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But it wasn’t just any guy, was it? It was Ash Talmadge. He’d hurt me before, but as he’d said, we’d never really taken a shot at this. I couldn’t give that up. Not when it was what I’d always wanted.
“And speaking of men in your life,” my mom said with a shrewd smile, “have you spoken with your father recently?”
I groaned. Ash was one thing, but my dad too? All in one conversation?
“Amelia,” she admonished, “he’s still your dad.”
“Kathy said the same thing. She wants me to come over. To try to make up with him, but we never even had a falling out. He should put in effort too.”
“He should,” my mom agreed. “We both know he’s not that good with communication.” I scoffed. That was an understatement. “But you’re his little girl. I know he misses you.”
“I shouldn’t have to reach out to him if he won’t reach out to me. I don’t have to continue to deal with generational trauma that has nothing to do with me,” I told her.
My dad was the only subject that got me this riled.
She smiled softly. “You’re so stubborn, my Mia. Just like him.”
“I’m not like him.”
“You are in so many ways. Which is why you two are still butting heads when Derek has let it go. You caught his stubborn streak.”
I didn’t like that comparison one bit. Even if it was true.
“He knows where I live and where I work. He can make an effort.”
My mom held her hands up. “Peace, Mia. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I’m just being a mom.”
“Why would you even want me to talk to him? You hate him!”
She shook her head. “I’ve never hated him, Amelia. We were just incompatible. We should have ended it before we did. It’s a blessing that you don’t remember the arguments.”
But I did.
Derek and I both did. The fighting matches before Mom had finally up and left. It had been so much. And then I felt guilty that I was glad they’d divorced so it would stop. Then, when I’d found out Dad had cheated, that guilt had turned to fury that he had ruined our lives like this. I still blamed him. I didn’t know how not to blame him.
“Just talk to him,” Mom said, patting my knee as Marina came back with waters.
“Here you go,” Marina said. She tossed one to me, and I caught it. Mom left at Marina’s return. “What was that about?”
I took a long pull of my water. “Dad.”
Marina wrinkled her nose. “Ugh.”
“Yeah. Parents can’t help but meddle.”
We changed the subject to the cute new guy at her work, and I tried to forget about my mom’s words. By the time we made it back to the dock, a little more sunburned than before, I wasn’t sure how successful I’d been.
Ash wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we headed back to his Range Rover. “That was a great day.”
“Besides my burn.”
He laughed. “Yeah, besides that. Do you want to go out tonight?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Well, Nolan texted me and invited me to a party.”
“Party?” Marina asked excitedly as she came up behind us. “I love a good party. Who is throwing it?”
“Nolan,” Ash said without having any knowledge of how that would make Marina react.
“Oh,” she said. “Well, have fun.”
“Come with us,” I pleaded. “Bring Mel.”
“No interest in Nolan Holden.”
“We can dress you really sexy and make him wish he still had you.”
Ash coughed. “Wait, you dated Nolan?”
“Date is not the right word,” she grumbled.
“Come on, Rina. It’s our last night in town.”
Marina sighed. “Fine, but I’m not talking to him.”
“Done.”
Ash arched an eyebrow at me. “What’s that all about?”
“Honestly, I have no idea.” I bit my lip, second-guessing all of this now that it looked real. “It won’t be weird that I’m doing business with him and showing up at his party?”
“Nah, he’s an old friend. It’ll be fine.”
“If you say so.”
Then, he kissed me again, and I forgot all about my concerns.
17
Charleston
Present
“Nope, nope, nope,” Marina said, trying to turn around and head back to the car.
Ash and I both grabbed her to stop her from running away.
“Rina,” I pleaded, “we’re already here.”
“And y’all have a great time. I’ll come back later and pick you up even.”
“What about this changes anything?” Ash asked.
We all glanced up at the enormous yacht in the harbor. It practically looked like a cruise ship. The thing had balconies and tiers and dancing women in thong bikinis hanging off the sides. It was … elaborate, and I’d grown up with wealth. Ash had a yacht that was huge, but it didn’t rival this thing.
“Doesn’t it change everything?” Marina grumbled. “It’s just so … ostentatious.”
That was probably true, but it was also awesome. And we were going to a party on it.
