“Not really,” I murmur, keeping my voice low. “But I’ve got you.”
Her gaze flicks to mine, something unreadable flashing through her eyes before she slides her hand into the crook of my arm. The warmth of her touch seeps through my jacket, grounding me in a way I don’t want to analyze too deeply.
The flashes are relentless as we make our way inside.
“Are you two together now?”
“Is this official?”
“How does the pack feel about this?”
“Is it true you were all involved back in the day?”
That last question makes me stiffen. My jaw tightens, but I keep my pace steady, glancing down at Ashlyn to see if she reacts. She doesn’t. Her expression stays calm, untouchable, but I can feel the tension rolling off her in waves.
Inside, the restaurant is quiet, the lighting dim, and the air thick with the smell of roasted garlic and fresh bread. It’s a stark contrast to the chaos outside.
The hostess leads us to a private table near the back, far enough from the windows to give us a little space, but I know the pictures are already making their rounds online.
Ashlyn sits gracefully, her movements polished and practiced, and I slide into the chair across from her.
The silence stretches as we both pick up our menus. For once, I don’t have anything to say.
“Shelley really outdid herself this time,” she murmurs, breaking the quiet. Her voice is light, but there’s an edge to it that tells me exactly how she feels about being paraded in front of the cameras like this.
“She always does,” I reply, scanning the menu without actually reading it. My eyes keep drifting back to her, no matter how hard I try to focus.
“Are you going to keep staring, or are you actually hungry?” she asks, glancing at me over the top of her menu. Her tone is teasing, but there’s a flicker of something deeper in her eyes.
Caught. I let out a low chuckle, setting my menu down. “Can’t I do both?”
Her lips twitch, a faint smile threatening to break through, but she doesn’t look up. “You could try being subtle about it.”
“Subtle’s never been my thing,” I admit, leaning back in my chair.
Her gaze flicks to mine for a moment, and something passes between us. Something real. But before I can hold onto it, the waiter appears, shattering the moment.
He takes our orders quickly, and as soon as he’s gone, the quiet stretches again. This time, it feels heavier.
“So,” she says, hesitant. “How’s the band holding up after yesterday?”
I rub the back of my neck, the tension creeping back in. “We’re fine. Just… processing, I guess.”
Her brow furrows slightly, her fingers brushing the edge of her water glass. “It wasn’t easy to say all of that. I know it wasn’t.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy to share what you did,” I say, my voice quieter now.
She inhales sharply, her brows raising slightly. “I couldn’t let you four have all the spotlight, now could I?”
The teasing lilt in her voice doesn’t fool me. She’s deflecting, like always. I reach across the table and catch her hand, my fingers tangling with hers. She stills, her breath catching.
“I know that’s not what it was,” I say, my voice rougher than I intended. “I’m sorry we just left. We?—”
“You don’t have to explain,” she says quickly, her voice soft but firm. She’s trying to be strong, but I can see how much we hurt her. It’s in the depths of her eyes and I’m not just going to brush her feelings aside like they don’t matter anymore.
“I do,” I insist, my grip on her hand tightening slightly. “We’ve been assholes. For a long time. And I just hope it’s not too late to make it right.”
Her lips part slightly, like she wants to say something, but the waiter returns with our food, cutting off whatever was about to pass between us.
