‘What’s it like?’
‘A dive,’ Aiden said, at the same time Sienna said, ‘Small.’
She furrowed her brow as she gave Aiden the full force of her attention. ‘It’s not a dive.’
He made a noise of disbelief. ‘So it’s changed since I left?’
‘Everything’s changed since you left.’ She struggled to keep her tone neutral.
‘It’s a one street town,’ he explained to Chuck. ‘There’s a run-down diner, a grocery store, a gas station, and that’s it. Population approximately one thousand.’
Sienna stared straight ahead, ignoring the way his words made her blood boil and bubble. Toil and trouble. Because while he was technically right, his scathing rendition of the town skipped over so many of the best parts of it. ‘There’s a church and a playground, too,’ she said, a little defensively. ‘And a small school. Fun fact – the school’s been in the same building for over two hundred years.’
Chuck let out a low whistle. ‘Sounds kind of quaint, actually. I think you’re underselling it, bro.’
‘Go check it out for yourself, bro,’ Aiden muttered.
‘Hey, what gives?’ She stared up at Aiden, a hand clenching into a fist at her side. Forgetting about flirting. Forgetting about reeling him in. ‘When was the last time you graced Ashbury Falls with your exalted presence, anyway? Someone who hasn’t been in the town for more than ten years doesn’t get to pass themselves off as any kind of authority.’
‘I was there a couple of years ago,’ he corrected. ‘It hasn’t changed.’
Sienna gawped at him. She could hardly breathe. ‘A couple of years ago?’ she repeated.
‘For a night,’ he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. ‘Long enough to know it’s the same place we grew up in. The same place I left as soon as I could.’
Bitterness flooded every cell in her body.
‘Butyoudidn’t leave.’ Chuck addressed Sienna, drawing her attention back to him. She tried to focus on him. On his handsome face, his charming smile, the fact he was clearly into her. She tried to blot out Aiden, but she couldn’t. He was like this big, hulking figure just to her left, and even his footsteps were pissing her off. She stopped walking and jammed a hand onto her hip.
‘No.’ She looked only at Chuck as she spoke. ‘We didn’t all get headhunted for a scholarship by some huge college. Some of us didn’t have any marketable skills,’ she finished on a soft laugh, to take the sting out of what she’d said. ‘Anyway’ – she pointed to the moon – ‘I’ve seen what I came to see, so… goodnight.’ She turned before either of them could respond, stalking back to the mansion and forgetting all about wiggling her hips as she went.
* * *
‘What happened?’ Bella came in first, holding a tray with a teapot and four cups.
Astrid followed with a bottle of champagne and three flutes. ‘We thought we’d cover all our bases,’ she said with a shrug as Paige followed.
‘Aiden looks pissed.’
‘Aiden looks pissed?’ Sienna demanded. ‘That’s pretty freakin’ rich!’
‘What happened?’ Bella repeated, holding a teacup towards Sienna. She took it and cradled it in her hands.
‘He just decided it would be a good idea to insult my entire existence, pretty much,’ she muttered.
‘He didn’t!’ Paige’s eyes were huge as she sat, cross-legged, on the edge of the bed.
‘I’m sure he didn’t mean it,’ Astrid defended, clearly torn between her future brother-in-law and her best friend.
‘Oh, he did. He absolutely did. Bitching about our town like it’s… like it’s… we didn’t all get the chance to leave, you know. I mean, even if he thinks that, would it have killed him to pretend…’ Anger fizzed inside of her. ‘And you know what else? He’s been back.’
‘What? When?’ Paige leaned forward.
‘A couple of years ago. He was in Ashbury Falls – I have no idea why – and he didn’t so much asthinkto look me up. Which shows precisely how much I mean to him. How much I meant to him.’ She stalked to the other side of the room, slamming her teacup down. ‘All this time, I’ve been holding onto?—’
‘Onto what, love?’ Astrid asked gently.
‘This!’ She pressed her fingers into her chest. ‘I can’t explain it. I feel like such a fool. I have been so angry with him and he just… nothings me. Nothing! Like, he doesn’t regret me, he doesn’t miss me, he doesn’t even think about me.’
