My hands gripped the counter so the world didn’t tip sideways. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
They both burst out laughing. I walked out of the open kitchen and into the living room.
“I hate you guys.” I groaned as I flopped onto the couch.
Brooklyn shoved the pizza into the oven and brought the portable speaker with her into the living room. She set it on the coffee table and looked down at me. “So what are you going to do about it?”
I sat up, gaping at her. “There’s nothing to do about it. So what? I think Ashton is cute.” Apparently. “He’s…old.”
“He’s not old. He’s older. Think of him asmature.” Anna sounded annoyed. She was just being protective of her uncle.
Brooklyn shrugged. “My dad is eleven years older than my mom.”
I raised a brow. “Really?” I never knew that. Never even suspected it. Ashton was eight years older than me. It felt like eight hundred with the way he treated me. Thinking about the age difference made my stomach try to come up my throat.
Considering it was pointless anyway. A total non-issue. Even if Ashton hadn’t been eleventy-billion years old, he clearly wanted nothing to do with me.
And I was dating Madden. I pounded my palm against my forehead, trying to keepmy boyfriendin the forefront.
Brooklyn nodded. “I think once you’re over twenty-five, it’s more about compatibility than age.”
“Well, I’m only twenty-four.” I let my head drop back against the couch, processing it all.
“You know Ashton is a great guy.” Anna sounded like she was trying to sell me something.
“Just because I’ve acknowledged he’s…” I gulped, terrified to admit it out loud. I’d barely admitted it in my head. “…nice to look at, doesn’t mean I’m doing anything about it. Because first of all…Madden.” Who would be so hurt if he overheard this conversation. “Anna, you can’t say anything to Blue.” Her husband was Madden’s best friend.
Anna sighed but it was as good as a promise. She’d take it to the grave. She was that kind of friend. The Diana to my Anne.
“Yup,” Brook agreed. “Madden.”
“And secondly,” I said. “If Madden didn’t exist—which he does, so the whole conversation is pointless—but if he didn’t, I don’t even know if Ashton likes me like that. He treats me like a child.” That was what frustrated me most. He hadn’t given me a say in switching to Dr. Gibson. He told me, thesame way a mother tells her kid sheisdoing the chore she doesn’t want to do.
“I think you may have set that precedent,” Brooklyn said. “You’re constantly calling him gramps.”
“He might like you.” There was an inflection in Anna’s tone that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. It sounded off, like maybe she knew he didn’t but she didn’t want to hurt me by saying so.
I scratched my forehead. “Okay. I’m attracted to Ash. Big deal. How many times have one of you come across someone you’re attracted to who isn’t your guy?”
Nothing but crickets.
“Really?” I let out apfftand then shrugged, belying my frazzled nerves. “It’s common enough to be attracted to someone. You can’t tell me it’s not. And now that I know, I’ll be more aware of how I act. So it’s a good thing he’s not going to be my advisor then. He did me a favor.”
“Good luck acting normal around him. Your face is worse than the most shocking celebrity tell-all,” Brooklyn said.
I huffed at Brooklyn’s dubious expression and her hurtful words. “My face is an airtight vault, thankyouverymuch.”
“Maybe if you live in Delusion Land.”
I huffed again but I was losing my confidence. Almost as absolute as Ashton’s beautiful eyes was the fact that I had one ofthosefaces. The kind that tells you exactly what someone is thinking or feeling.
I gasped as everything fell into place.
Ashtonknew.
That’s why he’d cast me aside like a typo in a first draft. He knew I was attracted to him and itsickenedhim. He had no choice but to get rid of me.
Brooklyn was right. My only hope to keep what dignity I had left was to stay away from Ashton.
