m innocent and so does she, so he’s a fool for letting it get to him.

From the moment she came back, Julia’s been good about hanging onto my arm, likely trying to keep me away from Toby, but her warning was all I needed, not that I was planning to do anything anyway.

I’m already pregnant, and my priority right now is preparing for my baby, not the dating game.

After what felt like hours later, a section of wall was pulled away and round tables were revealed, making my stomach grumble preemptively. I’m extremely hungry, but the finger foods around are mostly raw, so they’re dangerous for me to eat.

We make our way to our assigned table, and as I begin to sit, Ashton pulls out the chair next to me, so I attempt to stand, wanting to move somewhere else.

The man uses a hand to stop me, and not wanting to cause a scene, I grit my teeth at him, flashing a fake smile as I growl out my warning.

“Please don’t touch me like that ever again. I don’t want to sit next to you.”

“Why? Afraid that Toby won’t want to f*ck you anymore?” I nod like an old man who’s listening to his pupils speak, frowning deeply at the man’s words because not only were they vulgar, but they were extremely offensive.

I’ve had s*x with one person, but it’s clear that Ashton thinks I’m prone to spreading my legs to anyone.

I try to stand again, but Ashton presses his hand on my thigh, attempting to keep me seated, so I do exactly what I promised.

Ashton’s POV

I’m so annoyed with myself that I can't stop pouting, especially because people keep texting me, wanting to know if my parents are actually getting divorced.

It’s my fault that they even think that, and when it's time for dinner, I intend to put on a show, not just for the people who think Cori’s with my dad, but for Toby, who hasn’t stopped watching her too.

However, when I tried to sit next to her, she attempted to move, so I tugged her back down into the seat, wanting to whisper my logic to her, but once again, she threatens me.

Now, I’m annoyed because I know that my father heard, and the way he’s staring is irritating.

Cori tries to stand again, but I use my body weight to hold her down by her thigh, thinking that she will sense the seriousness of the situation, but instead she darts up and rewards me with a crisp slap to the face.

“Never put your hands on me again,” she shouts, uncaring of the environment. Security promptly arrives but Cori glares at them so menacingly that they freeze. “Don’t you dare touch me. I'll see myself out.”