“I’m sorry, Laney,” she says softly.
I give a small shrug. “It’s not your fault. Switching schools senior year sucks.”
Her gaze softens as she glances over at me again. “Well, tonight, we’ll make up for it. I promise.”
We fall into easy conversation on the drive to Ashlyn’s place, and before I know it, we’re pulling up outside her apartment building. After grabbing my bag from the trunk, we head inside and take the elevator up to her floor.
As soon as we step through the door, I kick off my shoes and trail after her into the kitchen.
“Help yourself to a drink,” Ashlyn offers, tossing her water bottle into the sink before motioning toward the fridge. “I’m just gonna go get changed.”
She disappears down the hallway and I grab a soda, wandering into the living room as I sip it.
A table lined with framed photos catches my attention, and I find myself moving toward it. There are so many pictures. Snapshots of family and friends; moments that obviously mean something to her. One in particular makes me stop. A photo of four guys in suits, all smiling widely. I recognize one as Wyatt.
I’m still holding the frame, studying their faces, when Ashlyn returns.
“That was at Cade and Sophie’s wedding in Vegas last year,” she says behind me, her voice warm with the memory. “Sophie planned the whole thing. Cade didn’t have a clue.”
I smile and set the photo back down. “That’s so romantic.” Then I glance at her with a smirk. “Your brothers clean up pretty well.”
Ashlyn laughs. “Yeah, I guess they do.”
“Are they all as nice as Wyatt?” I ask. “I still can’t believe he came with you to bail me out the other night.”
Her smile softens. “Yeah, they’re pretty great.”
“Must be nice, having siblings,” I say, my tone wistful.
“It is… most of the time,” she replies with a chuckle. “But having four older brothers has its downsides too, believe me.”
I pull a face. “Let me guess, super overprotective?”
“You have no idea.”
I grin, then my expression fades as I glance at her again. “I bet they weren’t thrilled when you started dating my dad.”
Ashlyn’s face falls slightly, tinged with something a little sad. “No, they weren’t. It was tough in the beginning. But I think they’ve finally come around.”
I nod slowly, feeling a pang of guilt twist in my stomach. “I wasn’t exactly nice either,” I admit quietly.
She places her hand on my arm. “I get it, Laney. You were going to have your guard up, especially under the circumstances, and we cleared the air with all that last night, right?”
I offer her a small smile. “Yeah, we did.”
We sit in silence for a moment, neither of us quite sure what to say next. The quiet is broken by the buzz of the intercom.
“That’ll be Ivy,” Ash says, giving me a small smile as she gets up.
She leaves me in the living room and crosses to the door to let her in. I settle back into the sofa, tucking my legs beneath me and taking a sip of my drink. A few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door, followed by a whirlwind of energy as a stunning brunette strides in.
“I brought wine!” she announces, holding up a bottle of red like it’s a trophy. She sets it down on the breakfast bar and makes a beeline for me. “You must be Laney,” she says warmly. “I’m Ivy.”
Before I can respond, she plops down beside me and pulls me into a hug. I blink in surprise but can’t help laughing as I hug her back.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ivy,” I say as we pull apart.
“You too.” She grins. “Ash told me you’ve got a date tonight.” She wiggles her brows, and I can’t help but laugh again.
