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“Should we go there now?” I asked.
“Is that Amelia?” I heard his mom ask.
“Yeah, I’m at her house.”
“Tell her I said hello.”
Ash shot me a sheepish look. “My mom says hi.”
“Hi.”
He stepped away and listened for a minute. “She told me not to come up there. To stay where I’m at. She’d update me if anything happens.”
“You’re sure? I’ll go with you.”
“Mom said she invited her entire charity group over, and they’re praying in the waiting room. I don’t want to be around that. I …” He shook his head. “Can I just stay here?”
“Of course,” I said softly.
We went back to the TV show. The tension never really left Ash. He kept glancing at his phone to see if his mom had texted or called him. She sent periodic updates, but nothing had happened still. So, I pulled out the emergency ice cream, and we dug into the pint together.
“Is this butter pecan and pistachio?” he asked in disbelief.
“I … order a few pints from Leopold’s, and they make them special for me,” I said with a laugh.
“That is brilliant.”
“Nothing else compares.”
“Never,” he agreed.
As we dived in to the season finale, I couldn’t keep myself from yawning.
“Long day?” he asked.
“Yeah. Sorry,” I said as I lay down on the pillow and tucked my feet up. “The business is … flourishing. Which means long hours at the shop and not enough time to do everything.”
“That sounds like a good thing.”
“It is,” I agreed.
He was silent another minute and then said, “I wish things were always like this with us.”
“Let’s not,” I said again. “I don’t want to talk about us. I’ll get mad and kick you out, and you need me. I’m still here for you, but can we … just pretend?” I pleaded. “Just for one day?”
Ash looked like he wanted to say so much more. I had no idea what those words were that he kept locked behind his teeth, but he finally nodded.
I was glad. I couldn’t do that right now. He was always a part of my life here in Savannah, but I didn’t want to have to deal with all the years of baggage behind that statement. I could be here for him when his dad was sick, but I couldn’t discuss us at the same time.
At some point, I must have fallen asleep because I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Mia.”
I glanced up to see Ash still seated next to me. “Is everything okay? Your dad?”
“I haven’t heard, but …”
And what he was going to say became apparently clear as the door to my townhouse opened. I jumped to my feet. And in walked Mark Armstrong.
“Hey, babe. I got off early!”
Then, he stood frozen in the doorway.
“Mark, hey,” I said, trying to think of a way to fix this and finding no available option.
“What the fuck is this?” he snarled.
Panic set in, and my hands started shaking. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. I knew what was about to happen. I’d thought I’d have time to get Ash to the hospital. To find a way to tell Mark what was going on, but instead, I’d just avoided the situation and hoped it would all go away.
“Hey, man,” Ash said. He came to his feet and held his hand out. “I don’t know that we’ve officially been introduced.”
“I don’t need to be fucking introduced to you,” Mark said. “I know what the fuck you’re doing here.”
Ash balked at the way Mark was talking and chanced a glance at me.
“It’s nothing,” I said hastily. “Ash’s dad had a heart attack. He’s in surgery.”
“So, what the fuck is he doing here? Fucking you while he waits?”
I winced at the words. “No.”
“She’s my oldest friend, man. Nothing happened.”
“I don’t fucking need a word from you,” Mark growled. “You should get the fuck out of here before I punch you.”
Ash ignored Mark and faced me. “Come to the hospital with me. We should probably go.”
“I …” I whispered uncertainly.
“Amelia,” Mark said, “what the fuck?”
“It’s not what it looks like,” I said again. “I swear we were just eating pizza and watching TV.”
“So, it was a date, not just fucking,” Mark accused. He’d taken another step toward me aggressively, and he was nearly in my face.
“Dude, back off,” Ash said.
“Ash, don’t,” I whispered.
Mark laughed in his face. “You think you’re so fucking tough. I know everything about you. I know that you’re a piece of shit who got left at the altar and for good reason.”
Ash looked like he was going to throw a punch. But I grabbed his arm and jerked him backward.
“Stop.” I repeated, “Just stop.”
I stepped around Ash and went to Mark. “Please, you know I would never do anything with anyone when I’m with you. Not ever.”
“I don’t know that. I know that you’ve been in love with him, and then he’s fucking here.”
