Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ashlyn
“Ithink I might skip Eden tonight,” I tell Paisley, Ivy, and Taylor as we step out of Franco’s, having just said goodbye to Sophie.
“Oh, no. Ash, please come,” Paisley says. “I won’t let Nash be a jerk.”
“It’s not about Nash,” I lie. “It’s just been a long day.”
“You have to come,” Ivy begs.
“One drink, Ash. Please,” Taylor says, taking my hand in hers. “We don’t even have to sit with the guys.”
I laugh. “Yeah, right. Like Seb and Nash would ever let you and Paisley sit anywhere other than with them.”
She waves off my comment. “We’ll sneak in. They won’t even notice. Please?”
She bats her eyelashes dramatically and, despite myself, I chuckle. “Fine! One drink. Then I’m going home.”
She grins triumphantly, and with her hand still wrapped around mine, she tugs me down the sidewalk toward Eden, Paisley and Ivy trailing close behind.
The place is packed, and we weave our way through the crowd toward the bar. Suddenly, Taylor stops short, and I crash straight into her back.
“Taylor!” I exclaim. “What are you doing?”
She spins around, a huge grin on her face.
“What’s going on?” Paisley asks from behind us.
“Look.” Taylor turns and gestures toward a booth across from the bar. I follow her gaze, my mouth dropping open in shock.
Ben is sitting there, laughing and drinking with three of my four brothers.
I tear my eyes away from the guys and turn to Paisley and Taylor. “Did you know about this? Why is he here with them?”
Paisley laughs. “I have no idea.”
“Me neither,” Taylor adds, looking just as surprised as I feel.
“Maybe they’ve called a truce,” Ivy suggests.
I glance back, my eyes locking with Ben’s across the crowded room. The moment he sees me, his face lights up with a smile, and he beckons me over.
“Come on. Let’s find out what’s going on,” Paisley says, linking her arm with mine and steering me toward Ben.
I don’t resist, though uncertainty twists in my stomach.
I want to believe, after seeing Ben with my brothers, that something has changed, and they’re finally ready to accept our relationship, but it just seems a little unbelievable.
“Hey,” Ben says, rising from the table and pulling me gently into his arms. “How was Franco’s?”
I stare up at him with wide eyes. “What’s going on?” My gaze flicks from him to where Nash, Seb, and Wyatt now sit with Taylor, Paisley, and Ivy.
Ben grins. “Just having a drink with your brothers,” he says, throwing me a wink.
I roll my eyes. “I can see that. But how?”
He chuckles. “Nash invited me.”
Shock must be written all over my face because he laughs as I shake my head. “I don’t understand. Why?”
“Can I explain later? Right now, I just want to enjoy being here with you and your family.”
“Okay… but everything’s good? Even with Nash?”
His smile widens. “Everything’s good. Even with Nash.”
Relief washes over me, and for the first time tonight, I smile. I still want to know what changed Nash’s mind, but for now, just being here together without any tension or arguments feels like a dream come true.
Ben dips his head, brushing his lips against mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him back. Just as things start to heat up, Nash’s voice cuts through the moment.
“Alright, that’s enough. We might have made peace, but we don’t need a front-row seat to you two making out. Ash is still my baby sister.”
I pull away, resting my forehead against Ben’s. I know Nash means every word, but there’s a teasing edge in his tone; a side of him I haven’t seen before.
“Leave them alone,” Paisley chimes in. “They’re adorable.”
Nash doesn’t reply, but Ben chuckles, taking my hand and leading me to the booth. He slides in next to me as I turn to Wyatt.
“Hey, Wyatt,” I say, leaning in to hug him. “When did you get back?”
He hugs me tightly. “Yesterday. It’s good to see you, Ash.”
“You too.” I pull away as he gestures toward Ben.
“Where have you been hiding this guy? You know he’s my biggest fan, right?”
“I’m not sure that’s exactly what he said,” Seb quips with a laugh.
Wyatt waves him off. “He’s a Cardinals fan, which means he’s a me fan by default.”
Ben laughs, and I roll my eyes. “God, Wyatt, your ego never ceases to amaze me.”
Wyatt shrugs. “Just calling it like it is,” he says, taking a sip of his beer.
“Maybe Ben should settle this,” Seb suggests. “Who’s your favorite player?”
Ben shakes his head. “I don’t think I should get involved.”
“Ha!” Seb exclaims. “So, it’s not Wyatt!”
“How do you figure that?” Wyatt challenges.
“If it was you, he’d have said,” Seb explains.
I glance around the table, barely believing that we’re sitting here debating football. Just last week, Nash wouldn’t even acknowledge that Ben and I were dating, and now they’re drinking beer together.
Ben squeezes my hand, and I turn to him.
“You okay?” he whispers as Seb and Wyatt continue their banter.
“I’m more than okay,” I say, my heart full. “I don’t know how you pulled this off, but thank you.”
He smiles. “Anything for you.”
“You’re going to have to settle this, Ben,” Nash calls out. “If only to shut these two up.”
Ben makes a face at me before turning to Nash, and I laugh.
“I’m not sure I have a favorite player.”
“Ahh, cop out!” Seb shouts.
“Come on, Ben, just give us a name,” Nash presses.
“Alright, alright. Lewis Wright.”
“The quarterback?” Wyatt groans. “It’s always the quarterback.”
Ben chuckles. “He just seems like a good guy.”
“He is,” Wyatt admits. “That’s the annoying part.”
“I’ve met Lewis. He’s great,” Taylor chimes in.
“Is he the guy Seb thought was giving you his number, but he was actually showing you pictures of his newborn?” Paisley asks.
Taylor giggles. “Yep, that’s the one.”
“In my defense, you looked hot that night,” Seb says with a smirk. “I genuinely thought he was hitting on you.”
Taylor sticks her tongue out at him. “I was only talking to him because that cheerleader was draped all over you.”
Seb wraps an arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You know I wasn’t interested in her. Wyatt was the one trying to set me up.”
“Hey, don’t pin that on me,” Wyatt says, holding up his hands. “I had no idea you were sneaking around with Taylor. I just thought you were looking to get laid.”
“I wasn’t,” Seb confirms.
“Enough about Wyatt and his fan club,” I say loud enough for everyone to hear. “I need a drink.”
“Me too!” Paisley chimes in enthusiastically.
“I’ll get them,” Ben says, pressing a soft kiss to my lips before standing.
“I’ll go with you,” Seb offers, following him toward the bar.
As they disappear into the crowd, Paisley leans over and kisses Nash on the cheek.
“What was that for?” he asks, smiling.
“For accepting Ben and Ash,” she says simply.
Nash picks up his beer, draining the bottle before turning to me. “Ben did all the work,” he admits. “He cares about you, Ash.”
Warmth spreads through me. “I care about him too,” I say softly.
Paisley grins. “You once told me that the right guy wouldn’t be intimidated by you or your brothers. That he’d fight for her.” She glances at Nash. “You were right.”
I raise a brow. “When did he say that?”
“The first time he took me to your parents’ house,” she explains. “We were in the treehouse in the backyard. He told me the last time he’d been up there was when you took your prom date up.”
I laugh. “God, you were such an ass to Jay that night! You took him out in your patrol car. He didn’t talk to me for weeks.”
Nash shrugs. “He was only after one thing. He was a jerk.”
“He was just a kid.”
“So were you,” Nash counters.
“Fair point.”
“Anyway,” Paisley cuts in. “I told him he couldn’t arrest every guy you dated; not that he agreed with me.” She rolls her eyes, making us laugh. “That’s when he said the right guy would fight for you. And he did.”
“Ben showed up here looking for me. He mentioned how upset you were after the other night.” He looks at me apologetically. “I’m sorry for being such a jerk. I never meant to hurt you. I just want what’s best for you, Ash.”
I sigh, my voice soft. “I’ve always known that, Nash. But Ben really is a good guy.”
“I know,” he says, reaching past Paisley to squeeze my hand. “Look, do I wish he was younger? Yeah. Do I wish he wasn’t married?”
I start to protest, but Nash stops me with a gentle shake of his head.
“Wait, let me finish,” Nash continues. “I wish those things were different, but the fact is, he cares about you. He treats you right. And it took a hell of a lot of guts to come here and face me after the way I acted last week. I respect the hell out of him for that. As long as he never hurts you, we won’t have a problem. ”
Tears well in my eyes as I swallow the golf ball-sized lump in my throat. This past week has been rough, and I know Ben noticed. He saw through the smiles I tried to hide behind, and he fought for us, without asking for anything in return.
It means more than I can say.
Nights like this, surrounded by the people I love, is all I’ve ever wanted. And I still can’t believe it’s actually happening.