I swallow.
I hope I didn’t come on too strong last night. I know I can be… intense. Protective to a fault. When I care about someone, it’s all in.
Countless exes have told me the same thing.
You feel too much.
You’re suffocating.
You’re too clingy.
Too overprotective.
Maybe they’re right, to a certain extent.
But listening to Mark question Ashton’s intelligence and talk down to him felt like being gutted. Every word out of that man’s mouth was a blade, and Ashton just stood there and took it.
I simply couldn’t. It was pure agony.
A shadow stretches across me, shielding me from the blistering sun. I glance up to see Ashton standing beside me, sneakers planted on the concrete. He lowers himself beside me without a word, long legs dangling over the edge of the pier like mine.
“Hey,” he says, his voice hoarse.
He looks wrecked.
Dark circles paint the skin beneath his eyes. His hair is a mess, like he’s run his hands through it a hundred times. His usual pink flush is gone, leaving him pale and drawn.
If his night was anything like mine, he didn’t sleep either.
“Hey,” I answer quietly.
For a moment, neither of us speaks. The lake stretches out in front of us, endless and rippling. A boat hums in the distance, skidding across the horizon.
Ashton exhales slowly, his gaze sweeping across the water like he’s searching for the right place to start.
“I’m sorry,” he says.
“It’s okay—” I begin, but he shakes his head, cutting me off.
“No. Let me finish.” His fingers curl against the edge of the pier, knuckles whitening slightly. “I have more to say.”
I snap my mouth shut.
He swallows. “First of all, I’m sorry for what I said about you not understanding what it’s like to have a mom like mine. That was stupid, and I wasn’t thinking straight. Obviously I wouldn’t have said that if I was in the right headspace.”
I simply nod, because I know he’s telling the truth. He wasn’t trying to be cruel—he’s not even capable of doing such a thing, not on purpose.
He exhales slowly through clenched teeth. “And I’m sorry I got angry at you for coming out to my parents.” His head dips low, blond waves shielding his face. “That’s your decision to make. Notmine. And I had no right to ask you to lie about yourself just to protect… my secret.”
The wind shifts, carrying the sharp, clean scent of lake water between us.
“I appreciate that you stood up for me,” he continues, voice softer now. “No one’s ever really done that before. Not like that. My siblings, sometimes. But…” He shakes his head faintly. “Not like you did.”
My throat tightens.
“I’m just—” He breaks off, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I’m so scared of upsetting my dad. All I’ve ever wanted is for him to love me. To be proud of me. To accept me.” His laugh is brittle. “And every time I push back, every time I disappoint him, it feels like I make it that much harder for him to do that.”
Without thinking, I reach for his hand and lace our fingers together. He goes still, staring down at where we’re joined. Slowly, a small, almost disbelieving smile curves his mouth. When his eyes lift to mine, they’re bright in the sunlight, something fragile and hopeful flickering there.
