Ashton Scott

Her eyes widen at the anger in my voice, or maybe it’s at the way I’m manhandling her because that’s not my usual style. Yanking her arm from my hold, she whisper-yells, “Don’t talk to me like that. I’m just trying to help your parents.”

“How?” I demand.

She swallows hard under my scrutiny. “Your mother asked me over for dinner. Everything was going well until she started arguing with your dad. Things went downhill fast, and your mum lost it. I’ve never seen her like this before. She was screaming at him and then throwing plates and cups. I managed to get her to the bedroom and calmed her down, and I think your dad has calmed down too.”

“What were they arguing over?”

She hesitates briefly. “Do you really want to know?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”

Her shoulders slump as she sighs. “Your dad’s been havi

ng an affair. She found out.”

That fucking asshole.

I ball my fists.

“Fuck,” I mutter. This isn’t my father’s first affair. It isn’t even his second. At last count, he’s had at least five affairs, and that’s only the ones I know of. I have no idea how many of those my mother is aware of.

I walk away from her to head back to my father’s office, but she reaches for my arm and stops me. “Ashton, don’t.”

The sound of his car screeching out of the driveway breaks into my thoughts before I can argue with her. Turning back, I meet her gaze. “Why are you spending all this time with my parents?” The question comes out angrier than I intend. Everything’s turning to shit today, and I feel unable to rein my emotions in. If I can’t confront my father, I’ll settle for this confrontation.

Her body tenses. “Is there a problem with me doing that?”

“Yeah, a big fucking problem, Cassia. You and I are not together, so I don’t understand your motives. And when I don’t understand someone’s reasons for doing something, I know deep in my gut that something shady is going on. So start talking and don’t leave anything out.”

“Ashton, I’m worried about you. You seem so on edge today. Is everything okay?”

“No, it’s not. I want to know what the fuck is going on,” I bark, feeling a loss of control I never feel.

Her lips flatten. “I don’t deserve to be treated this way. I always liked your mum, and when she initiated our friendship, I didn’t think it would be a problem for anyone. It doesn’t affect you in any way. All it does is give her someone to spend time with and share her burdens with. We’ve grown close, and I treasure her friendship in more ways than you’ll understand. I just wish you could be happy that your mum has someone she trusts and confides in. Especially when your father is a bastard to her.”

I take all that in and realise I’m being a complete asshole to her when all she’s trying to do is be a friend to my mother. She’s right—it doesn’t affect me in any way.

I rub the back of my neck, taking a step away from her. “Fuck, I’m sorry. It’s been a shitty day, and I took it out on you. I appreciate that you’re here for Mum.”

She watches me silently, the tension easing from her body. Nodding, she says softly, “Okay.” Then, she moves close to me again and places her hand on my chest. “Do you need to talk about it? I’m always here for you.”

“No.” Talking to Cassia is not what I need.

Before I can stop her, she reaches up and curls her hand around my neck. Pulling my face down, she kisses me.

I pull away from her. “Fuck, Cassia, what the hell?”

Her eyes hold mine, and I see the defiance in them. “You can’t tell me you didn’t just feel something, Ashton. We’ve always had something between us, and I think it’s time you admitted that to yourself.”

Anger at her inability to let this relationship go flows through my veins. I have enough on my plate to deal with; I don’t need to add her to the list. “There’s nothing between us, and you need to understand that and move on.”

Bitterness creeps into her tone as she says, “So that you can continue on with the little fling you’re engaging in?”

“This thing between me and Lorelei isn’t a little fling.”

She hits me with a dirty look before smoothing the scowl lines on her face. Stepping away from me, she says, “You can continue fooling yourself, but eventually you’ll see that you and I are meant to be together. I’m not going anywhere.”

With that, she walks away from me. The woman is deluded if she thinks for one second that what she said is true. There’s no way we’ll ever be together again.