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“Sending him away?”
“Yeah. Apparently, Lincoln didn’t take too kindly to growing up in Gregory’s shadow.”
“What else did he say?”
“Not a lot.” Ashton shrugs. “Cade isn’t one to talk about the heavy stuff.”
“Did he ever talk about his childhood?”
“No, why?” It’s his turn to frown.
“No reason.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” He studies my face.
“Nothing. You were saying you overheard Phillip and Lincoln?”
“Yeah.” Ashton runs a hand over his head and down the back of his neck. “It didn’t sound like a friendly meeting. I didn’t catch much, but they were definitely talking about Cade.”
“You think Lincoln knows where he is?”
“I think we both know where he is, Mia. Cade is close by.” He glances around, and my heart ratchets.
But I’m safe here.
I’m safe.
And strangely, I do feel safe with Ashton. Not that I’ll ever tell him. But there’s a silent truce between us. And he believes me.
There’s a huge relief in that. In knowing that not everyone thinks I’ve lost my mind.
I can’t deny that it stings that it’s Ashton sitting here, though, and not Bexley.
“Yeah,” I whisper. He’s right, I feel it in my bones. Maybe I have been seeing him in places he doesn’t exist, but it’s only because I feel him here still. Cade never left.
He won’t until he’s fulfilled whatever vendetta he has.
“Have you tried to talk to Phillip?” I ask.
Ashton snorts. “You underestimate our relationship. My stepdad,” he spits the word, “might love my mom, but his feelings are less than warm toward me.”
“You’re an easy person to hate,” I say honestly.
But Ashton barks a laugh. “You know, in another life, I think you and me could have been friends, maybe even—"
“Don’t even go there. Just because we’ve called this weird truce for now, doesn’t mean I’ll ever forget what you did to me and Bexley.”
“Noted.” His expression hardens, but I feel none of his usual malice.
“We’re missing something,” he adds. “I don’t know what, but the way Lincoln was talking to Phillip… I don’t like it. He sounded… scared.”
“Lincoln?”
“No.” Ashton’s eyes meet mine, and a chill runs down my spine. “Phillip.”
* * *
Channing and Sasha give me a ride back to the house. Bexley is still off doing whatever it is he’s doing.
