by Reese, K. R.
Ashlee rested her hands on the table. She could only look at Adam. “I’ve learned to cope with it in my own way. It may not be the correct way, but is there ever a right way to go about these things? I’m trying… Trying so hard to move on with my life like Nathan wanted me to, but it’s hard.” The tears began forming in her eyes and she stood up. Damn it. There were things she couldn’t and wouldn’t share with Adam, but she couldn’t leave him hanging either. “Listen, I can’t talk about anymore of this right now. I need to go talk to Michael. I can give you a ride to a hotel close to where I live and we’ll meet up tomorrow. Is that okay?”
She watched as he pulled his wallet out and paid for his food. “That’s fine. Come on.” As they walked out of the airport, Ashlee kept looking for any sign that Michael was still waiting for her. She didn’t see him anywhere, though. They got into her Jeep and it was silent for a while.
“So, is Michael your boyfriend?” Ashlee looked over at Adam for a minute before staring back at the road. She sighed.
“He’s not my boyfriend. We’re working some things out right now. But, I do like him and he’s the first guy I’ve even gave a second glance since Nathan. As I said, I’m trying, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”
“I’m not judging. It’s good that you’re trying to move on. I take it he doesn’t know about Nathan, though. He didn’t take kindly to the news of your fiancé. I guess I could’ve worded that differently. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “It isn’t your fault. Michael and I just haven’t discussed all our past yet. If I’m being honest, I haven’t shared anything about Nathan except for to Ella. She’s the first person I opened to, and it took two years before I did. You know,” She had to clear her throat. “I wasn’t sure that Michael was serious about having a relationship. He doesn’t have the, um, perfect relationship history. As much as I know about him, he’s more of a one-night stand kind of guy.” She pulled into the hotel parking lot. “This is it. I know it isn’t fancy, but it’s close. Here’s my number. Text me whenever you’re ready to meet up tomorrow.”
Adam turned in his seat to look at her. “Maybe bring Michael along so I can meet him? That’s if you’re comfortable with it. I don’t think of you as any less than my sister, even if Nathan isn’t here. You were always there while I was growing up.”
That made her smile. “Yeah, I’ll talk to him. I don’t know how our conversation is going to go now, but I’ll work it out.”
“I’m sorry again, Ash. I’ll text you.”
Adam leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Take care of yourself, please.”
Chapter Ten
“Michael, I know you’re in there! The receptionist told me this was your room! Let me in or I’m going to find something to beat down this door and then you’ll be paying for damages!” Ashlee’s voice had been coming through his hotel room door for the past five minutes. Everything in him was telling him to open it and let her talk, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He’d already downed a whole bottle of Jack Daniels and had started on the second one.
“I’m finding an ax, Michael! I’m sure they have them in the hallways for fire escape purposes.”
“Damn it, woman,” he mumbled under his breath. He got up and slowly walked to the door, throwing it open.
“Oh, so the threat of breaking down your door and you having to pay for the damages gets you to open the door? Good to know.”
He tried to fight the smile that wanted to spread across his face. “What do you want, Ashlee? Now isn’t a good time.”
She stood there and crossed her arms. “Just like it wasn’t a good time when you ran away because I said I needed to think? Just like it wasn’t a good time when I tried to have sex with you, twice, the last time you were here? Or like the fact that you just now came back! It’s been two very long months, Michael!”
This time he couldn’t stop the smile that crept across his face. “You counted how long I’ve been gone?”
She pushed her way through the door. “God, how much have you drank? It smells like a brewery in here.”
He laughed. “Just a little bit.” He tried holding up his fingers to indicate a little, but they blurred in his vision.
“Michael, why the hell are you drinking?”
“Where do I start? Let’s see, some random guy comes to the airport to meet you. That has me wondering if it wasn’t just a coincidence that you were there. Then he spits off about being your fiancé’s younger brother. A fiancé you failed to mention when we slept together.”
There were tears in Ashlee’s eyes. Tears? What the fuck!
“I see. I’ll talk to you when you aren’t drunk off your ass, Michael.” She didn’t look back as she walked out the door.
Way to be an ass, dude. Hurrying over to the door and throwing it open, he looked down the hallway. She was halfway to the elevator.
“Ashlee!” She stopped, and he didn’t miss how her shoulders stiffened. Instead of turning around, she turned her head towards him, pushing the elevator button.
“You walking away angry is being unreasonable.” Michael didn’t like the walls that she was building between them.
“Well, Michael, the problem seems to be that we can’t get along. Especially not while you’re intoxicated. I haven’t shared anything with you because you haven’t asked nor have you given me the chance. You’re calling me unreasonable because I’m walking away, but when push came to shove the last time, you ran across the country instead of confronting me. Now who’s unreasonable.”
This time she stepped into the elevator and let the doors close.
Ashlee listened as Trevor read Abby and Will a bedtime story about a bear. It’s one that she had read a million times before, remembering all the words. Ella could never question the love Trevor had for his children. Ashlee wanted that someday.
“So, are you going to sit in our kitchen all night and fume, or are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
Ella placed two cups of tea on the table, taking a seat across from Ashlee. She sighed. “Michael and I had a tad little argument before I came over here. He was drunk, though, so that may change by morning and he may see that he’s the one being unreasonable and a hypocrite.”
Ella laughed a shook her head. “If you’ve got it in your head that Michael will admit he’s wrong, even once, you might want to rethink that scenario altogether. He doesn’t like to admit defeat; he hates admitting that he was in the wrong. That’s just how he is.”
Ashlee stared down at her cup for what seemed like forever. Michael needed to realize that she wasn’t fragile; she wasn’t going to break when something went wrong. A loud knock startled her out of her thoughts. Ella shot a look across the table at Ashlee.
“Do you want me to answer it, or should I get Trevor to make him leave?”
“You mine as well answer it.” She watched as Ella walked to the door and opened it.
“Is Ashlee here? I went to her place first, but she wasn’t home.”
Ella stepped aside and let him in, his eyes automatically landing on Ashlee. Her heart skipped a beat. The anger that had left her system while talking to Ella kicked up again. She stood and stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest. Michael was a weakness and she couldn’t let him see that. She had to stand her ground.
“Can we talk, Ash? Alone.” The words were slurred coming out of his mouth. Are you fucking kidding? She started shaking her head.
“You drove all over town intoxicated just to find me! What were you thinking Michael?” She tried to keep her voice low, knowing that the kids were going to bed.
“What’s going on?” Trevor’s voice reached her ears from the hallway.
Ella met him in the entryway. “Michael came looking for Ashlee, but he’s been drinking and they had a fight before she got here.” The look that passed between them made Ashlee wonder, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind.
“All right, I agree that I shouldn’t have
driven anywhere, but I wanted to talk to you. I need you to hear me out.”
She laughed a little. “You want me to listen to what you have to say when you’re mad at me for not telling you about my fiancé. How’s this for not telling you, Michael. He was my high school sweetheart. We’d known each other since we were in diapers. We were best friends. He died four years ago from injuries he received in a car accident from a drunk driver! Happy now?”
She hugged Ella and walked out the door, the tears streaming down her face. Before she made it to the car, Trevor’s voice came from the porch. “Ashlee, can I talk to you a minute?”
Sucking in a deep breath and wiping her face, she turned around to face Trevor. “I know my brother’s an ass, and he’s been drinking, but would you please stay and talk to him out back on the deck? I’d feel better if you talked where Ella and I are close by than alone somewhere.”
The implication was evident in his voice; he didn’t trust Michael to keep his cool. The earlier conversation about his lawsuits came back into Ashlee’s mind. One from a woman settled out of court. Slight fear raced through Ashlee, but she stamped it down. She wouldn’t let Michael win; he would not see her be weak. “I’ll be in in a minute, Trevor.”
He nodded and walked back inside. She could do this. There was no reason why they shouldn’t be able to have a civil conversation with each other, right? Except for the fact that you’ve slept together, barely know each other, and want to rip each other’s heads off when you’re in close proximity.
Walking back into the house, she took a deep breath trying to clear her mind. What did she want? The answer was obvious to her, and apparently, everyone else, too. She wanted Michael, or at least wanted to try. Ignoring Ella and Trevor’s stares as she walked through the kitchen to the double doors, she stepped outside. Michael was sitting with his head in his hands.
“I didn’t intentionally hide my past from you, Michael. You never asked.”
He looked up, his ice blue eyes showing regret. Ashlee’s breath hitched in her throat. Good God, he was trying to kill her.
“I know. I overreacted, today and two months ago. I’m sorry.”
She hesitated by the doors, not wanting to move any closer to him. Afraid that if she did, she’d fall into his arms and beg him to never let her go. Where the hell was this coming from?
“Come here, Ashlee.”
Damn him.
She stepped close enough that he gripped her hand and pulled her into his lap. She adjusted so she could look right at him. Ashlee had come to Wilson Creek so she didn’t have to dwell on the past. Nathan would hate her like this, wanting her to move on, and she was trying. If the man she was trying to move on with wasn’t so frustrating.
“So, can we start over, please? Do things… differently.” He laughed a bit. “This is all new to me, so please tell me if I’m doing it wrong.”
She looked out over the backyard before wrapping both arms around his shoulders and kissing him. It wasn’t a sexual kiss in any way, just a short, sweet kiss. Pulling back, she looked directly into his eyes.
“Hi, I’m Ashlee. My fiancé passed away in a car accident four years ago. I moved here with Ella to help her recover from an assault and decided not to leave. I love the small country town feel of things.”
Michael raised his eyebrows at her, but she could tell he was trying hard not to break out in a smile. “I’m Michael. I moved away for college four years ago, graduated, and started a chain of businesses throughout the country. I don’t stay in one place for long, I love to travel, and have a bit of a temper problem. I haven’t been back in Wilson Creek for quite a while, but I think I have a little incentive to stay for a bit.”
Ashlee burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, but that was pretty corny.”
Michael laughed with her, allowing her to lay back and relax. This just felt right.
Ashlee knew she was fidgeting, but it had been awhile since she’d felt this close to anyone. “So, are you still staying at the hotel?”
His breath on her neck was sending shivers up her spine. Michael laughed.
“Yeah, for right now. I’ve got to pay for a little extra time in the room, though, since I’m going to be here for a bit.” That made Ashlee smile.
“Instead of paying for a room, why not stay with Ella and Trevor? Or your parents? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
He hmpfed.
“They may not mind, but I can’t invade their privacy or space either. The hotel room will do for now, at least until I can find a space of my own here.”
Was she honestly considering this?
“You could always stay at my house until something opens up?” Ashlee said it as more of a question, giving him the opportunity to turn her down.
“That sounds,” He paused. “That sounds nice.”
Chapter Eleven
It had been four long weeks since Michael had moved into Ashlee’s house for his extended stay in Wilson Creek. He was already starting to get anxious, needing some sort of change or adventure. But he couldn’t do that to Ashlee.
They’d had another fight and had been avoiding each other for weeks now. Tip-toeing around the house, not being in the same room at one time, usually not being in the same house at the same time. Michael knew he needed to fix this, but he didn’t know how. Their time together had been great, the sex even better, but he needed more. What did he want?
“Damn it,” He whispered under his breath as he sat staring out the window in the kitchen. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he dialed Trevor.
“Hey, Trev, have you seen Ashlee today?”
He heard the sigh from the other end of the line. “Yeah, she’s sleeping in our guest bedroom as we speak. I’m not home right now, so don’t go over there starting anything, Michael. She’ll come around when she’s ready.”
Michael started tapping his foot. “Yeah, I know that, but it’s been a week. The fight wasn’t even that serious, at least not to me. I don’t know why she’s acting this way.”
That got a laugh from his brother. “Women do strange things, Michael. Give her some time. If you don’t, she’ll never come back while you’re there.”
“Waiting has never been my thing, Trevor. I feel anxious like I’m trapped here. I can’t leave; I’m not running away this time.”
“Are you listening to yourself, Ash? Michael’s been getting enough shit thrown at him because of you, he doesn’t need your stubborn ass giving him hell, too.”
Ashlee’s heart rate spikes. “Who’s been giving him hell about me?”
Ella laughs. “So you are paying attention? It’s about time. Trevor and their dad have been on his ass about not hurting you. They’ve been on it since the wedding. And here you are, pouting because you two had another fight that’s petty and has nothing to do with anything! That idiot is in love with you, but you’re blind to it.”
Ashlee stares at her like she’s grown an extra eye. Ella isn’t laughing. This conversation hasn’t gone as she expected it to. Usually, Ella takes her side, not the other way around. That’s not happening this time.
“You’re in love with him, too, and you don’t even realize it, Ashlee. You’re so stuck in the past, and Nathan, that you don’t see what’s right in front of your eyes. I’m not trying to be harsh. I know you’re still trying to get over it and move on, but there’s only so much that Michael’s going to take before he gives up.” Ella goes silent for a second and half smiles. “I’ve never seen him fight this hard for anything, and definitely not anyone.”
Ashlee’s eyes fill with tears. She gulped loud enough for Ella to hear. What could she say? She honestly didn’t know. She stands up and ignores Ella’s attempts at getting her to stay.
“Ashlee,” Ella says before she can get out the door. She takes a deep breath. “Sometimes I know you better than you know yourself. You’re in love with Michael, but you’re afraid of being hurt or disappointed. I understand your fear, but it’s time you tell him how you really feel or h
e may not stick around much longer.”
Ashlee walked out of the house and jumped in her Jeep. She’s all nerves and her confidence is about to shutter on the floorboard under her feet. She didn’t know how much she cared about Michael – at this point it’s too soon to tell – but she knew she did care, more than she probably should. You deserve to be happy.
Nathan’s words echoed through her mind the rest of the ride home. Years of caring for someone and falling in love was hard to get over. She’d always love Nathan, but she knew she needed to move on, too. She pulled up in front of the house, just staring. The rental car was in the drive, so she knew he was there.
Ashlee walked right in, the door being unlocked. Michael was sitting on the couch, a glass in his hand. He’s been drinking. The sound of her keys hitting the stand beside the door caught his attention. He just stared at her, expressionless.
“I’m sorry,” she said loud enough for him to hear, but barely a whisper to her own ears. He looks at the glass in his hand and tips it back, finishing it. His look isn’t aggressive, not exactly, but it isn’t nice either. Before Ashlee could register what was happening, Michael threw the glass and it shattered against the wall. Instinct had her stepping backward, keeping herself planted as close to the door as possible.
“You’re scared of me now!” He yelled, so yeah, she was a bit scared. Ashlee had never seen this side of Michael before.
“How much have you had to drink tonight, Michael?” Her voice was quiet, but she needed to know. This side of him, she wasn’t so sure about.
