Yeah, she was definitely being weird. “Should we stop and get some?” I asked.
“What?” She finally looked up from her phone.
“Some ice.”
“No, I’ve got it covered.”
Okay…
She went back to texting.
When our Uber arrived at her building, she requested I help her up. She put her arm around me and hopped on one leg…which was the same leg she had supposedly broken. If the spin class had been too intense for her, she should have just pretended to get an urgent text or something. This ankle thing was way over the top. And I was kind of annoyed that she’d made me miss the rest of my workout. Maybe I could go for a run later. I almost laughed out loud. A run? I was divorced. I hadn’t lost my mind. I bit the inside of my lip. Or maybe I loved running and I just didn’t know it yet? I’d add it to my list of things to try.
"Here," Chastity said, handing me the key to her apartment as she tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and popped her hip like she was posing for an Instagram picture.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?” She looked down at her pose. “Nothing. Stop being weird.”
“I’m not being weird. You’re being weird.”
She shrugged and held up her phone like she was about to take a picture of me.
Yeah, she was definitely being weird. Which was saying something. Because I had quite a bit of experience in that department. I unlocked the door and turned to help her in. I closed the door behind us and tried to find the lights.
“Someone’s been naughty,” a deep voice said from somewhere in the dark apartment.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Chastity flipped the light switch on.
And standing in the middle of the apartment was a very well-built police officer. He flashed us his badge and then lifted up a pair of handcuffs.
“You’re under arrest, Ashley Cooper.”
No.I hadn’t done anything wrong. I wasn’t going down like this!
“Turn around slowly,” he said.
Fuck that. I did the first thing I could think of and sprinted toward the fire escape.
“You’re going to regret resisting arrest!” the officer yelled behind me.
Shit!Was I breaking the law by running? It was too late now - I was already climbing down the fire escape. How many years in prison would I get for this? And what had I done to get arrested in the first place? I never broke any laws. Going to jail was on my list of greatest fears!
“Ash!” Chastity yelled from behind me.
Sorry, Chastity.It was every woman for herself. And it didn’t sound like he was there to arrest her. He’d said my name. I was the one running from the law. I was going to have to change my name. Again.Damn it!I’d just changed my last name back to my maiden name earlier today. God, I hated going to the DMV. Not that I could go to the DMV now. I was a wanted woman.
The stairs clanged beneath me as I picked up my pace. I needed to get out of the city. Could I make it to the docks before getting caught?
“Ash, stop!” Chastity yelled again.
I was pretty sure I heard a chorus of people yelling “surprise” too. But I wasn’t sure. And I didn’t have any time to think about it because I hopped onto the landing wrong and fell off the side of the fire escape. And right into an open dumpster.
I screamed at the top of my lungs as my ass collided with a bag of foul-smelling trash, popping it and making it seep all over me. I’d known I was doomed to end up in a dumpster today as soon as I saw Matthew Caldwell. Fate, you filthy mistress.
“Ash!” Chastity yelled from somewhere not in the dumpster. “What are you doing in there? He’s just a stripper!”
