Free Lessons of the Past by Chloe Maxx Page A

to a small concert tonight, wanna go?”
    He bit into his crunchy taco. “Nope.” He chewed and swallowed. “I have plans with Mark and Greg.”
    “Doing what?” Courtney questioned.
    “Drinking. I don’t know.”
    “Well,” I said, “Courtney and I are going to The Underground if you change your mind.”
    “That coffee shop you dragged me to once?”
    “Yes. You loved it.” I tore a piece off my pizza and popped it into my mouth. Chill bumps danced along my spine and the hairs on my arm prickled. I knew Javier had to be close. My body always reacted to his presence. I glanced to the left, noticing an ass I’d know anywhere walking away. I hated that my body was so in tune to him.
    Lane grimaced. “Sure. Whatever you say.”
    ***
    Unlocking my apartment, I heard, “Hey, beautiful,” from down the hall. I already knew who it would be by the sound of his voice. “Stephen. How are you?”
    “I’d be better if you’d let me take you out on that date we discussed a week or so back,” he said, coming closer.
    I laughed and rolled my eyes, but I was flattered he still wanted to take me out. Stephen was a really great looking guy with short, blonde hair and green eyes. “Look…I’m just not in the place for that. But…my friend Courtney and I are going to The Underground tonight for a small concert.”
    “The Underground?”
    “It’s a small coffee shop slash bar in Freeland. Wanna come?”
    He crossed his arms. “Sure. But only so I can spend more time with you.”
    I smiled. “Great. Be ready at seven.” I opened my door. “Bye.”
    “Bye, beautiful.”
    ***
    Courtney poured herself a glass of wine as I sat on the couch, scrolling through TV channels. “I think you need to dress slutty,” she declared.
    “What?” I asked, shifting to look at her. “Why the fuck would I want to dress slutty?”
    She picked up her glass and walked to the couch. “Because the smokin’ ass in 2B is coming with us.”
    I pursed my lips for a second as I looked at Courtney. “He just asked me out, he didn’t ask for sex. And this is a group thing now, not a date. Besides, if he only wants me because I’m dressed like that, I don’t want him.” I only wanted Javier. Who may or may not want me. I had no clue, and was being too petty to talk to him.
    She took a swig and studied me. “Do you not like him?”
    “I like him.”
    “No. I mean, do you not want to get laid? I think maybe it’s been so long that you’ve forgotten how great it can be.”
    “
Can
be,” I stated. “It can be
not
great, too.” I got up, deciding I needed some wine as well.
    She grabbed the remote as I walked by. “Whatever. You’ve been pissy since you got sick.”
    She was the one being a bitch, not me. “I have not!” I picked up the bottle and poured some in a glass. “I’m going to get dressed.” When I walked in between her and the TV, I finished with, “And not in anything slutty. I can’t fit into your clothes anyway.”
    She laughed and threw a pillow at me. “Takes a slut to know one.”
    While walking down the hallway, I heard my phone buzz from my room. Something in my gut told me exactly who it would be. Shakily, I placed my glass on the nightstand and picked up the phone.
    Javier: We NEED to talk.
    I knew we needed to talk, but I just wasn’t ready. The truth was, he had already gotten under my skin and I didn’t want to let him go. But I knew he’d already let me go. He didn’t have to say it for me to know.
    Me: I have plans. And everything that needed saying has already been said.
    That was as good as I could do. I just couldn’t do it face to face.
    Picking up the glass, I downed the rest of the wine and strode over to my closet. Maybe Courtney was right. Maybe I did need to slut it up a little. I didn’t want to do it for Stephen, though. I was doing it for me.
    After digging through my clothes for twenty minutes, I found the perfect top. It was bright purple and form fitting with a deep, plunging