Page 93 of A King’s Obsession

My phone sat beside me. Jru’s name was still near the top of my recent calls, reminding me I’d hung up on her yesterday during dinner.

I’d been sick, overwhelmed and avoiding a conversation I should’ve had weeks ago. Those were reasons. None of them made me a good friend.

She was already mad about the apartment. How was I supposed to follow that with, Surprise, bitch, I’m married and pregnant?

Then I’d overheard Malachi on the phone with Ezra.

Paperwork. Jru’s signature. A marriage she knew nothing about.

I’d stood outside the bedroom listening, waiting for one of them to laugh and say they were playing. Neither did. Malachi didn’t know I’d heard, and Ezra damn sure didn’t.

Every time Jru called after that, I could barely get through hello. I wanted to tell her, but I knew she’d ask how long I’d known. The longer I waited, the uglier that answer got.

Tonight, I couldn’t settle. I closed my laptop and reached for my phone just as Malachi called.

“You need to check on your girl,” he said before I could speak, his voice carrying enough urgency to make me sit up. “She just left the club crying. Some shit happened with E.”

My stomach tightened. “What happened?”

“She heard him say—”

I hung up. Whatever he was about to explain, I needed to hear Jru first.

Her name appeared on my screen before I finished finding it.

“Friend?” I answered immediately, already bracing myself for whatever she was about to tell me.

“Please don’t hang up on me.” Her voice broke, and I could hear her struggling to get the words out. “Ashlynn, I really need to talk to you.”

My stomach dropped.

“I’m here. Where you at?” I asked, pushing myself off the couch and reaching for my shoes.

“In the car. I don’t know where I’m going.” She sounded completely lost, and hearing my girl like that made my chest hurt.

“I’m sending you the address. Come to me. And if you can’t see through them tears, pull over.” I kept my voice steady, even though I was already worried about her driving around upset.

I stayed on the phone until she sounded steady enough to drive, then went to wait by the door.

When she arrived, she barely made it inside before falling against me. I wrapped my arms around her, and she cried into my shoulder so hard I stopped trying to ask questions.

“Come sit down,” I whispered once she could breathe, rubbing my hand slowly over her back. “I got you.”

On the couch, Jru pulled her glasses off and wiped her face with both hands.

“I’m so fucking stupid.” She stared down at her lap, shaking her head like she was angry with herself for even being there.

“Don’t do that.” I moved closer, hating the way she was talking about herself.

She shook her head. “Everything was too good to be true. I knew it, and I still let him—” Her voice caught, and she pressed her lips together before she could finish.

I looked at her. Something about the way she'd stopped talking made me nervous. “Jru, did you have sex with him?”

Her face crumpled.

“Last night.” She barely got the words out before another tear slipped down her cheek.

“Fuck, Jru.” I leaned forward, my own panic getting ahead of me. “Bitch, please tell me you used a motherfucking condom.”