Page 11 of Losing Ansley

"You could have stayed here." She offers. I turn and smile at her even though she can't see it.

"I know. You know how Lincoln is. He wants to fix everything." She doesn't respond right away. After a few seconds, she clears her throat.

"Caroline was right; he really cares about you." I bite the inside of my cheek. He cares about me but not enough to kiss me and not enough to tell my brother to fuck off with his promises. I want someone who is going to love me loud and proud as Bass does for Caroline.

"He's practically my brother. He kind of has to." I tell her.

"He doesn't look at you like you're his sister." She replies, and I turn my body toward her.

"What do you mean?" I question, and she turns toward me too.

"He watches you constantly. And not like a brother watches his sister. More like a predator watches his prey. Like he's ready to pounce at any moment." I swallow and pull my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. She has no idea what that does to my heart. When I'm about to respond, she interrupts me.

"Don't say you only see him as a brother because you don't." I snort at her confidence.

"You don't have to tell me anything. I'm not here to grill you, but I want you to know we're here for you. Caroline and I love you. You can talk to us if you need to or even if you don't want to talk if you need to scream or cry. You don't have to be alone." My eyes prick with unshed tears, and I climb across the couch and wrap my arms around her. She returns my embrace.

"I love you too, Liv. You have no idea how grateful I am for your friendship and Caroline's. We're like the three musketeers." She chuckles as we break apart. I hear shuffling behind me and turn to see Caroline standing near the end of the couch.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I came in for some water. I drank too much of that giggle juice you made, Liv. I can go back to bed, though." I grunt and reach my hand out to her.

"Don't you dare! Come over here." I command, and she climbs on the couch Liv at one side and Caroline at the other. Their presence comforts me.

"I'll talk about everything eventually. I'm just… I'm not ready. It's a lot; honestly, I haven't dealt with it as I should." I take a deep breath and exhale.

"Rose keeps telling me she'll refer me to one of her colleagues, but the thought of speaking everything out loud scares me. That probably makes me a hypocrite." Liv grabs my hand, and Caroline runs her fingers through my hair.

"It doesn't make you a hypocrite, Ans," Caroline says. "Everyone deals with their traumas differently. Maybe you haven't reached your tipping point yet." I lay my head back on the couch and stare at the ceiling.

"Are you really going on a date with that guy Cole?" Caroline asks, and I chuckle.

"Yeah. If only to piss Lincoln off." I tell them. Caroline and Liv laugh.

"You two have a weird relationship," Caroline replies, and I pat her on the leg.

"I know. Trust me." We all go quiet, and we're drifting off before too long.

DYLAN CALLED ANDsaid many positions are open for costume designers. He sent me several links and said he'd put in a good word for me. He thinks I'll love Atlanta.

Well, except for the traffic, but according to him, there's always something to do. It would be fun living in a big city where you can disappear and not a small town where everyone looks at you in sympathy because you lost your parents when you were eighteen.

Things are awkward between Lincoln and me. I'm living in his home, but we barely speak. We skirt around each other at work and his house. In the mornings, when we're getting ready for work, we try to avoid each other as much as possible.

He asked if I wanted to carpool with him on Monday, but I refused because I didn't want anyone to know I was living with the boss. The only people who know I have any relationship with Lincoln are Liv and Caroline. I plan on keeping it that way.

My date with Cole is tomorrow night. Caroline and Liv said they'd come to the restaurant and sit at the bar to see if I needed to be rescued. I most definitely will need to be saved.

The only reason I'm going is to get under Lincoln's skin anyway. I wonder what it will be like my first weekend at Lincoln's. But as I walk to my car, he calls out. I wait for him to catch up to me in the parking garage.

"I wanted to let you know I'll be home late tonight." I nod slowly, wanting to ask him why but refusing.

"Okay. I'm probably going to go to sleep early anyway." I tell him, and he tilts his head at me.

"You don't have girl's night tonight?" I think for a second and then shrug.

"I honestly forgot about it, and I think Caroline and Liv did too. It's been a crazy week, and Caroline is going through a life crisis right now." He arches an eyebrow at me.

"Another one?" He quips, and I scowl at him.

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