Page 23 of Losing Ansley

“Thank you, Chris, Katrina, and Lisa. Hopefully, I’ll see you three there.” As I walk out of the break room, I almost run into Caroline as she’s walking into the break room.

“Oh! Sorry, Lincoln.” I eye her wondering if she just heard my conversation. Her expression doesn’t give me any indication, but I swear, when I turn away to go back to my office, I see her smirk.

WHEN FRIDAY AFTERNOONrolls around, I am incredibly antsy. I consider leaving work early, but that would be out of character for me, so I suck it up and try to focus on the spreadsheet I have pulled up on my computer.

The numbers for this quarter are out of the water. We’ve had two app launches this year, and the third one is scheduled to launch before Christmas. I gave Ansley, Liv, and Caroline bonuses for their help with this most recent launch, but because of the numbers, I’ve decided I will give everyone a bonus. They’ll also get their regular Christmas bonus in December.

I wonder if Ansley has made it into town yet, wondering if she’ll be pissed when I show up tonight. I scoff to myself. Who am I kidding? Of course, she’ll be pissed, but I don’t give a fuck. Even when I was in college, we didn’t go this long without talking.

After her sixteenth birthday, I never attempted to call her, but since Dylan was my roommate, he talked to Ansley regularly, so I could always tell her hi, at least when they would chat. But even with the few times I’ve spoken to Dylan, she isn’t around.

They work on two different sets and don’t live together, so it’s made it challenging to say the least. I need to come clean to Dylan. She’s right, we were six, and it was almost twenty-six years ago since her birthday is in a couple of weeks. Sighing, I think of how I can tell Dylan and how he’ll react.

“Bye, Lincoln! Have a good weekend!” My head snaps up at Caroline’s voice, and my eyes narrow. She never tells me bye. In fact, she and Liv both go out of their way to avoid me, so I don’t ask them to stay late. I nod at her.

“You too, Caroline.” She smirks, turns away from my door, and walks toward the elevator. She heard me in the break room. I turn my computer off and grab my phone off my desk, pocketing it. Is that her way of telling me they’re headed to the pub? Is she playing matchmaker? If she is, I’ll let her. I need all the help I can get.

I take my time walking to the elevator, walking through the break room as a detour, so Liv and Caroline have already made it downstairs. When I make it to the elevator, it’s just one of the interns from the break room and me. Shit! I said I would remember their names. Her name comes to me when we make it to the ground floor.

“Have a great weekend, Lisa!” She looks at me, startled, and gives an awkward wave as she runs to her car. Ansley would be proud. Opening the door to my Audi, I glance around the parking lot to see if anyone is lingering. Lisa has just pulled out of her parking spot, and there are no other cars in the lot except mine and a couple of people who work on different floors.

I climb into my car and take a deep breath. How is this going to go? I pull out of my parking spot and onto the street.

“Guess I’m about to find out,” I mutter.

THE FIRST THINGI see when I pull into the parking lot is Ansley’s Corvette. It takes all I have not to barge into the pub, drag her out, and take her back to my place. I’m nervous. I’m actually nervous.

I walk into the pub and try to keep to the shadows so I can spot Ansley first before she spots me. My eyes are drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She’s beautiful as always.

Her red hair is straight today, and it looks like it’s gotten longer since the last time I saw her. She’s wearing a cream-colored top with some jeans and leopard print heels. As if on cue, she stands and walks to the bar. She waves at the bartender, and I stare.

She looks at ease. Being in Atlanta is good for her. I don’t know how to feel about that. Will she ever come home? She turns her head in my direction, and our eyes connect. She freezes, her eyes widening before anger settles on her face. I walk toward her, never breaking eye contact with her. Even angry, she looks beautiful. I slide in next to her, and she looks away.

“Hey, Ans,” I whisper, and she turns to me again, glaring.

“What are you doing here, Lincoln?” She asks, tapping her fingers on the bar.

“Dylan told me you were coming into town, so I thought you’d be coming here with Liv and Caroline,” I tell her. Her lips are thin, and she glances over at Liv and Caroline. They’re chatting with each other. It doesn’t look like they’ve noticed I’m over here with Ansley. She finally sighs.

“What do you want, Lincoln?” I’m at a loss. Usually, she’s her bratty self, and I can banter back and forth with her, or we do our flirting but this. This is out of my element.

“I wanted to see you. You haven’t answered my calls or returned any of my texts.” I answer. The bartender walks over with Ansley’s drinks, and Ansley hands over her card to start a tab.

“There’s a reason for that, Lincoln.” She proclaims. She grabs the drinks, trying to balance them, and I go to grab them to help.

“Don’t!” She exclaims, and I stop. She takes a deep breath and looks at me. I see the hurt in her eyes, and it breaks my heart. “I’m not doing this with you anymore, Lincoln.”

“Ans…” I try to interrupt, but the look she gives me stops me.

“I take full responsibility. I should have never had sex with you. I knew this would be the result. Your loyalty is to Dylan, which is fine. But my heart is no longer a stomping ground. Like I told you before, I will not be your secret.” She pauses and glances up at the ceiling. “I’ve moved on. You need to as well.” She starts to walk away, but I stop her.

“I’m not moving on. You. Are. Mine. When will you finally understand that?” I command. She steps into my space, catching me off guard.

“And when are you going to understand I can’t be yours when you can’t even kiss me or admit to my brother you have feelings for me? This is a two-way street, Lincoln. If you want me to be yours. Prove. It.” With that, she walks away, and I stare after her, having been completely and thoroughly put in my place.

Liv and Caroline have noticed me, and by their excited expressions, this is not how they thought this would turn out. When Ansley gets to them and begins talking, their faces fall, and Caroline glances back at me in sympathy. I turn away from it, not wanting to see it. I flag for the bartender’s attention and hand her a hundred-dollar bill when she gets to me.

“The girl that was just with me. This should cover her drinks. Whatever she doesn’t use can be your tip. Okay?” She looks between me and the money that’s now in her hand.

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