her.”
Ashleigh backed across the kitchen and leaned on the counter for support. “What do you know about Vicki?”
“I know that she loved—loves—you and that she’s forgiven you.” Drew rose to her feet. “You’ve been forgiven, it’s time to forgive yourself.”
Ashleigh’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she could speak. “You’ve talked to her?”
Drew was cornered. She felt she had no choice but to be honest. “I met her last night. Well, her, Chantal, and the rest of the girls. They want to see you.”
“No!” Ashleigh moved back and forth like an animal. Her gaze darted to the doorway just beyond where Drew stood.
“Ash,” Drew said in warning, but Ashleigh had already blown past her and was racing up the stairs. Drew turned as the kitchen door opened and Erica stepped in with Kaitlyn behind her. Kaitlyn took one look at her face and slumped against the door frame.
“Erica, I think we need to talk,” Drew said as Kaitlyn groaned.
“Where’s Ash?” Erica moved farther into the room with a look of concern.
Drew threw up her hands. “She’s majorly upset with me right now. She’s upstairs.”
Kaitlyn walked over to Erica and put an arm around her shoulder. “Sit down with us for a minute before you go up there.”
“Why do I feel that all of this is about to get worse?” Erica allowed Kaitlyn to guide her to the table. Kaitlyn glared at Drew over Erica’s shoulder before taking her seat.
Drew’s voice was shaky when she found the nerve to speak. “Ashleigh feels very ‘exposed’ right now. She feels like she failed big-time with the decisions she made. Now we all know what she’d kept hidden, and she feels like we’re disgusted with her.”
“I’m not disgusted,” Erica said defensively. “I just feel…alone, I guess.”
Drew took a deep breath and continued. “She doesn’t know that. She thinks you look at her differently now. She’s also dealing with feelings of guilt over what she did to her friends when she left.” Drew paused and looked at Kaitlyn, whose eyes were fixed on her. Those eyes told her that there wasn’t going to be peace in their household, either. Drew swallowed and went on.
“So you see where she’s at?”
Erica nodded. “So what did you do to upset her today?”
“I told her…that I met the band and they’ve forgiven her.” Drew looked away, unable to face Erica and especially Kaitlyn.
“You met with them? When?” Erica asked as Kaitlyn buried her face in her hands.
“We went to see their show last night and met the group before they went on stage.” Kaitlyn looked meekly at Erica. “I didn’t lie to you really. We did have dinner before the show. I just left out the other part.”
Muscles flexed beneath the skin of Erica’s jaw as she regarded Kaitlyn, then Drew. “So you admitted this to Ashleigh and now she’s upstairs.”
Drew nodded and looked down at the table in shame. “I orchestrated it all. I was just trying to help.”
Minutes passed before anyone spoke a word. “What were they like?” Erica finally asked.
“Nice people,” Kaitlyn said. “They really don’t have any ill will against Ashleigh. They want to be able to tell her that themselves.”
“Did you give them our number?” Erica asked brusquely.
“No, and they understand Ashleigh’s ambivalence about seeing them. We made no promises,” Kaitlyn said, looking at Drew.
Erica let out a long breath and stood. “I’m going upstairs. I’ll talk to you two a little later.”
“I’m sorry, Erica,” Kaitlyn said as her gaze met Drew’s.
Erica left them without another word. Kaitlyn stood and looked down at Drew. “It’s time for us to go home now.”
Chapter Nine
Erica stood in the hall outside her bedroom. She didn’t know what she would find behind the closed door. She watched as her hand shook slightly as she turned the knob. Ashleigh lay across the bed with her face buried in a pillow. Erica moved into the room and
Ashleigh backed across the kitchen and leaned on the counter for support. “What do you know about Vicki?”
“I know that she loved—loves—you and that she’s forgiven you.” Drew rose to her feet. “You’ve been forgiven, it’s time to forgive yourself.”
Ashleigh’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she could speak. “You’ve talked to her?”
Drew was cornered. She felt she had no choice but to be honest. “I met her last night. Well, her, Chantal, and the rest of the girls. They want to see you.”
“No!” Ashleigh moved back and forth like an animal. Her gaze darted to the doorway just beyond where Drew stood.
“Ash,” Drew said in warning, but Ashleigh had already blown past her and was racing up the stairs. Drew turned as the kitchen door opened and Erica stepped in with Kaitlyn behind her. Kaitlyn took one look at her face and slumped against the door frame.
“Erica, I think we need to talk,” Drew said as Kaitlyn groaned.
“Where’s Ash?” Erica moved farther into the room with a look of concern.
Drew threw up her hands. “She’s majorly upset with me right now. She’s upstairs.”
Kaitlyn walked over to Erica and put an arm around her shoulder. “Sit down with us for a minute before you go up there.”
“Why do I feel that all of this is about to get worse?” Erica allowed Kaitlyn to guide her to the table. Kaitlyn glared at Drew over Erica’s shoulder before taking her seat.
Drew’s voice was shaky when she found the nerve to speak. “Ashleigh feels very ‘exposed’ right now. She feels like she failed big-time with the decisions she made. Now we all know what she’d kept hidden, and she feels like we’re disgusted with her.”
“I’m not disgusted,” Erica said defensively. “I just feel…alone, I guess.”
Drew took a deep breath and continued. “She doesn’t know that. She thinks you look at her differently now. She’s also dealing with feelings of guilt over what she did to her friends when she left.” Drew paused and looked at Kaitlyn, whose eyes were fixed on her. Those eyes told her that there wasn’t going to be peace in their household, either. Drew swallowed and went on.
“So you see where she’s at?”
Erica nodded. “So what did you do to upset her today?”
“I told her…that I met the band and they’ve forgiven her.” Drew looked away, unable to face Erica and especially Kaitlyn.
“You met with them? When?” Erica asked as Kaitlyn buried her face in her hands.
“We went to see their show last night and met the group before they went on stage.” Kaitlyn looked meekly at Erica. “I didn’t lie to you really. We did have dinner before the show. I just left out the other part.”
Muscles flexed beneath the skin of Erica’s jaw as she regarded Kaitlyn, then Drew. “So you admitted this to Ashleigh and now she’s upstairs.”
Drew nodded and looked down at the table in shame. “I orchestrated it all. I was just trying to help.”
Minutes passed before anyone spoke a word. “What were they like?” Erica finally asked.
“Nice people,” Kaitlyn said. “They really don’t have any ill will against Ashleigh. They want to be able to tell her that themselves.”
“Did you give them our number?” Erica asked brusquely.
“No, and they understand Ashleigh’s ambivalence about seeing them. We made no promises,” Kaitlyn said, looking at Drew.
Erica let out a long breath and stood. “I’m going upstairs. I’ll talk to you two a little later.”
“I’m sorry, Erica,” Kaitlyn said as her gaze met Drew’s.
Erica left them without another word. Kaitlyn stood and looked down at Drew. “It’s time for us to go home now.”
Chapter Nine
Erica stood in the hall outside her bedroom. She didn’t know what she would find behind the closed door. She watched as her hand shook slightly as she turned the knob. Ashleigh lay across the bed with her face buried in a pillow. Erica moved into the room and
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