She tossed her hands up in surrender. “Too much?”
“Way too much,” Karla mentioned with a head shake, giving me an apologetic smile.
I loved when her lips did that. Curved up into a grin. Damn, I missed those smiles more than I realized.
“I apologize about our dear friend here. She’s ovulating,” Becca sarcastically said.
“Too much girl talk, not enough alcohol. Everyone take your drinks and let’s stop talking about how hot Ash and his asshole are,” Daniel mentioned as he passed me a drink.
We then all grabbed food—I stuck with the mild wings—and began to discuss the thriller novel. I didn’t add much to the conversation, because I was overtaken by watching Karla in full bloom. She was so different from what I remembered. Her light was so bright, her eyes filled with so much life. Watching her laugh and joke around with her friends healed something inside of me.
She was living her dream life.
That made me damn happy.
I watched as Daniel agreed with anything and everythingthat Karla said. When she was low on her cocktail, I offered to grab her another one. Daniel stood before I could and started to the bar area. “No need, Ash. No offense, but nobody can make a better cocktail than me. Plus, you’re a guest. As the one who formed the book club with Karla, let me get you a drink,” Daniel said.
I allowed it. I wasn’t going to argue with the guy.
We all went back to talking after Daniel refreshed everyone’s drinks. He added a few garnishes to Karla’s. Pink straw and all.
“OK, everyone,” Karla clapped her hands. “I think it’s time to talk about how Troy was a terrible character throughout the whole story.”
“Exactly,” Daniel said, right as I stated, “Bullshit.”
Karla arched an eyebrow as she stared at me. “Bullshit? Oh, come on, Ash. Don’t tell me you believe Troy had any redeeming qualities.”
“I am here to state exactly that.”
She tossed her hands up in shock. “You have got to be kidding me. He kidnapped Marcy at the beginning of the book.”
“To save her from an abusive family,” I countered.
“But he still kept her locked in a house.”
“Because he knew they were trying to track her and kill her.”
She leaned in my direction with an arched brow. “He admitted he loved her after killing her brother!”
I leaned forward with a smirk and arched my brow right back at her. “Because he felt that if he waited another second, he’d lose the chance to ever say it.”
She clasped her hands together. “Then he told her he’d never be with her and disappeared out of nowhere.”
I clasped my hands together. “Because he loved her enough to let her go.”
Her long eyelashes fluttered. “Bullshit.”
I leaned back in my chair and gave her a gentle grin. “He knew if she stayed with him, she’d get killed, too. He let her go because he loved her. He’d rather her live her life fully than have her life in danger. Love sometimes means saying goodbye.”
“Goodbyes suck.”
I agreed. “Yeah, they do.”
Her blue eyes grew somber as a flash of pain rushed through them. “Especially the one-sided ones where the other person doesn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”
That was a personal strike, and I felt it right against my rib cage. I parted my lips to respond, but no words came out. What could I even say in response to her? She was right.
“Ohhh,” Grace sang, bringing me back to the fact that Karla and I were still in the book club meeting. “I get it. He’s off limits. Sorry, Karla. I didn’t know you and Ash had a thing.”
