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Scottie’s message came thirty minutes ago, which means Ashlyn should get to the hotel soon. The all too familiar ache in my chest sharpens. When I walked away from her Monday night, I was pissed. My anger and pride took a beating, and it was only meant to be a breather before saying or doing something I’d regret. That’s why I spent the night working on her house after I called Stephanie.
Staying away from her yesterday had been hard, but for the best. There were a lot of balls in motion, and I had my part. Stephanie explained what was happening, Scottie gave me frequent updates, and Ashlyn’s messages kept coming.
When I walked into the bedroom last night and saw her finger wrapped, her explaining it was a sprain, all the anger came back. I shut down all attempts to talk, and she finally gave up, rolling into me until she fell asleep. Leaving her in bed this morning before daybreak killed. But it was necessary. She’ll understand soon enough.
The auto-lock on the door beeps, the click disengaging. Ashlyn walks in, and when she spots me goes pale, her hand flying to her mouth. Scottie reaches out to support her from behind.
I force myself to stay planted, giving her a second to comprehend what’s happening. Her hollow expression is loaded with apprehension before she takes a few hesitant steps in.
“Ashlyn.” I hold out my arms, and she launches forward at full force.
The instant she’s in my hold, I raise her off the ground and inhale deep. Her scent washes over me, setting my blood on fire and at the same time calming the clusterfuck of the last few days.
“What are you doing here?” Her question is guarded.
“Where else would I be?”
She grips my head, easing it from her neck to face her. “You… came here… for me?”
“Princess,” I cock my eyebrows, “you think I’d let you go through this alone?”
“Princess. I’m still your Princess?”
“Forever.”
Her lips quiver as tears pool in her eyes. “I thought I lost that.”
Fuck, that hurt.
“I’m leaving you two for a little while.” Scottie rolls her suitcase to the far side of the room. “One good thing about a five-hour delay in Atlanta is we’ve covered most everything. Redmond is in damage control mode. My network in the message room is hopping. I love a good shakedown.”
I glance over her shoulder and catch him before he gets out the door. “Meet us in the bar in an hour. We’ll regroup after you catch up on your end.”
“An hour? You have that,” he jerks back horrified, waving a hand at Ashlyn, “in your arms, and you only need an hour?”
Ashlyn sucks in a breath, whips her head around, and squeals, “Scottie! Inappropriate!”
“Telling the truth, Princess. A stud like him should have much more going for him. He’s ruining every dirty fantasy in my mind. Seriously, an hour? That’s all you got in you?”
“Should I worry you fantasize about my boyfriend? Don’t you have your own boyfriend?” Ashlyn slings back.
“Billy and I are committed, not blind. Everyone knows about Pierce and Darby. We figured it ran in the family and had high expectations for Miller.”
“I can assure you the expectations are nothing compared to the reality,” she defends.
I drop my head back to the ceiling and say a quick prayer for patience. “Scottie, I haven’t slept in two days, dragged my ass on a plane at daylight to get here and handle the shit going on, and need a little time with Ashlyn. Do you think you can give us some privacy and bust my balls over dinner?”
Her small laugh fills the room, and his eyes soften at the sweet sound. “Yeah, busting balls is a specialty of mine. It can wait a while. But it’s good to see she hasn’t lost her spunk. Gloomy Ashlyn is a total buzzkill.”
“Appreciate it, now maybe you can get some updates so we can get back home by the weekend.”
“On it.” He flicks his goodbye and shuts the door.
Ashlyn turns back, her eyes studying me closely. It’s apparent when realization dawns on her and things sink in. “Scottie wasn’t surprised you were here.”
“No, he wasn’t. He made my arrangements.”
“Which means Stephanie knows, too.”
My silence is my answer.
“When I woke up and you were gone, I thought… this was over.”
“Never.”
“You’re so angry with me.”
“I’m angry at a lot of things, but none of them you. When you fainted, I swear my heart stopped. Knowing he laid his hands on you cracked something inside me with a rage so severe, it was vicious. I couldn’t control my anger and took it out on you. That’s unacceptable. There are things I regret, and walking out on you Monday night is one of them. I’m so sorry, baby. I fucked up.”
“I deserved it,” she whispers.
“No, you didn’t. I had to clear my head.”
