I desperately wanted to run after her, but Lex advised me against it. I’m not sure why I listened to him, nor why he felt compelled to protect me. But I left her to be comforted by Charlie and Eric, escaping in the opposite direction to avoid everyone’s concern.
“Will, calm down,” Mom demands, her arms folded beneath her chest as she watches me with a stern expression. “What did you honestly think would happen?”
“I don’t know?” I shout at her while running my hands through my hair. “I didn’t expect some kid to come at me with his fist!”
Dad is standing beside Mom, unusually quiet. I scratch my face, replaying tonight and consumed by guilt for ruining his birthday even though it wasn’t me who caused the scene.
No, you just fucked another man’s fiancée and expected to walk away unscathed.
And yeah, I made a mistake, but I never claimed to be perfect. Perhaps I did torment her by making her jealous, but what happened between us was bound to happen whether it was tonight, tomorrow, or next week.
I’m in lov
e with Amelia Edwards and refuse to sit back and do nothing, not when I know she feels the same way.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” is all I say.
“Never mind the party, Will,” Dad contests with a strained voice. “What are you going to do now? You love her? So, what. You loved her all those years ago, and you walked away.”
“I had no choice!”
“Everyone has a choice, son.”
My pacing stops as my gaze shifts toward my father. I am just about to defend my actions once again when my phone begins to ring for the hundredth time tonight. Pulling it out of my pocket, it’s the same number as earlier. Just another fucking nuisance call. I hit reject only for it to ring again. Pressing the phone to my forehead, I hit answer on speaker with a rude, “Romano here.”
“Am I speaking with Will Romano?”
“Yes,” I grit, shutting my eyes tight. “Who is this?”
“My name is Gordon Stone,” a man with crackling in his voice answers. “I believe you knew my daughter, Ashley.”
“Ashley?” I repeat.
“Ashley Stone.”
Of course. The night in London.
“Yes, I met her one night in London.”
“I’m afraid I have some terrible news. Ashley passed away yesterday,” he tells me with a strangled voice. “She was in a car accident.”
I bow my head, praying for the family. The poor girl had her whole life ahead of her, and it was all taken from her so soon. I wasn’t sure what to say or what he wanted. I barely knew her but suspect it’s about her funeral.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Stone, for your loss. Ashley spoke fondly of you and your wife.”
“There’s more…” he trails off.
“More?”
“Ashley was pregnant.”
My eyes divert to mom, unsure of why Gordon is telling me this. “Pregnant?”
“They managed to save the baby, but not her. He’s fighting for life. Lil fella looks just like her.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Stone. Why are you telling me this?”
Silence falls over the speaker, and in the background, there is a small cry.