Page 73 of Stone Promises

“Who let that bitch in?” Hayden asks.

Hayden always has my back. He didn’t know Heather before, but he’s come to hate her after some long conversations we’ve had. And after Hayden and I became good friends last year, Heather tried to use him to get to me. Luckily, he sees through all her superficial bullshit as well as I do.

“I didn’t even know she was dating Jonah,” Noreen says.

“She’s probably not,” Hayden tells her. “I’m sure she used him to get into Ana’s party.”

“Why would she do that?” Mallory asks.

Hayden and I share a look. “Because she can’t seem to get it through her dense skull that I don’t want anything to do with her,” I say.

Mallory gasps. “She’s still in love with you?”

“God, no,” I say. “We were never in love.” The thought of it makes me ill.Love?No. I’m not even sure Ilikedher. We enabled each other. We allowed ourselves to be out of control with one another. We lived in our own train-wreck of a world.

“It’s more like a psychopathic obsession,” Hayden jokes.

I shoot him a traitorous stare.

“She’sobsessedwith you?” Mallory asks in abhorrence, tightening her grip on my hand as if to protect me. “Is she stalking you, Chad?”

I stop walking and look down at her. “No. She’s not stalking me. Please don’t worry about her, Mal. She’s of no consequence to us. Don’t let her ruin our evening.”

Ana comes over, looking apologetic. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry, Thad. I had no idea Jonah was going to bring her here. Do you want me to ask them to leave?”

“No,” Mallory says. “We don’t need to cause a scene. We’re all adults here.”

Hayden snorts, looking over at Heather. “Well, most of us are anyway.”

“Okay,” Ana says. “But if I see any drugs, she’s gone.” She turns to Mallory. “Find me later, I want to show you those samples from the new clothing line I told you about.”

I smile at their exchange. I’m happy to see Mallory getting along so well with my friends. And I love how they seem to be protective of her.

The rest of the night passes with only minor annoyances from Heather. She and Jonah end up leaving early. Probably because I failed to give her any attention. Why that girl keeps after me, I’ll never understand.

Mallory leans her head on my shoulder in the car on the way home. “Ana says she wants to meet Julian,” she tells me.

“Really?”

She nods sleepily into me. “Yeah. She said if he’s anything like us, he’s someone she wants to know.”

I shake my head at the notion. “Can you imagine Julian with Ana?”

“I can, actually,” she says, stifling a yawn. “I think it’s a great idea.”

“Well, she’ll be in New York with me in May for ourBlind Shotjunket. I guess they can meet then.”

“Ummhmm,” she mumbles.

I run my fingers through her hair, massaging her head as I think about the days to come. Mallory leaves on Sunday. In two short days. I want so badly to go back to New York with her, but I’ve got meetings all week. I’m sure as hell not waiting six weeks until the press junket in May to see her again.

I worry about what she might be walking back into now that her name went public. I’ve made some arrangements that will hopefully make things easier. Still, it kills me to know I won’t be there to help her handle it. Julian—he’ll be there.Shit. I realize getting Ana out there might not be such a bad idea after all.

I look down at Mallory, peaceful and sleeping on my shoulder. This week has been perfect—take away the Megan debacle. I think back to the day Mal arrived, when I thought she would break up with me. No way am I giving her time to think about doing that again.

I pull out my new phone and text my travel agent. I tell her to book two tickets to JFK on Friday. And then I text Ana and ask her to clear her schedule.

Chapter Twenty-two

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