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“Give it up, Ashlynn. It’s not gonna happen.”
Wrenching away from his touch, she stepped back and wiped at her cheeks angrily. “I deserve so much better.”
Lawson said nothing in reply, but it didn’t matter. She was gone before silence could fill the space between them.
Ashlynn
He was wrong. He was all wrong about her. Aboutthem.
She forced her way through the crowd, not bothering to apologize to anyone whom she bumped with her shoulders as she headed for the exit. She wanted to scream, but she held back her frustration.Barely.
The moment she was outside, she halted abruptly, filling her lungs with the cool, winter air. It did nothing to calm the emotions that were boiling uncontrollably inside of her. She glanced over her shoulder, knowing she wouldn’t see him but looking for him anyway. The image of Lawson’s face—cold and distant—broke her heart. A knot lodged itself in her throat, and she bit back a sob as she shifted her attention toward the parking lot. Her feet followed the direction of her gaze.
No sooner had she closed herself into the driver’s seat of her vehicle than she let out a growl of sheer annoyance.Nothingwas going the way it was supposed to go. She’d mourned her best friend, she’d taken a good look at her life, and she did everything she could think of to find the happiness she craved.
She was beautiful, and she knew it. She was smart and fun. Lawson had once appreciated those qualities, but somehow they were no longer enough. Sure, she could go out and find another guy. She’d done it plenty of times before. Catch and release was a game she’d played often—but she wasn’t that woman anymore. Not since Lawson left. She didn’t want anyone else.
It took too long for her to figure it out, but she’d done it. She’d sacrificed her pride, she’d given up her life, she’d started over forhim. How he couldn’t see that—why he didn’t appreciate it—she couldn’t understand.
She was so tired of being misunderstood.
She wasn’t just a pretty face and a great lay, but the way Lawson kept brushing her off made it apparent that was all he saw when he looked at her. She was so much more. All she needed was a chance toshowhim. Except, Ashlynn didn’t know how—not when he kept saying the same things over and over.
‘I’ve moved on.’
‘I have a family.’
‘There is noyou and me.’
He was wrong. He was all wrong. She just needed to prove it.
This was a matter of life and death.
She’d seen death. She’d felt it.
Now, she was running from it.
She was ready tolive—and not just any life, but a damn near perfect one.
Closing her eyes, she let out a breath as she allowed her tears to fall. She rested her head against the back of the seat and searched for the strength she’d been trying so hard to hold onto; the strength to go after what she wanted—what sheneeded. She couldn’t give up. She wouldn’t. She knew now more than ever before how precious life was. To give up wasn’t an option.
At the sound of car doors opening and closing nearby, Ashlynn sat up, opened her eyes, and wiped away her tears. She needed to regroup. She needed to clear her mind.
She needed a new game plan.
Then she saw them. Nora-Jean and their daughter, walking hand in hand across the parking lot. They weren’t alone. Lawson’s brother and a woman accompanied them, but Ashlynn hardly paid them any mind. Staring at Nora-Jean holding the little girl’s hand, Ashlynn knew what she needed to do. In an instant, she knew how she could win Lawson back. All she had to do was show him she could be more. She could be his everything.
She could be the mother of his children, and they could be a family.
Nora recognized Finn, who was posted at the entrance of the distillery behind the check-in table. She offered him a wave as Steele paid for three adult day passes, and he dipped his chin in a silent reply, a small smile tugging at one side of his mouth.
“I was thinkin’ we could go find Jay first, see what her line is lookin’ like, and then we can wander around. She said she was doing walk-ins this mornin’, but she’s booked all afternoon. Is that okay?” asked Mitzi as their group of four made their way into the busy venue.
Nora looked around, taking in their surroundings while simultaneously searching for Lawson.
“I think that sounds good,” Steele replied, wrapping his arm around Mitzi’s shoulders.
“Bestie?” She peeked over at Nora even as she cozied into her man’s side.
