Xayden smirks as he drops into the chair beside me, leaning back like he owns the room. His leather-and-pepper scent rises just slightly as he glances my way. “Miss us already, sweetheart?” he murmurs, just low enough that only I can hear. “I know I missed you when you were gone after our show.”
I press my lips together, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction, but my heart’s pounding too hard to ignore.
West takes the seat across from me, his eyes dark and unreadable as he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. Jake sits beside him, his gaze flicking to Shelley, then back to me, calm but watchful.
Shelley launches into the meeting, completely unaware of the tension crackling in the room. She outlines her plans for the fake dates, her excitement growing with every detail. “We’ll start with something simple—a coffee shop visit with Jake, maybe dinner with Todd. A charity event with West, and for Xayden, something edgy, like a club appearance.”
I nod along, my face a practiced mask of agreement, but inside, everything feels tangled. My body is hyper-aware of their presence, my heart racing every time one of them shifts or speaks.
The worst part is how natural it feels to have them here, how much I hate the idea of this being fake when every part of me is screaming for it to be real.
“Thoughts?” Shelley asks, looking between us.
The guys glance at one another, silent communication passing between them before Todd nods. “Sounds doable,” he says, his tone neutral.
I swallow hard, forcing myself to focus on the discussion, even as my whole body feels like it’s on fire with them around. This is just a meeting. Just a plan. I can get through it.
Can’t I?
The meeting drags on, every minute stretching like an eternity. Shelley continues rattling off plans, oblivious to the tension thickening in the room. The guys chime in occasionally, their voices calm and measured, but I can feel the current beneath their words.
Todd sits back in his chair, his gaze sliding to me every so often, his presence pressing against my already frayed nerves. Jake, ever composed, offers practical input, though his eyes flick to me often, softening just slightly when they meet mine. Xayden throws out the occasional sarcastic comment, his smirk never fading, but I catch the way he watches me out of the corner of his eye.
And then there’s West.
He’s quiet, his smoky whiskey-and-almond scent steady but intense, filling the room without trying. He barely speaks, his dark eyes focused on Shelley—or on me when he thinks I’m not looking.
By the time Shelley wraps things up, I’m ready to bolt.
“This is going to be amazing,” Shelley says, beaming at all of us. “Ashlyn, the public is going to eat this up. You and the guys? The perfect modern love story.”
I force a tight smile. “Looking forward to it,” I say, though my voice feels like it belongs to someone else.
Shelley gathers her notes, clearly pleased with herself, and ushers us all out of her office. I manage to stay a step ahead, desperate for fresh air, but as soon as we’re in the hallway, a hand catches my arm.
I stop, my pulse spiking as I turn to see West standing there, his expression unreadable. The others glance back, but he waves them off, his tone low. “I’ll catch up.”
The hallway is quiet now, the distant hum of conversation from the office barely audible. His hand drops from my arm, but he stays close, his dark eyes fixed on mine with a look that makes my breath hitch.
“West,” I say softly, not sure what’s coming but bracing for it anyway.
“I need to say something,” he starts, his voice low and steady, but there’s a rawness to it that catches me off guard.
I stay silent, my heart thundering as I nod for him to continue.
“For me,” he says, his eyes searching mine, “this isn’t fake. None of it. Not the way I feel about you, not the way I’ve always felt.” He pauses, his jaw tightening before he exhales slowly. “I know I messed up. Back then, and probably a hundred other times since. But I’m not going to let that stop me now.”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. The intensity in his gaze pins me in place, his musk wrapping around me, grounding and overwhelming all at once.
“I’m going to do my best to convince you,” he continues, his voice softer now but no less certain. “To forgive me. To believe me. To let me show you that I’m not the same guy who let you walk away.”
His words hit me like a punch to the chest, knocking the air out of me. I swallow hard, my throat tight, but I manage to find my voice. “West… it’s not that simple.”
“I know,” he says, his lips twitching into the faintest smile, one that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “But I don’t care how long it takes. You’re worth it, Ashlyn.”
My heart twists painfully, torn between the ache in his voice and the walls I’ve spent so long building.
Before I can respond, he steps back, giving me space. “I’ll see you later,” he says, his tone quieter now, almost hesitant, like he’s afraid of pushing too far.
