Mafia Rules (Mafia King #1)

32. SASHA

32

SASHA

I push the door closed behind Eve, hearing the satisfying thud as the latch engages. Did I feel good about what I just did? My stomach burns with a mixture of guilt and exhilaration. No, I didn’t. But I couldn’t give in to her. Ash deserves better. She’d never be good enough for him. I return to the bedroom and pick up the clothes on the floor just as the bathroom door opens.

“Was there a female here?” Hardy asks, a towel barely concealing his muscular, water-slicked body.

“No,” I reply. No one needs to know she’s here.

“Where’s Ash?” A subtle shift in Hardy's posture signals he’d heard something. He looks around the room, a question mark written across his features.

“He’s out for a walk. I don’t think he wanted to be alone with me.” I cross my arms and sit on the bed with the clothes in my arms.

“Can’t blame him,” Hardy says as he picks up his clothes from the floor. “Thanks for the shower. I called down to let them know my shower wasn’t working.”

I respond with a nod. A tiny prickle of guilt, like a barely felt pinprick, still stings.

“You can’t still be in love with him, Sasha? You fucking ended it.” Hardy casually tosses his towel onto the floor before slipping into his boxers.

“Can you do that in your room?” I turn away, not wanting to see more of him than I had to.

“It’s just a dick, Sasha.” Ignoring my presence, Hardy continues to get dressed, the fabric rustling against his skin as he casually exposes himself to me.

“I still don’t need to see it,” I say, my hands shielding my eyes.

“You didn’t answer my question.” With a grunt, Hardy wrestles his shirt over his head, muttering, "I'm decent again."

I get up from the bed, unsure if I want to answer him. I wasn’t sure of my feelings for Ash. I just knew how I felt when I was around him. Weakened with a wave of nostalgia, back when we were together. “He was my first love.”

“Yeah, and we all know how that ended.” Hardy stands next to the dresser, his wet towel still in his hand. “It’s better for the both of you to move on, Sash.”

He’s not wrong. But I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't the end for Ash and me yet. And I sure as hell wouldn’t step aside for Eve.