“Then what the hell was that?” she fires back, her voice sharp.
Ben squeezes my hand, drawing my attention. “Do you want to leave?” he murmurs.
I nod.
Ben clears his throat. “Look, I think everyone needs to cool off, and right now, the best way for that to happen is if Ash and I head out.”
My mom looks heartbroken, and I immediately drop Ben’s hand to wrap her in a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” I whisper. She nods, holding me tightly before finally letting go.
I return to Ben, slipping my hand back into his, and we start toward the door. Just as we reach it, Ben suddenly stops.
“It’s not hard to guess what was said while I was out of the room,” he says, turning to face everyone. “But you should all know how much Ash means to me. I fought my feelings for her for months. Choosing to be together wasn’t easy for either of us. We knew we’d face… challenges. But no matter what, she’s worth it. Every obstacle, every doubt.”
Without waiting for a response, he leads us out of the room. I let him, his words playing over and over in my mind. My heart still aches from Nash’s outburst, but Ben’s declaration is a reminder. We’re in this together, and he’ll fight just as hard as I will for what we have.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Ben
My hand stays firmly in Ash’s grasp as we leave the dining room, all eyes following us in stunned silence. She snatches her bag from the entryway, and together, we step onto the porch. As we descend the steps, I pause at the bottom, tilting my head back to take a deep breath. After the stifling tension inside, the cool air is a relief, and I feel like I can finally breathe again.
Beside me, Ash exhales a shaky sigh, and I glance down at her. I don’t need words to understand the emotion in her tear-filled eyes. I release her hand and pull her into my arms, holding her close against my chest.
“Why don’t Nash and Cade want me to find the same kind of love they’ve found with Paisley and Sophie?” she murmurs.
I take a deep breath, tightening my hold on her.
She leans back, her eyes searching mine. “They say they care about me, but it didn’t feel that way tonight.”
I sigh. “No, baby. It didn’t.”
My heart aches for her. I’d been uneasy about tonight, and unfortunately, I’d been right to be.
“It’ll be okay, Ash,” I whisper.
I lower my head and press a soft kiss to her lips.
“Let’s go back to your place,” I say. “I just want to curl up on your sofa, put on a cheesy rom-com, and make out with you.”
She lets out a small laugh, her smile replacing the tears, and relief washes over me.
“I like the sound of that.”
I press a quick kiss to her nose. “Good. I’ll follow you back.”
It’s a short drive from Ash’s parents’ house, and within minutes, we pull up outside her apartment. She stays quiet during the brief elevator ride, her silence speaking volumes. I know she’s replaying every moment of tonight and overanalyzing every word.
I squeeze her hand. “Don’t torture yourself, baby.”
She frowns slightly, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. “What?” she asks absently.
As the elevator doors slide open, we step out, still hand in hand.
“You’re thinking about what Nash and Cade said, wondering if you could have handled it differently. You couldn’t. Don’t beat yourself up.”
Her eyes search mine. “How did you know?”
I smile. “Lucky guess. Let’s try to put it behind us, at least for tonight.”
