He laughed.
“Let’s put it this way,” I said. “Your best friend is very much a gentleman.”
“He’d better be.”
“And… he’s a little more… intense… than you let on. You had me thinking he’s such a teddy bear.”
Ashley narrowed his eyes at me. “What did he do?”
“Nothing. Just a feeling.” I slid my hand up his neck and cupped his face. “He cares about you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I think he wanted to make sure I was the real deal.”
“The real deal?”
“Yeah. You know… someone who genuinely cares about you. Not just a… What do you call them? Randoms?”
“You’re definitely not a random, Danica Vola.”
“And now your best friend knows it,” I said.
“Obviously,” he said, kinda checking me out, the way he always did. With appreciation.
I felt a little uneasy about admitting it out loud, but kinda felt like I had to. So I asked him, “Is it okay to tell you that I was afraid, this morning… for maybe half a second… that I’d lost you?”
“Why?” He pulled me tighter into his body.
“Because. You were out all night after the bachelor party. You never stay out all night. You always come home to me. Last night, you didn’t. And… you know. Dylan.”
“Babe.” His eyebrows twisted together. “You were afraid you’d lost me, just because Dylan was back in town?”
“Not justbecause. You love him.”
“Danica.” He slid his hand up into my hair, pulling my face close to his. “I’m yours.”
“I know.”
“You’re not losing me.” He kissed me softly, then looked in my eyes again. “Okay?”
“Okay. Hey, Ashley?”
“Yeah, babe.”
“I understand why you love him. But just so you know, I’m not sharing you with him. Ever.”
He chuckled. “I know that’s true. For so many reasons.”
“Just, if it came down to it… I want you to know, I’d fight him for you if I had to.”
He burst out laughing. And I loved that sound. The look of amusement on his gorgeous face.
Happiness.
I liked that he could laugh about this. That day by day, it didn’t hurt him as much as it used to.
“Danica. I’m pretty sure you could take him. Just flash your gorgeous tits at him, then knee him in the nuts as hard as you can. He’ll never see it coming, but he won’t mess with you again. Problem solved.”
