Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
“Better,” he said, tucking himself up against my side and leaning his head on my chest. “Much better.”
“So, I went down there to the hospital to see what was what,” Sienna continued. “And I saw them kissing. Like, really kissing. Going at it, if you want to know the real truth.”
“Bullshit!” Ash squeaked. “No, we didn’t. I swear it, Aiden.” He turned worried eyes up to me.
“Shh,” I said, brushing the hair from his forehead. “It’s okay, baby. I believe you. I’m just sorry I wasn’t there to help you. I was so fucking stupid. I should have never laid a hand on him if it meant having to leave you in the hospital unprotected. And the way you looked at me…”
I felt my jaw tighten and my eyes prickle at the thought of him at the mercy of Bomber while he was still stuck in a hospital bed.
Ash’s hand came up to rest on my chest. “Hey,” he said softly. “I wasn’t scared of you, you know that, right?”
When I didn’t respond, he used his casted arm to touch my cheek. I automatically grabbed his fingers so he wouldn’t move his arm too much, because I could tell every move hurt him. “I wasn’t, Aiden, I swear it. I just wanted to stop you because I didn’t want anything to happen to you. As much as I wanted Billy to feel even a fraction of what he’d made me feel, I didn’t want it to be at your expense.”
I pressed a kiss against his forehead. I couldn’t deny that hearing him tell me he hadn’t been afraid of me helped ease that last sting of unease in my belly. “It doesn’t matter, it’s done,” I said.
“And the restraining orders, they were all part of the act. I already had mine rescinded. I did it on the way to the bus station.”
“The bus station?” I asked in surprise. “You… you took a bus here?” I said in disbelief. “That’s a two-day trip, Ash.”
He looked down at the bright blue cast on his arm. “It was all I could afford. I didn’t have any money. He took it all,” he murmured softly.
I tried to keep my anger reined in so he didn’t feel the tension. “How did you get money for the ticket? Emily?”
It took him a minute before he finally sighed and looked up at me.
“No. Sold Dad’s guitar.”
I felt my heart crack clear in two.
“No. No, baby. Why didn’t you call me? I would have gotten you a plane ticket. Or you could have called Chase. You know he would have helped. Why? Oh, baby,” I groaned, leaning in and pressing my lips to his head. “I’m so sorry.”
“I didn’t have a phone. I didn’t have anyone’s numbers, and honestly, Aiden, I wasn’t really thinking. I just knew I needed to get to Haven. Needed to get here to you.”
“I’m glad, Ash. So glad.”
Ash relaxed against me and said, “It wasn’t so bad. The cop who helped me remove the restraining order gave me a bottle of water, so I was able to fill that up a couple of times along the way. And the lady sitting next to me on the bus shared her french fries with me. I slept most of the trip.”
I could see Ash’s eyelids growing heavy, so I said, “Go to sleep, Ash. We can talk more in the morning.”
“I’m so sorry, Aiden. I couldn’t do it,” he whispered suddenly as a tear slipped from his eye.
“Do what, baby?”
“Give you up.”
Before I could even respond to that, he was trying to sit up.
“No, Ash,” I said as I tried to stop him, but he was undaunted, and I ended up supporting his good arm so he wouldn’t bump the broken one.
“I tried, I really did,” he choked out. “I was just going to wait until Billy forgot about you, and then I was going to leave so he wouldn’t have a reason to come after you, but then he told me about your note and I just couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t lose you. I love you so much, Aiden. I’ll do anything to help keep you from losing the business. Anything. I’ll testify against Billy, I’ll talk to reporters—”
I gently brushed my mouth over his to silence him, then let my lips hover there. “Ash,” I barely managed to get out. “Can you please repeat that last part?”
“I’ll testify—” he began desperately.
“Not that. Before that. Please, god, Ash, say it again.”
He finally relaxed a little bit and his eyes went watery as he said, “I love you, Aiden.”
I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pressed my forehead carefully against his. “Fuck, Ash, I love you so much. So damn much,” I said with a shake of my head right before I softly kissed him again.