“I hadn’t thought of it that way. Well, see, I never had a bodyguard, so I guess I’ll be single forever.”
“What about Stuart?”
“You mean what about marrying him?”
Ava nodded and Aine shrugged. “It’s awfully early in the relationship for me to think about that.”
“You wouldn’t marry him, though, would you?”
“I just said it’s too soon for me to think about it.”
“But you would’ve married Striker.”
“What’s this about, Ava?”
“All I’m saying is that you were willing to marry Striker—”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Let me finish. It didn’t work out with Striker, but you could marry Stuart.”
Aine stood and threw her napkin on the table. “Thanks, Ava. I’m twenty-three years old, and my own sister is suggesting that I better latch onto the guy who might be willing to marry me. Way to make me feel even worse about myself.”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Whether it was or not, you succeeded.” Aine reached into her purse and pulled out enough money to cover the entire check.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m paying for lunch, and I’m leaving.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“Just because I let you get away with saying something like that once today, doesn’t mean I’m going to allow you to keep doing it. I’m entitled to my feelings, Ava.”
“Are you seriously leaving?”
“Yep. As a matter of fact, it’s time for me to go back to Oregon.”
Aine stormed out of the restaurant and through the parking lot, to the trail she knew led back to Moonstone Beach. The two-mile walk would give her time to blow off steam, although she doubted she’d change her mind about leaving.
Her sister needed to learn that it wasn’t okay for her to tell Aine everything she disapproved of. She was sick of hearing how perfect Ava’s life was compared to hers. Little Miss Judgey could keep her condescending comments to herself since Aine wouldn’t be around to listen.
—:—
“Before we get started, there’s something I need to say.”
“Yeah?”
Striker took a deep breath. “I want to talk about Aine.”
Razor’s eyes were hooded, and by the look on his face, it wasn’t a topic he wanted to broach.
“All I ask is that you hear me out.”
When Razor nodded, Striker proceeded to tell him everything he’d told the woman on the plane.
“I told you a year ago that if you hurt Aine, I’d kill you,” Razor said when he finished talking.