“I wasn’t happy with how things went at the gala,” she began. “For several reasons. Your father was very upset.”
Of course. Who else would this be about?
“No.” I shook my head. “He was rude. If you’re here to ask me to apologize, don’t waste your time.”
Her crimson nails traced the curve of her mug. “I’m not going to ask that. I’m going to ask you to think about whether being with my son is good for your future. You and I know you didn’t grow up together, but other people don’t.”
My pulse fluttered like a trapped bird. “So what? Why should I care what strangers know or think?”
“Because of rumors,” Sharon said. “Judgment. Are you ready for articles calling your relationship scandalous? Asher is a public figure, whether you realize it or not.”
“I can’t control what people say. That’s just gossip—doomscroll material. Should that make me feel bad?”
It didn’t. It wouldn’t. I wouldn’t give strangers that kind of power—not over me, and definitely not over us.
Sharon’s shoulders lifted and dropped beneath her gray jumper. “You think it won’t touch you, but no woman I know is that strong. Opinions always creep in. They always cut.”
“You didn’t care about opinions when you moved to the States to be with my father. You didn’t even care about your son’s.”
Her lips tightened. “I see you’ve been holding a grudge for a long time. That’s okay. Of course I cared about Asher’s opinion. But I also lost Sergio. It wasn’t only my son’s grief.”
Asher had carried that grief for years, like luggage too heavy to set down. And she’d traded it for another love in less than three months. Could she really compare the two?
“Maybe it wasn’t,” I said. “But if you think I’d leave the man I love because of what strangers say, then you don’t know what loving someone means.”
Sharon’s gaze flicked to the window. When it returned, it was icy. Belligerent.“Did you ever ask yourself why he pursued you?”
“The same reason you started dating my father. Love.”
She smirked. “I know my son. I’m sure he only wanted to wound your father by getting involved with his daughter. Your dad is a respectable team owner. The last thing he needs is his career overshadowed by gossip about his family.”
So that was it. She wanted me gone—not for Asher’s sake, not even for mine, but so she and my father could enjoy their spotless, fabricated image. No gossip. No scandal. Just more people lining up to kiss his ass.
My jaw ached from how hard I clenched it as I lifted my mug for another sip of lukewarm coffee.
“Please, think about what I’ve said,” Sharon pressed. “What you and Asher are doing is wrong. It’s driven you from your father, and my son from me.”
“My father and I were distant long before Asher,” I said, sliding my wallet from my purse. “And your son didn’t pull away because of me. If you want someone to blame, try the mirror.” I laid a few bills on the table and stood. “And Sharon?”
Her lips pursed. “What?”
“If you think our relationship is wrong, I’ve got a solution.” I held her gaze. “Look the other way.”
I slung my coat over my arm and walked out, head high.
***
Hours later, the plane hummed around me. Asher’s warmth at my side should’ve lulled me to sleep, but Sharon’s words kept replaying.
“Peque.”
I tore my gaze from the blinking wingtip light. “What?”
His lips curved into a smile. “Just wanted you to look at me instead of the window.”
“I always stare at you.”
“You could always stare more.”
