The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Sasha continued, "Annalise didn't end up with Steven until he gave her a clear answer. By the time they finally got together, Jessica had already left the country."

"A cheater and a woman who stayed faithful—it's pretty obvious who I'd put my trust in," Sherry said, her voice dripping with disdain.

"I knew I chose the right friend," Sasha said.

Eric looked wistful. "How do guys like Steven or Gavin always end up with such amazing women?"

"It just shows that even great women can have awful taste and keep choosing the wrong guys," Sasha replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Sherry knew Sasha was talking about her but didn't let it bother her. "I'll admit, my taste could use some improvement."

Sasha patted Sherry's shoulder. "Next time you're thinking about dating someone, let me check him out first. I won't let any more jerks take advantage of you."

Sherry's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Don't worry, I'll definitely take you up on that."

As their conversation started winding down, Eric spoke up with a half-smile. "Have you two thought about something important?"

They both turned toward him in unison. "What?"

"Steven talked trash about Annalise to Gavin. Doesn't that mean Gavin could be doing the same about you to Steven?" he asked.

Sherry understood Eric's point almost immediately. Sasha, however, still seemed confused. "How would we even know if he's said anything?"

Eric kept his gaze on Sherry. "It's simple. Just watch how Gavin's friends behave around Sherry. If they're all smiles and friendly when they see her, it's clear he's been speaking highly of her. But if they start picking her apart or get distant, then it's obvious he's been talking her down."

Sherry wasn't fully convinced. "Honestly, Steven and Annalise's relationship was pretty stable before Jessica came back into the picture. It's not the same with Gavin and me. There's always Yvette standing in the way."

"Does Yvette talk badly about you a lot?" Sasha asked.

Sherry didn't try to deny it. "Yeah, she's always telling me straight to my face that I'm not good enough for Gavin.

"She says my family's not up to his standards and that I don't have much to offer. She even goes so far as to say that with Gavin's status, he could easily find someone better if he wanted to."

Sasha thought Yvette was completely out of line. What confused her, though, was Sherry's reaction to the whole situation.

"Don't you ever stand up for yourself when she says things like that?" Sasha asked.

Sherry replied quickly, "Of course I do. If she tells me I'm not good enough, I fight back and tell her she's the one seeing things wrong. But in the end, it's always Gavin who steps in."

Noticing the unease on her face, Eric asked cautiously, "He doesn't take her side, does he?"

"He does," Sherry said. "He always sides with Yvette, no matter what He says she's a friend to both of us, and if keep causing problems, their friendship will be ruined. He even makes me apologize."

"You don't actually apologize, do you?" Eric pressed on.

Sherry hesitated, unsure how to answer his question. A vague sense of unease washed over Eric. Afternoveldrama

fumbling with her words for a moment, Sherry finally replied, "It depends on the situation."