A knock at the door pulls me out of my thoughts. Groaning, legs stiff from sitting cross-legged for so long, I get off the couch and head to the door.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” I ask as I open the door, stepping to the side.
Aspen steps inside and shoots me a smile. “Oh, you know, I figured I would come over and check on you.”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically.
Aspen rolls her eyes. “Sure you are.”
She pushes past me and makes herself comfortable on my couch.
“I’ve always loved this house,” she says as she looks around.
I look around the room, and nostalgia hits me. When I was a little girl, my dad used to sit right where she is, with me between his legs on the floor as he would braid my hair before bed. My eyes dart to the fireplace as I think about all the pictures he used to take before big milestones in front of it. This place is filled with memories, ones that are being pulled away from me.
“Me too, but it looks like I’m going to be losing it,” I say bitterly.
“Have you contacted the lawyer and asked for more information? Figured out the fine print?” she asks casually as she takes in the room.
Aspen has her own memories here from when she would visit when Panther first joined. She spent a few summers with me. I’m going to miss her when I leave.
“Jumping right in, aren’t you?” I sigh as I sit down on the other end of the couch.
“I planned on easing into it. Ask you about your feelings, tell you about the thing Wolf did last night with his tongue and shit, but I saw my opening.” She shrugs, making me laugh.
If there’s one thing we all know, it’s that Aspen doesn’t have a subtle bone in her body. She’s like a bull in a china shop.
“So have you?” she asks again.
I shake my head. “No. I know I need to, but I’m just so fucking mad I can’t see straight. I feel like my anger is choking me. Anytime I think about it, it just grows like it’s a living, breathing thing.”
Aspen nods. “Hey, I get it. Our situations are completely different, yet I get it. But, Rain, you need to make that call. For all you know, there is a time limit on when you need to be married by that could be ticking away.”
“I have a month but I don’t care what happens. I’m not getting married. They can have this place. I don’t even want it.” The lie burns on my tongue.
“Oh, bullshit.” She calls me out.
I narrow my eyes. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. It’s bullshit. Are you really going to let this all go?”
I growl, “Yes! I have to! You don’t get it, Aspen. Dad knew I didn’t want to ever get married. Ever. And he did this. He cornered me and gave me two options. Lose everything I love or marry a guy who I can’t stand. Obviously, I’m going to walk away, and I’m so mad about it that I see red. I can’t believe he did this to me. Why? Was I a bad daughter? Did he not love me? I don’t get it.”
“Please. Your dad loved you, and we all know it. The man thought you walked on water and could do no wrong. You couldn’t have been a bad daughter if you tried. I have no idea why he set this up, but clearly he had his reasons. Like maybe the fact that he couldn’t handle the idea of his daughter being out in the world all alone without anyone watching over her, so he entrusted one man with her safety,” she points out.
It’s not like the thought hadn’t entered my head, but I pushed it away. I’m not ready to come to terms with what he did. I want to be angry. It’s better than the soul-crushing sadness.
I sigh. “Did it have to be Ridge? Out of everyone, couldn’t he have picked someone else?”
“Sure, but he didn’t. He picked Ridge for a reason.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t get it. I never understood why he liked Ridge so much anyway. He treated him like his son. I was jealousof their relationship at times, even though Dad always made sure I came first.”
She shrugs. “Maybe because he’s awesome?”
I shoot her a glare, making her raise her hands.
“Hey, you’re the only person I know who has a problem with him. He’s a good guy, and let’s be honest, you could do worse. Like, a lot worse.”
