AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Who me?” I try to joke.
“Oh my God, I was joking!” Wren gives me a playful shove.
“I missed that?” Elle says, topping our glasses up.
Cindy and Ty are having a quiet discussion amongst themselves as Elle leans in.
“Mads stopped off for a quickie on the way here,” Wren splutters.
“Wren!” I give her a shove right back.
“Mads! What the hell, where?” Elle is just as eager as Wren to hear the details.
“You two need to get out more!” I joke.
“No way, we just need to know what the hell Ashton is packing,” Wren laughs, taking a large sip of wine. Clearly, the lunch they ate is doing nothing to soak up the alcohol.
“He’s packing just fine, and we had a quickie at the stadium,” I say nonchalantly, like it’s the most normal thing in the world to be doing.
“In the stadium!” Elle cries with delight.
Ty and Cindy both look up at us. I smile sweetly and then try to shush her when they resume their discussion. “Let the entire world know,” I mutter sarcastically.
“He’s gotta be good, right?” Wren asks.
“Like he wouldn’t be.” Elle giggles her head off. I think the wine is going to her head, too, but I’m glad to see them having a good time.
“Yes, he’s good,” I whisper. “The best I’ve ever had.”
“This is fantastic news.” Wren smiles with glee. “I’m happy for you, sweetie. You deserve a good guy who knows how to?—”
Ashton comes back to the table, and as I look up, I see something is wrong on his face, something very, very wrong. He’s pale and looks as though he’s just seen a ghost.
I jump up immediately. “Ash, are you okay?”
He reaches for my hand but doesn’t really look at me. “I need to talk to you outside,” he says.
I glance at my friends briefly. They look as concerned as I do. Ty gets up out of his seat.
“You okay, Ashton?”
“It’s my Dad,” he says. I look down at his hands holding his cell. They’re trembling.
Oh god, something has happened. Something really bad.
“What’s happened?” I ask as he steps back and I steer him away from the table a little.
“He was in an accident,” he says, looking down at me hazily.
“Ashton, oh my God.” I hear my friends stirring behind me but keep my eyes focused on him.
“I need to get out of here,” he tells me quietly. “Like, now.”
I nod. “Yes, of course.”
“I’ve got to get back to Seattle,” he says, glancing over at Tyler briefly. “I don’t know if he’s going to make it.”
“We can get you to the airport.” I hear Tyler behind us. “We have a hire car.”
