Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Natalie
Warm sunlight touched my face as I hovered near sleep.
I didn’t want to get out of bed yet. I wanted to stay in this cozy nest forever.
I pulled the down duvet up around my chin and nestled deeper.
The past few weeks with Ash had been the best of my life.
I don’t know what I had done to deserve him, but I was incredibly grateful.
I reached behind me to touch him and came up empty.
Turning, I glanced at the vacant spot on the bed.
His pillow was still slightly dented from where his head had been.
Since I’d returned to Hollow Peak, we hadn’t spent a single night apart.
Now I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
The idea of returning to New York, even just for a few days, seemed awful.
Maybe I could sweet-talk him into coming with me to pack up my stuff, and we could make a little trip out of it.
Pushing back the covers, I flexed my toes to stretch out the muscles before hopping out of bed. I grabbed one of Ash’s huge T-shirts and pulled it over my head with a smile on my face. I knew exactly what seeing me in his shirt would do to him, so I didn’t bother with any underwear.
After quickly brushing my teeth and combing my hair, I went in search of my man.
I found him standing at the kitchen counter, knife in hand, and a pile of vegetables lined up beside him.
When he saw me, he smiled, then his nostrils flared as his gaze trailed down my body.
“I don’t remember saying you could wear my shirt. ”
I stopped beside him and cocked my hip out to the side. “What are you going to do about it?”
Suddenly he grabbed my hips and hoisted me into the air. Tomatoes and onions rolled into the sink as he shoved them out of the way before setting my ass on the counter. I hissed out a breath when the cold quartz touched my naked flesh.
Ash stepped between my legs. Firm hands gripped my thighs as he pushed my knees wider. “Naughty girl,” he growled as he shoved my T-shirt up, exposing my naked body.
“I like to think of it as being helpful.” I batted my eyelashes at him.
He trailed his hand down my stomach. “I’m changing the menu.” He pulled my ass to the edge of the counter as he dropped to his knees in front of me. “I’m having you for breakfast,” he growled.
I arched my back and shifted to give him a better angle.
The front door slammed, and I dimly registered Beth’s voice saying, “Take your shoes off,” a moment before a little voice yelled. “Uncle Ash, we’re here.”
“Oh my God,” I bolted upright and shoved my shirt back down at the same time Ash jumped up. His eyes wide, and I’m sure my face mirrored the horror I saw reflected on his.
I had barely jumped off the counter when Brady rounded the corner
“Hi, Uncle Ash,” Brady said
“Ugh, hi, buddy, I didn’t know you were coming over.” Ash ran a hand through his hair as if he expected it to be messed up.
“Mom said she had to talk to you.”
Beth rounded the corner with Charity in her arms and pulled up short when she saw me standing there. Her eyes widened in a look of shock that quickly morphed into hurt, then anger, all in the space of a heartbeat.
“I can’t fucking believe you,” she snarled.
“Mommy, you said a bad word,” Brady shrieked.
“Let’s go. We’re leaving.” Beth held out her hand toward her son.
“Nooo,” the little boy whined, “we just got here. You said I could play with Walter.”
“It’s not up for discussion, Brady. We’re leaving.”
“Beth, come on,” Ash tried to cajole his sister, but I knew from the look on her face it wouldn’t work. She was pissed, but more than that, she was hurt.
She pointed a finger at her brother. “Don’t talk to me.” She spun and glared and me. “And you. You piece of—”
“Beth,” Ash growled and nodded his head toward her son.
She looked at one child, then the other, and turned on her heel and stomped toward the front door.
“Beth,” Ash called.
I put my hand on his arm to stop him from going after her. “Let me go. It’s me she’s mad at.”
“You want me to come with you?” he asked. “We both made this decision. You shouldn’t have to face her alone.”
“No, it needs to be me.”
I quickly made my way after her. She glared at me through the back window as she strapped Charity into her car seat.
“Beth,” I stopped at the edge of the car.
“No.” She slammed the car door and went around to the other side to finish buckling in Brady.
“Mommy why are you mad?” the little boy asked.
She glared at me then turned back to her son. “Because Uncle Ash and Natalie are liars.”
Brady gasped. “They lied?”
“They did.”
“Why’d you lie?” Brady asked from the back seat.
Oh God. This was awful. “I didn’t mean to lie.”
“It was an accident?” the little boy asked. The innocence of his question made my lie of omission feel so much worse.
“Umm...”
Beth turned and glared at me. “Don’t you dare lie to my kid,” she snarled.
“I wasn’t going to.” I chewed my bottom lip as I glanced at the two little ones in the backseat of her car. “Can you close the door? I really don’t want to have this conversation like this.”
I wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but thankfully she finally shut the door and stepped forward.
My feet felt glued to the driveway, and I didn’t seem to be able to take a step toward her.
My heart pounded in my chest. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little afraid.
Not because I thought she’d hit me or anything.
Okay, maybe I was a little afraid of that too.
But mostly because I didn’t have a clue what she would do.
I’d never seen her this angry before in my life.
I’d expected her to be a little unhappy, but nothing like this.
Beth glanced at the kids in the backseat, then faced me. She widened her stance and shook her head as if I disgusted her. “I can’t believe you’re willing to throw away our friendship for a fling with my brother.”
My stomach knotted. “I didn’t realize I was.”
“How could you not? I told you the first time I met you my brother was off limits.”
“Come on, Beth. We were twelve years old. You can’t really expect that stupid pact to still hold.
” Could she? Judging by the pissed-off look on her face, she thought so.
“I didn’t honestly think you still cared.
I mean, you’ve been teasing me about your brother since I got here.
I didn’t realize it would bother you this much. ”
“How could you not?” she demanded.
“I don’t know because we aren’t twelve anymore, calling dibs on a boy we like.” I gaped at her. Was she kidding me right now? “You married Brian. I kind of assumed it didn’t matter since we’re adults now.”
“Please tell me Ash is not the reason you’re thinking of staying,” she snarled.
“Not entirely…” Was Ash a factor? Of course he was.
Beth snorted. “I never thought you’d be one of those girls.” With a disdainful sneer, Beth looked my body up and down. Damn it, I wish I wasn’t standing out here in nothing but Ash’s T-shirt. “But I guess I should have. You’ve always been so desperate to be loved and accepted.”
Ouch.
Pain lanced through me and I sucked in air as the jab stole my breath. Is that really what she thought of me? I thought we were friends. What the hell was happening here? Where was this coming from?
I closed my eyes and took a breath. I’d never seen this side of Beth before. It was like every venomous feeling she had about her life was now directed at me.
“You don’t have anything to say?” Beth growled.
“Nothing nice.” I replied honestly.
I wanted to lash out at her like she’d just done to me, but I didn’t want to stoop to her level. That wasn’t who I was. Or at least I tried really hard not to be. “I’m going to leave before we say something we can’t come back from.”
“That already happened when you screwed my brother.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” And I was. Would I have allowed myself to cross that line with Ash if I’d known my friendship with Beth would be over? Probably not. But I couldn’t regret it. This was Ash. He was everything I’d ever wanted and so much more than I’d ever dreamed I could have.
Before I’d even made it off the driveway, I heard Beth’s car door slam. Putting a physical barrier between us that I was afraid we’d never come back from.
Was she right, and I was the kind of woman who’d betray a friend for a man?
Compromise who I was and what I stood for?
No, I absolutely wasn’t. And it hurt that she thought I was.
It’s not like I was throwing my career away for some guy.
I was ready for a change. Beth’s derision hurt, probably more than it should.
When I stepped inside, Ash opened his arms, and I walked right into them. “That went well,” I muttered.
“From where I’m standing, she doesn’t get to be pissed off. She married one of my best friends.”
I winced. “Considering they’re divorced, I don’t know that we want to go there.” I smiled sadly. “And you guys aren’t friends anymore.”
“That’s because he’s a cheating dickhead who broke my sister’s heart, not because they got together.”
“Maybe that’s part of Beth’s problem. Misplaced anger.”
“You planning on breaking my heart?” he teased.
“Definitely not. You’re stuck with me now. But maybe what happened with Brian is skewing things a bit.”
He wrapped his arms tighter around me, holding me closer. “But I’m not Brian and you’re not my sister. Their relationship was complicated.”
“And ours isn’t?”
“Not the same thing at all.” He traced his thumb across my cheek. “I am so crazy about you. I think we’re both old enough to know that what this is between us is rare. I’m not letting anyone, including my sister, get in the way of this. Are you?”
“No, I’m not.” I sighed. “I just wish it didn’t have to be like this.”
“Me too, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “Me too.”