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What are they doing here?
Archer pulls his SUV up beside me, turning off the car before facing me, his arm hanging over his opened window as he stares at me blankly.
“What are you doing here, Archer?” I groan. George stands beside me, his hands folded in front of him as he acts like my bodyguard.
Little does he know, every one of these guys is more dangerous than George could ever imagine.
“You really think we’re going to let you meet with your parents by yourself after they shipped you away?” He slips from the front seat, walking over to me with power in his stride. He ignores George as if he doesn’t exist, stepping up to me and placing his hand on my waist. “You should’ve known we would be here.”
I feel relief roll through me at the same time unease zips down my spine. “I’m just having dinner with my parents.”
“No, you aren’t. You’re having dinner with all of us, because we’re here to stand up for you, baby,” Kyler says, slipping out of the car with a smirk on his face.
“I don’t believe Mr. and Mrs. Ashford will be too pleased about this,” George barks from beside me.
“Then maybe Mr. and Mrs. Ashford should take it up with our parents,” Creed growls.
George stiffens, and I know he hates when the guys pull their parents into it. All of our parents are friends. Good friends, and when one parent gets called into the mix, all the parents are there to fight. It’s fucking messy, and George knows it.
“Perhaps you can bring it up to Mr. and Mrs. Ashford on your own and see if they’ll be okay with you crashing their dinner party with their daughter, who they haven’t seen in eleven months,” George clips.
Creed steps toward George. “That’s their own doing. Maybe they shouldn’t have shipped her across the country.”
A dark shadow slips into my vision, and I glance over, seeing Reign walk up to me with an unreadable expression.
“Reign Whitmore? Now here’s a face I hoped I’d never see again,” George snaps, looking flabbergasted. “You most definitely will not be welcome to dinner.”
A fierceness fills my blood. I hate Reign, but he’s mine to hate. Not theirs. “They don’t have a say.”
George’s eyes turn toward mine. “This is getting a little ridiculous, Lakyn. Your parents called for you, not a party.”
Reign comes to stand next to me. So close, I can feel the heat of his body radiate into me. His shoulder brushes mine, and it’s as if he’s slipped into my lungs and pulled my breath out with his bare fingers.
George looks flustered and put out as he stands in front of me. Then his eyes flip to mine, ignoring Reign altogether. “It appears to me your time in Montana has taught you nothing, Lakyn.”
My nose tilts up. “My time in Montana has taught me one thing, and that’s to not trust a fucking soul, even my own family.”
“Hey,” Archer snaps. “What the fuck, Lake?”
Reign tenses beside me.
I spin away from them, feeling the tension building, and not in the mood to get into it here.
“Lakyn! Fucking stop!” Archer barks, and I can hear the shuffle of all their feet as they race after me.
I race up the long, wide stone steps before the front door. Before I can reach it, I hear the click of the lock, and the double doors swing open, my father standing right in the middle. My heels dig in, and I right myself as we come face to face. We stare at each other, and I can do nothing but watch him, memorizing his features. How he’s still the same, but how much he’s changed.
His sharp jawline clenches as his eyes rove over my face, taking me in as well.
I wonder what he sees. Is it the jaded girl who he tore from her bed, or is it someone stronger, someone who he could never break down again, that stands in front of him?
“Dad,” I murmur. My hand twitches, and I can’t tell whether I want to hit him or hug him. He’s my father, and he raised me. I can’t help the weakness that turns my bones to mush. I love my dad, and even though both him and my mom are complete assholes, all I’ve ever wanted is for them to love me. It’s unfortunate they love their career more than they do me.
“Lakyn,” he grumbles, keeping his hand on the doorframe. “Glad you could find the time to make it to dinner.”
My brow furrows, and I tilt my head to the side. Like I even had a choice in the matter? His eyes slip over my head, and his mouth twists in displeasure. “Lakyn…”
“Nice to see you again, Mr. Ashford. Thanks for lying about where Lakyn was all this time,” Kyler snaps as he walks up the steps, turning to the side so he can slip past my father.
