“Let’s not do this.” I shake my head. “Not now, anyway.”
“Why? It’s been six years, Gabe. Don’t you think I deserve answers after everything? Don’t I deserve a little more than a fucking text message?”
My eyes stay trained on the road and my jaw clenches.
“Whatever,” she scoffs. “You’re worse than that guy at the bar. Do you know that? What you did is worse than anything he could have done.”
My knuckles are turning white.
“You owe me answers, but by all means, keep acting like you didn’t do anything wrong.” Her words come out slurred.
I finally snap. “Yeah, Ash. You deserve answers, but I can’t give them to you. Especially not while you’re shitfaced, so let it go.”
She rolls her eyes and drops her feet off the seat, crossing her arms over her chest, not saying a word the rest of the drive.
When we pull up at the house, she’s passed out. I round the truck and dig through her purse for her keys. Her driver’s license falls out. I pause, staring at it.
It doesn’t say Ashton Michaels, it says Ashton James.
She’s fucking married. Or she was. Her left hand has a tan line where a wedding ring used to be.
I can’t explain why, but that feels like someone’s run a stake through my chest.
I grab her keys and pull her from the truck, cradling her in my arms. After carrying her up the steps, I traipse through the house to her room and lay her down, covering her up before taking in the room.
It’s all exactly the same.
My eyes catch on the corkboard above her desk. Ourmemories are still splayed out across the wall. My mouth goes dry, and I think that stake in my chest turns. They look like different people—just a couple stupid kids, too in love to see how bad things could get.
Plucking one down, I stare at a picture of us outside the club the day before it all went to hell. She’s wrapped around my waist and smiling from ear to ear.
Fuck me.I glance at her, fast asleep on her bed. This girl might actually kill me if she doesn’t go home soon.
I fold the picture and put it in my pocket before leaving her room and closing the door. It’s been years and I still can’t manage to stay out of her goddamn drama.
14
GABE
JUNE 7 YEARS AGO
I’m not going to lie, the parties that come along with this club might be the best part. They throw parties every Friday and Saturday night. There’s always a big crowd, lots of beer, and the hottest girls in this town. Sure, they sleep with members or in my case, prospects, because they think it’ll get them a foot in the door, but what guy my age wouldn’t love that? I don’t think I’ll ever settle down. Why would I?
Currently, I’m leaning up against the bar, a beer in hand, and Lily wrapped around me.
I take a swig as her lips meet my skin. She runs her tongue up my neck to my ear before whispering, “Take me upstairs?”
I pull away. It’s barely midnight. Plus, Shane’s here somewhere, and the last time I saw him he was well on his way to Mars. I know he isn’t my responsibility, but I feel obligated to make sure he makes it upstairs before he’s arrested—or dead.
“I gotta wait for Shane. Seen him?”
She shakes her head, and instead of being disappointed,she smirks and slides her hand under the waistband of my pants. I’m rethinking my previous statement, when a blonde with the tips of her hair dyed pink comes charging at me like her ass is on fire.
“You’re Shane’s friend, right?”
I’ve seen this girl before but can’t quite place her. I pull Lily’s hand from my pants and stand.
“Uh, yeah.”
