Do highlight any grammatical/spelling mistakes that you find. It will be a great help.

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Ashley downed another shot of tequila because without the distraction of its burning sensation her mind was going towards places which were pointing towards the obvious betrayal from her best friend. No reason came to her mind which could justify why Deb would do this to her. Was it revenge? Was it something that she did? 

She asked for another shot from bartender when Lateifa gave her a side hug. 

"As much as I don't like to say this but drinking yourself to the point to where you have to ask your family for a liver won't help you," Lateifa said in a small voice.

"But it makes me be able to not think too much about it," Ashley groaned slamming her head a little bit hard on the bar, "You know my family probably won't even give me a liver. I shunned all of them for her. Now to think about it, every time I had to go to a family event, Deb always came down with something or had a really bad fight with her boyfriend," She rubbed her at the part where she hurt after slamming her head, "Why was she doing this?"

"Because she is a psycho bitch!" Esteban said as a matter of fact.

"Este honey..." Pankaj tried to calm him down.

"What!" Esteban exclaimed, "I am telling the truth. Even it college Deb used to behave like she had a weird claim on Ashley. At first, I thought it was some kind of lesbian BDSM thingy." 

"What the fuck?" Ashley swore to wrap her mind about what Esteban was saying.

"It is true honey," Lateifa affirmed, "She used to walk around like she owned you and used to stare at everyone who tried to even have a conversation. We only could talk to you during classes in which she wasn't there" 

"What a pile of shit," Ashley said, "People won't talk to me because I am a shy person who is a shitty conversationalist."

This time it was Pankaj who spoke, "If you really think that about yourself then she must have done a number on your confidence"

These words from the usually calm and drama free Pankaj did something to her. Her whole life she had thought of herself as someone not worthy of being appreciated. She didn't have the looks, the body, the mind or the personality. She was afraid of taking risks because she knew she could not do it. Deb always supported her for not being a front-runner, but what if it was just her way of not letting Ashley get up. 

The thoughts swarmed around Ashley's head. Even though she was in a perfectly air conditioned room, she was sweating. The dim light and the amount of alcohol she had ingested was not helping the situation at all. She needed to talk to someone, someone who will help her clear her thoughts.

She picked up her phone and called.

Just a few rings in the person picked up the call.

"Hey, I am sorry but this is not a right time," Kostas said.

"Please, please I need to talk to you," Ashley whined.

"Why are you sounding .... are you drunk?" 

"No, I am not drunk" She slurred, "Please can you just pick me up"

"I can't right now, I am in a middle of a ..." He started explaining.

"Please..", Ashley pleaded. 

"Send me your location. I will be there as soon as I can"

Ashley smiled. Kostas must have been very busy but still he was going to come and get her. Well he did tell her that he wanted to see more of her right? She didn't feel like talking to anyone anymore but she needed some clarity. She looked around the room, everyone was enjoying themselves. When was the last time she saw these people? Last year? And to think they all met each other more than 3 times after that.

She texted the location to Kostas, as precisely as she remembered. So many questions that she wanted the answers to. She will start with the one right now. She walked towards Joel downing his glass of whiskey while look at a picture of an old man with a crooked charming smile.

"Hey Joel, can I ask you something?" I asked.

He turned towards me,"Yes sure Ashley what's up?"

"I know this very awkward and happen almost 10 years back but was there any specific reason you didn't call me back for a date." If anyone would have told Ashley yesterday that she would ask Joel this question, she would have laughed at their faces. The shots of tequila simmered down her embarassment while she looked straight in his eyes.

"Yes this is very awkward," He said looking anywhere but her.

"Answer her damn questions, we are also waiting to hear" She heard Este speak.

She turned around to see Este snooping on them while Pankaj throwing him looks of disapproval.

Joel turned red now. She could see him shifting his weight on his other leg. Ashley didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable but she needed some answers. He took another sip of his whiskey.

"Look Ashley I really thought you were cute and everything but I didn't want to be your rebound or your experiment. I never was ready for that, if you would have told me everything before our first date then it would have easier for both of us."

This raised more questions than it answered. "What rebound, what experiment are you talking about?"

"Ashley, you just broke up with Deb just two weeks before we went on our date because you were not sure about your sexuality. I knew you were closer to Deb but I never knew your were an item and seeing how close you are even now, I think I made the right choice. I never hold it against you but how could you do it to Deb?"

Before she could understand or react what Joel said Este exclaimed,"That fucking bitch. I am gonna kill her."

"I will help you with it. I can't believe anyone would be so psychotic!" Lateifa shouted grabbing attention of nearby people.

"What are you saying! Please don't talk about Ashley this way. She is standing right here." Joel said, his eyes big like saucers.

"They are not talking about me Joel. They are talking about Deb. I was never in a relationship with Deb ever. And I guess she is the one told you about this?" Ashley asked.

He just nodded. Too confused to make sense of this. Welcome to my party pal. Ashley thought. She could see people around her having confused look their face apart from Lateifa and Este, they were angry and Pankaj was, let's just say he only knew the names of his emotions.

Ashley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Deb will get what is coming to her later but now she had to straighten this mess in front of her.

"Look Joel, I would never do anything to hurt you. I liked you but you should have talked to me once, before believing what Deb said and ghosting me. I went on date with you because you were kind and goofy and made me laugh. I never knew Deb told you something like this or why," She sighed looking into his big eyes. He looked still like the boy she met in college but she didn't feel the butterflies in my stomach she used to."That is for me to find out from her," she continued,"But just don't hate me for something that I never did."

Her voice broke a bit at the end. Ashley hoped that he believed her because right now she didn't have any more words to convince him. She never felt so depleted. How could she let someone ruin everything?

"Hey, hey it is fine. I could never hate you, never did," He said pulling Ashley into a hug. He smelled so good that whatever cologne he was wearing she wanted it around her all the time.

"I should have never believed what she said. I should have talked to you but I was confused and young and I didn't want any complications."

"Yes." She muffled in his arms. She was so glad I could make good with him. One down and God only knows how many more to go.

'Hi. Is Ashley here anywhere?'

She heard a masculine voice ask somewhere behind me. She broke the hug with Joel and turned back to see.

He came. She was not sure that he would come as he told multiple times that he was busy. She was thinking of getting a ride back with Este or Lateifa if he didn't show up. But he did show up and he looked as good as he did at the club.

Good I didn't over exaggerate his look in my mind. She thought. Even in the dim lights he followed the direction where someone pointed out her to him.

She was still standing there looking at him with Joel behind her, her back touching him. A part of her brain told her to move away from him but then she asked herself why. Was she expecting Kostas to blow seeing her with Joel? Was he going to make a scene and embarrass her in front of her friends? They must think her life is like a good Wattpad novel with psycho ex best friend and a possesive hottie.

Her train of thought stopped when he came over to her and smiled,"Hi."

"Hi." Ashley said while her head started swirling with the amount of tequila she had consumed

He looked up and towards Joel, noticing how close they were standing. She could practically hear Este getting excited from where he was standing muttering 'here comes drama'.

She was surprised when Kostas held his hand in front of Joel,"Hi. I am Dimitri."

Joel was a bit taken back but he mirrored the actions with,"Joel."

"I am sorry about your uncle Joel. I heard someone saying that it is his wake..err.. party." Kostas said sincerely.

She could see that people who stood waiting for some action go back to their mingling, sensing nothing was going to happen. She looked at Este, he looked like someone cancelled Christmas and was downing his tequila.

"Thank you." He was taken aback, was he also waiting for a punch? Was everybody waiting for some drama? Was Kostas the only sane person here? "Ashley was just explaining about some problems we had with a common friend years back." Joel offered explaination which no one asked for.

"Deborah?" Kostas asked.

"Yes! What a crazy bitch."

"I know. Sad to see that train wreck affected so many people."

"Yes!" Joel exclaimed while moving from behind her and walking towards the table with all the booze."Want something Dimitri?"

"No, no. I am working tonight." He said and look towards me,"Is it ok if you stay at my place tonight? I have to work and your place is 45 minutes out of the way."

She nodded. She didn't want to be at home alone. Her home was saturated with memories and stuff from Deb and there was a high chance that she was there waiting for her. She had enough headaches and the tequila was making her head spin. She just want to go somewhere and lie down.

"The cab is waiting outside," he said steering me towards the door.

"Wait." Ashley said and walked to where Lateifa, Este and Pankaj were standing. She hugged each of them.

"Thank you for being there for me today. Even when I didn't keep contact. I will call you soon."

"It's okay love, let us meet for lunch sometime this week." Lateifa said squeezing her hand.

"And you can introduce us to clones of that hunk you are going home with," Este said eyeing Kostas up and down.

I looked back at Kostas, he was looking amusedly at Este, then after a few seconds just winked at him.

"Be well Ashley. We will also leave now. I have to go home and remind my boyfriend how lucky he is to have me." Pankaj said putting his one arm over Este's shoulder.

"Ooooh yeah," Este said gleefully looking at Pankaj.

Ashley started laughing, she was surprised that she had the strength to do so after the most tiring day that she had, only next to the day she gave her SATs. She walked over to Kostas and waved back at her friends.

"Let's go." She said walking towards the door.

The cab ride to Kostas's place was a short one. They didn't talk the whole ride. She was too comfortable with her head on his shoulders.

Entering his home for the second time was a different experience than the first time she visited. That night she was so happy and horny that she was getting laid that she didn't even think of looking at anything else but Kostas.

He went to his bedroom while she was looking at his living room with curious eyes. There was nothing out of the ordinary, it was too similar to her home but with more books. It was hard to find someone who had more book than her.

Kostas came back changed into grey tracks and t-shirt. It was criminal how good a man could look in plain clothes. The t-shirt fit him so tight that she could clearly see every dip and curve of his upper body, her eyes concentrating on his huge arms.

"I have laid out some clothes for you on my bed. It will be easier for you to sleep in them rather than wearing that dress making you the object of fucking wet dream that I have in future" He said looking at her from top to bottom.

She suddenly started feeling the heat growing from within her, her breathing became heavy and constricted. It felt empowering to know that he was affected by her as she was by him. She walked past him brushing his arms towards his room. Ashley turned back to see him gazing at her with so much intensity that surprised her. She lowered her gaze, the ever increasing heat in her making it difficult to match his intensity and meet his eyes.

"Aren't you joining me?" She asked looking at her feet.

"In a bit, I have to get some work done." He said walking towards table that had a laptop and some papers on it.

Ashley just noded as she entered his room. She could see a t-shirt and some shorts that he laid down on the bed. She  Grabbing the black t-shirt she put it on and it reached her thighs. Should I wear the shorts, she thought and then decided against it. The t-shirt was going to be comfortable enough. She plopped down, on the side of the bed where she woke up just weeks ago and went into a dreamless sleep.

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Thank you for reading.