Mister West by R.J. Lewis (animal farm read .TXT) 📕

hobbies anymore. You tell me all these things about him that I’ve never heard about before, so he’s changed. By keeping himself away from his old behaviours, he’s made a remarkable improvement in himself.”

I think about that for a moment. “He said to me once that by opening his emotions up for me, he’s opened himself up to all the other stuff, too.”

Ana’s eyes widen with understanding. “Then it sounds like he’s still fighting his old self, doesn’t it?”

Yeah, it does sound like that.

“What should I do?” I ask, feeling hopeless. “I want things to be normal again.”

“So be normal.”

I flash her a dry look. “Kind of hard to do that. The guy has tasted my vagina, Ana. How do I pretend nothing happened after that?”

She laughs hard. “Just try it, okay? I think it’ll help mend the bridge between you guys.”

I can see her point. It might be best if I extended the olive branch.

We walk back to her car, and she drives me home. Home, I repeat in my head. That place is home now. It still boggles my mind I’m living there. Indeed it needs a lot of work before it feels homely, but that’s a task I’m willing to take. Just need to figure out how to get over this awkward bump in the road with Aidan.

She parks on Aidan’s side of the parking lot. She ogles his cars with wide eyes as I unload all my stuff from her trunk. She went to my old apartment for me and gathered all my things. She said she didn’t leave a single thing of mine behind. Derek wasn’t there and she used my key. She’s truly the best.

“How did the place look?” I ask as she comes to my side and helps me.

“It’s a mess,” she answers. “He’s been drinking himself stupid. Bottles everywhere.”

“Shit.”

“He’ll figure himself out. Don’t worry about it.”

“I just don’t want him to think I’m this cold bitch that doesn’t want the best for him, because I do, Ana. I want him to put his life back together –”

“Okay, stop right there,” she cuts in, looking annoyed. “I walked through that apartment and all I saw, Ivy, was his stuff littered everywhere. It was so depressing. There was nothing in there that spoke of you. It was his place. You just crashed on the couch, which don’t even get me started on how fucking bullshit it was he didn’t let you have the bed that whole time. Fuck Derek and his bullshit, alright? Just an FYI, Ivy, I also smelled perfume in that place, and I am certain it wasn’t yours. I also noticed some questionable toys, and I know you’re not that kinky. Think about that for me.”

I don’t respond.

Ana’s good at telling me how it is.

She spotted questionable toys. I mull on that for a moment, asking myself if I’m truly surprised that Derek has brought girls back to that place and used toys on them.

I’m not.

It just feels weird.

We take the elevator up to the penthouse. When the doors open and we’re in the front entrance way, I look over at Ana with a giddy smile. Her reaction is priceless.

“It’s a fucking door,” she tells me.

“We are so sad,” I reply.

We laugh on our way inside. She’s looking around, all mesmerized, and I’m taking the bags to the bedroom. She follows closely behind.

Once we’re my room, she drops the bags she’s carrying and dives into my bed. Her arms spread out. “This is so insane, Ivy. Oh, my God. I’m so fucking happy for you. I can’t believe how amazing this place is.”

I grin and deposit all my bags into the closet. I dump them there on the floor, not about to start unpacking this shit. That can wait.

“What do you think this place is worth?” she asks me now.

“I don’t know.”

She lifts her head to look at me. “His place in Montreal sold for 37 million dollars.”

I freeze. “I hope you’re kidding.”

“Nope.” Her head falls back. “How does it feel to live with a loaded guy? A loaded guy that went down on you, too.”

I shrug, making my way to the other bags she left on the floor. “I don’t think about the money part. It’s not like that. I don’t even notice it, to be honest.”

“Oh, my God, these are silk sheets too. How are you not able to sleep in here alone?”

I throw the other bags into the closet. “It’s the quiet, Ana. I can hear my own heart beating in the night.” And it hurts when it beats because it’s ruptured and bleeding. Deep inside I know there’s a lot of work that needs to be done before I’m completely okay. I’m just not able to confront it because it hurts too much.

I shut the door. Ana sits back up now and watches me, already sensing my mood is off.

“Oh, Ivy,” she says sweetly. “You’re so strong. I love you, you know that? And I’m so fucking proud of you for everything.”

I smile at her because if I don’t, I’ll just cry. She spreads her arms out for me and I go to her. She wraps me in her arms and holds me to her.

“I love you too, Ana,” I say. “Thanks for being there for me. I know how crazy it looked on the outside, like I wouldn’t leave, and you couldn’t understand why –”

“No one has the right to judge you, okay?” she cuts in. “You don’t need to explain yourself, especially to me.”

“Thanks.”

“How about we go out for the night? It’s Friday and when was the last time we got to do something together this late in the day?”

“It’s been too long.”

She pulls away and jumps off the bed, rushing straight to my closet. “I’m sure there’s something we can wear. You’re practically my size, too, right?”

I laugh. “I’m like a foot shorter than you. Any dress I own will stop just under your ass.”

She flashes me a smile. “What’s wrong with that?”

I grin.