Free Falling to Pieces by Amber Garza

Ivy League.”
    “Oh.” I bite my lip , a little embarrassed.
    “I don’t think you seem poisonous,” He teases. “Are you?”
    I shake my head.
    “Did someone play a prank on you?” He indicates the fizzing beer.
    My face warms. “No, I sort of dropped it.”
    “Well, then maybe we should go sit down.” He winks. “Just to be safe.”
    I smile up at him and shrug. “Why not?” 
    When he takes my hand in his and leads me to the couch, I tell myself I’m not doing this because of what Billie said. This has nothing to do with making Asher jealous. Dustin seems like a nice guy, and I just want to have a little fun tonight , that’s all. Even so, I find myself glancing over to the kitchen to see if Asher notices me. When I see that he’s still completely engrossed with the blond, I chastise myself for even checking. After all, it’s for the better. I shouldn’t want Asher to be jealous. We’re both adults, and we’ve never even gone out. We were friends and nothing more.

 
    8
    Asher
     
    I am shocked to see Ivy here in this kitchen, especially wearing that tight black dress and high heels. What’s she trying to do to me? It’s so hard to tear my eyes away from her shapely legs and curvy body. But then she gives me that hard look and races out of the kitchen like she can’t get away from me fast enough. Frankly, it pisses me off. I should be the one mad at her, not the other way around.
    Sydney doesn’t seem to notice how agitated seeing Ivy has made me. At least if she has she’s not letting on, and it hasn’t stopped her from talking. She pretty much hasn’t stopped talking since I sat down. For seeming so shy when I first met her, she definitely has the gift of gab.
    As Sydney keeps chatting, I watch Ivy and Billie whispering harshly in the entryway. For a minute I think they might leave, but then Billie leaves Ivy to meet up with some guy.
    “Don’t you agree?” Sydney asks, pulling my attention back to her.
    Huh? If only I’d been paying attention. “Um…yeah, I do,” I finally say, figuring that agreeing is usually the safest bet.
    This appeases her, and she smiles before continuing on. As sweet and cute as she is, I’m just not sure I could go out with a girl who doesn’t ever shut up. That’s another great thing about Ivy. She doesn’t mind the silence. Most girls feel like they have to fill the quiet with noise, but Ivy can appreciate the moments when words aren’t needed. So many times we would ride on my bike in silence, and then get to the lake and sit on the beach just enjoying nature and not talking at all.
    When we were juniors , my friend Shane was killed in a car accident. My girlfriend at the time drove me nuts with how much she wanted to talk about it. It was like she felt that if I wasn’t expressing my feelings then something was wrong with me. Ivy knew I just needed to process it. She came over to my house and just sat with me. She didn’t say a word, she just let me grieve.
    A guy approaches Ivy , and my chest tightens. I know that I have no right to get upset. I’m not her boyfriend, but for some reason I want to slam my fist into the guy’s face when he starts talking to her. When I see them walk to the couch with their hands linked, my stomach plummets. She can’t really be into that guy, can she? I smirk, taking in his collared shirt and pressed pants. The guy’s a total douche bag, I can tell.
    “Are you even listening to me?” Sydney yanks me back with her words.
    I look at her , and smile. “Of course.”
    “Oh, it’s just that you seemed a million miles away.” She flutters her lashes and purses her shiny lips at me.
    “No, I’m right here,” I assure her, even though I know that my mind is in the family room with Ivy.
    “Cool. Anyway, I feel like an idiot.” Pink rises on Sydney’s cheeks. “I’ve been rambling on forever.”
    You can say that again.
    She peers up at me with this innocent look. “I don’t normally act like this. It’s