Ash lifts her chin, something fierce flashing in her eyes. "I put him in his place. Trust me, he won’t try that again."
Something deep in my chest settles at that.
Because this isn’t the same as before.
She isn’t running. She isn’t choosing anyone else.
She’sours.
I nod, my grip on the phone relaxing just slightly. "Good," I murmur. "Because if heevertries that shit again, we won’t just be watching from a fucking phone screen."
Her lips part like she wants to say something, but instead, she smiles. A real one, small but certain.
And just like that, the doubt is gone. It should have never been there in the first place, left over from my insecurities.
Two months.
I twirl the drumsticks between my fingers, catching them in a smooth motion before letting them spin again. My leg bounces, restless energy coiled tight in my body. Two long-ass months. The weekend visits didn’t happen—Ash was too busy with work,and even though we understood, it didn’t make the wait any easier.
But now? We finally have a break. Two whole weeks.
I settle into my seat on the network’s private jet—one of the perks of being part of their carefully curated storyline. This little trip home is courtesy of the show, but I couldn’t care less about the PR spin they’ll slap on it later. The only thing that matters is seeing her.
We didn’t tell Ash we were coming.
And Ican’t waitto see the look on her face when she sees us.
Todd stretches out across the seat next to me, his arms crossed behind his head, looking as relaxed as ever. But I know him. His fingers drum absently against his bicep, his tell for barely contained excitement.
“She’s going to freak,” Jake says, grinning as he sips his drink. “You know that, right?”
“She better,” I mutter, tossing my drumsticks onto the seat beside me. “If she doesn’t, I’m marching my ass right back to the airport.”
West smirks, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “You’re full of shit. We all know you’d grovel at her feet the second she looked at you.”
I scoff, but Todd laughs, shaking his head. “He’s not wrong, man.”
“None of us are wrong,” Jake adds, his voice lighter, but there’s truth behind it. “We’ve been waiting for this. I don’t think any of us fully realized how hard it would be to be away from her.”
West hums in agreement. “It’s not just her, either. I miss New York.” He glances out the window, the familiar city skyline growing closer. “Feels like it’s been forever.”
I shift in my seat, the anticipation finally bubbling over. “The second we land, we’re heading straight to her place. No stops.”
Todd grins. “Like we’d let you drag us anywhere else.”
The flight passes in a blur of small talk and shit-talking, the way it always does when we’re together. The closer we get, the more impatient I feel. I drum my fingers on my thigh, bouncing my knee as we start our descent.
As soon as we touch down, we grab our bags and head straight for the waiting town car.
Jake slides into the front passenger seat while Todd, West, and I pile into the back. The driver barely has time to shut the doors before I’m barking out Ash’s address. The guy doesn’t even blink—he just pulls onto the highway, weaving through traffic like it’s second nature.
The city blurs past in a mess of headlights and honking horns, but I barely register it. My focus is locked on the destination.
When we finally pull up to Ash’s apartment building, my pulse kicks up.
We don’t hesitate. Todd leads the way, his long strides eating up the sidewalk as we push through the entrance and head for her door.
I expect Ash to answer, but instead, her sister,Lilah, swings the door open, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
