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“I didn’t end this last time.” Jaron pinched my chin. “I’m ending this now. You and I have enough shit to deal with on our own. We don’t need Ashton’s jealousy or whatever it is that he’s dealing with, added to it.” He released me and leaned against the wall, waiting for Ashton to come out of the bathroom.
“Fine…just…”
Jaron’s hard gaze met mine. “What?”
I waited for Ashton to come back out into the hall, standing my ground. This shit needed to end.
“Piper.”
“I got this,” I told Jaron.
The door opened, revealing Ashton. “Problem?”
“I never came to see you all because I was upset. I missed Jaron and had to raise his baby on my own. Not that I need to explain anything to you. But you could have called, Ashton. You could have even shown up and checked up on me. But you never did. So this isn’t just my fault.” I stabbed a finger into his chest. “So stop being a dick.” Not waiting for him to respond, I spun on my heel and headed down the hall. “Don’t kill him. Whatever you do,” I called out and left Jaron to deal with the guy I had once considered a friend, but now, I wasn’t so sure.
***
(Jaron)
Ashton watched Piper head down the hall.
I cleared my throat.
He slowly looked my way. “We doing this now, fucker?”
Stepping toe-to-toe with him, I grabbed hold of his shirt and shoved him back into the bathroom. Kicking the door closed, I spun him, and pushed him up against it. “What the fuck is your deal?”
His brows narrowed, a tinge of red hitting his cheeks. “You broke her heart. You left and she ignored all of us. People who love her. Her family. I hardly know your fucking kid because of this shit.”
“I didn’t leave because I wanted to, Ashton.” I got in his face, our noses mere inches apart. I was so damn close, I could see the gray specks in his blue eyes. “You know I didn’t.”
“That’s the thing, Jaron,” he spat. “I don’t know shit. Sure, we’ve had our issues but…”
“What?”
“I thought we were friends,” he muttered.
I laughed, pushing away from him and moving to the other side of the bathroom. “Have we ever been friends? I wanted Piper. I wanted her this whole time and yet, you and your brother were always in the way. It was like you knew.”
Ashton crossed his arms under his broad chest. “I saw the way you watched her. I used to tell Aiden that we had to make our move before you did. And even though we did make our move, you were still able to do something better.”
“Oh?” I paused. “And what was that?”
“You made her fall in love with you.”
My blood stirred at that. Even though Piper and I had only just started confessing our feelings for one another, every time she told me she loved me, it brought out this force in me that I had never felt before. It was possessive and controlling. It was a darkness I craved.
“I don’t give a shit what you do or even say to me, but you need to show Piper that you are a friend. It’s not her fault that she’s been distant this whole time. It’s mine. And I know she’s a big girl and could have kept in touch but what happened…” My fists clenched at my sides. “It fucked her up.”
“I’ve always been a friend. And so has my brother.” Ashton took a step toward me. “It’s you who keeps getting in the way of that. And it’s her who stayed away this whole damn time.” He went to turn to open the door when I grabbed his arm.
“She’s been through hell, Ashton. None of this is her fault.”
“How can I believe that when I have no idea what the fuck is going on?” He shrugged me off of him, left the bathroom, and started walking down the hall.
“Have you ever thought that maybe it’s none of your damn business? Or that if you asked her nicely, she would tell you? No. Probably not because you’re too damn jealous that it’s not you and your brother who she’s fucking anymore.”
Ashton spun on me. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”
