by Levine, Nina
“Boston,” she says, clearly surprised to find him here. Her eyes dart between us. She seems a little unsure of the situation.
“Hey,” he says as he stands and attempts to brush a kiss across her cheek. The fact her hands go to his chest to hold him back causes a swell of triumph in me. Not to mention the confusion written all over him when she does this. That causes a whole lot more than triumph. It damn well makes me want to swoop in and lay my claim. But I don’t. Instead, I remain seated, my cool demeanour intact. Boston Haynes needs to know he doesn’t concern me at all. Even if that isn’t quite the case.
“Why are you here? Is Amber okay?”
“She’s fine. I came looking for you because I never heard back when I texted you about meeting Crave. I’m doing some more work for them this afternoon, so I don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity again.”
Lorelei runs her fingers through her hair, which I’ve learnt is a nervous habit of hers. “I’m busy today, Boston. Ashton and I already have plans.”
The asshole glances at me before looking back at her. “I’m sure Ashton won’t mind you taking some time out to meet one of your favourite bands.”
It fucking annoys me that he’s putting her in this position. The manipulation tactic he’s using isn’t one I’d ever use on a woman I care about. I shove my chair back and stand, ready to let him know he’s overstepped boundaries here when Lorelei lets loose on him.
“You’re right, Ashton wouldn’t mind, and he’d certainly never stop me from doing something I wanted, but I would mind. And do you know what else I mind? That you would try to manage me in this way. I’ve told you where I stand with us, and I’d appreciate it if you could respect my feelings.”
Boston watches her silently for a moment before saying, “And I told you where I stand, Lorelei. I told you I’d give you space, but I also told you I wouldn’t walk away again. This is me not walking away.”
This is news to me, and it’s clear in the way Lorelei glances nervously at me that she knows I’m wondering when that conversation took place.
“Please go, Boston.” Her carefree mood of earlier has also disappeared, her entire body now tense.
He takes a few moments, but finally he nods. Before she can stop him, he kisses her cheek. “I’ll be in touch.”
We watch him leave, neither of us saying a word. When he’s out of sight, Lorelei turns to me, nervousness still clear in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I forgot to ask Francesca for your coffee. I’ll go do that now.”
Coffee is the last thing on my mind. Not when I can barely think straight due to the overwhelming possessiveness clawing at me. “When did you speak to Haynes?”
“Ashton, let me go get your coffee and then we can talk about this.”
“No,” I say with force, “We will talk about this now.” No fucking way am I going another minute not knowing about that conversation. I have never done well with people I love keeping things from me, but what I’m feeling about Lorelei keeping something from me twists my gut more than anything ever has before. This will be dealt with, and it will be dealt with now.
46
Lorelei
I’ve never seen Ashton this worked up. Or this demanding. And he’s been pretty demanding at times. But his forcefulness is at a whole new level.
“I went to see him the day after he came to my apartment.” I sound a lot more confident than I’m feeling. My stomach is a mess of nerves. Partly from the way Ashton is watching me and partly because I feel guilty for keeping this information from him. But mostly from the way he’s watching me so intensely. I can’t read him. Well, I know he’s upset, but he seems more upset than the situation calls for.
His nostrils flare. “And you didn’t think I’d want to know that?”
Sienna warned me I was wrong not to tell Ashton I’d gone to see Boston, but I’d honestly thought it best not to tell him and stir the situation up. I can see now that I made the absolute wrong decision.
“I’m sorry, but I thought if I went to him and made him understand we were over, that I could stop things getting out of hand where he was concerned.”
“And do you think that worked?”
God, his voice has turned cold almost. It makes me feel so distant from him. It’s a place I don’t like to be. “I honestly believed it would.”
“So you knew it hadn’t?”
“Ashton, don’t—”
“I asked you a question, Lorelei. Did you know at the time that you hadn’t made him understand you two were over?”
Heat flushes through my body and I tense. His cold manner and hostile tone don’t elicit a willingness in me to have this conversation with him. “I don’t understand what that has to do with this.”
His jaw clenches, and when he speaks next, his words bite me with their harshness. “Judging by your aversion to this question, I’m guessing you did know Haynes—”
“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of that,” I throw back, my own displeasure flaring.
“I don’t like things being kept from me, Lorelei. You should have told me you were going to see him in the first place. And you should have come to me with the information that he wasn’t taking you seriously.”
I cross my arms over my chest. My stomach isn’t a knot of nerves anymore; it’s a mess of frustration. And defensiveness. I feel like I’m playing catch up with where he’s going with this and that I have to be ready to give him an explanation for my every move. “Yes, I should have, but now you know, so I’m not sure why you’re getting all worked up over it.”
“If I’d known, I would have dealt with it.”
My eyes bulge. “Oh my God. So that’s what this is all about. Your need to always take charge of a situation and to deal with things for me.” I uncross my arms and lean forward, as if getting closer to him will make him see the truth in what I’m saying. “I don’t need you dealing with this for me, Ashton. I’m completely capable of doing that myself.”
“If that were the case, Haynes wouldn’t have shown up here today, he wouldn’t have taken part in a pissing contest with me, he wouldn’t have told you this was him not walking away, and he sure as hell wouldn’t have kissed you as he left. You haven’t taken care of it, but I will. Once I’m finished with him, Haynes won’t step foot near you ever again.”
I stare at him, completely stunned. I’m also a little lost for words because not once in my life have I ever had anyone treat me the way Ashton is. While I know he’s not detached from his emotions, it’s like he’s separating himself from them so he can make some calculated moves to get what he wants. He’s handling our relationship the way he handles a business deal.
Before I can reply, he checks his watch and stands. “We need to leave if we’re going to make the soccer match on time.”
We’re supposed to be meeting Alessandra and Malcolm to watch Bradley’s match today, but I’m not finished with this conversation yet.
I remain seated. “We haven’t finished discussing this.”
“We have.”
“No, we haven’t. I’ve apologised for what I did, and you’ve had your say, but I don’t agree with what you’ve decided. I don’t like the way you’re talking to me or the way you’re shutting down on me over this. It feels cold.”
His face clouds with displeasure. If I thought he was cold before, he’s positively arctic now. “I’m not entering into an argument with you over this, Lorelei. I don’t want Haynes near you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that outcome is achieved.”
I stand so I’m on level ground with him. “Can you hear yourself, Ashton? We’re discussing our relationship here, not some business transaction. I don’t want to talk outcomes with you. I want to talk about how we can come to a compromise over this. One that makes us both happy.”
“I don’t see the issue with my way forward. You’ve said you don’t want him in your life, and I’ll make that happen.”
I take a deep breath, trying to rein my frus
tration in. He doesn’t seem able, or willing, to see this from my point of view. “I don’t want you to make it happen. I want you to give me the space to do that on my own. And you told me the last time we argued over something like this that you wouldn’t take over again, and here you are doing just that.”
“That had to do with your business. This is different. This involves our relationship, and I won’t allow anyone to interfere with that.”
“It’s not different!” He’s so infuriating that I can’t hold my irritation in any longer. “It all has to do with our relationship because it all has to do with how you treat me. You need to understand that I won’t be handled and that you can’t assume responsibility for situations that concern me. If we’re going to be in this relationship, Ashton, we’re going to do it as equals and you’re going to have to learn to take my preferences into consideration.”
“And you’re going to have to understand that some situations call for me to take the lead. Especially when it’s clear you can’t. Now, we need to get to this soccer match.”
With that, he turns and stalks out of the café, leaving me staring after him. I want nothing more than to tell him what an asshole he’s being and then to leave him to spend the rest of the day alone. However, I promised him after our last argument that I wouldn’t leave a disagreement hanging between us unresolved, so I gather my wits and follow him to his car.
This discussion, though, is a long way from being finished. I’m just getting warmed up.
47
Ashton
When I imagine Lorelei with Boston Haynes, I can’t think straight. It drives all rational thoughts from my mind. I turn into the kind of man I’ve never understood—the kind who allows a woman to control his behaviour.
Lorelei doesn’t know it, but she has me by the balls. Well and fucking truly. She’s mine, damn it. I won’t stand for another man trying to take her from me. And there’s no way in hell I’ll stand for him kissing her.
We drove to the soccer match in silence and once we arrived, Alessandra whisked her away from me. Malcolm and I have been debating the dive some shares took overnight, but my eyes have hardly left Lorelei. I have an incessant need to always know where she is and that she’s okay. Being with her is unlike any relationship I’ve ever had. I’ve never cared about a woman this much or felt as twisted up and distracted before.
“Go, Bradley!” Alessandra calls out, drawing my gaze to the field in time to see him score a goal.
My heart swells with pride, and I’m reminded why I’m here. I manage to spend the rest of the game watching my nephew and keeping all distractions out of focus. Mostly out of focus. Every now and then, Lorelei cheers Bradley on, bringing my attention back to her. I can’t help but be captivated by the way she has welcomed my family into her heart. Sharing these family moments with her is something I look forward to in our future together.
“What’s going on with you and Lorelei?” Alessandra asks as Lorelei and Malcolm leave us to go find Bradley after the match has finished.
“What makes you think something is going on?” Getting into this with my sister is the last thing I need today. Especially when the noise from the crowd is roaring through my head, interfering with my thinking.
“It’s obvious to anyone who knows you two that something’s going on. Lorelei’s distracted and can’t keep up with a conversation, and you keep watching her like you’re afraid she won’t be there each time you look over. I have never seen you like this. The Ashton I know doesn’t deal in fear. So what’s going on?”
“Fuck,” I mutter, glancing away from her scrutiny for a moment. If Aly gets involved in this, who fucking knows where it will end up. My sister likes to help when she senses problems between other people. I’ve always thought of it as her way to avoid her own problems, and she has enough of them to deal with at the moment that I can see her focusing on mine instead. “Can we not do this, Aly? Lorelei and I just need a little time to get our heads around some stuff. We’ll be fine.”
“Your idea of fine is a lot different to a woman’s idea of fine. You really should tell me what’s happened so I can help you to not make a huge mistake here.”
“I’m not going to make a mistake here. I’m going to sort something out. That’s all.”
Her eyes widen. “Jesus, this is worse than I thought. No wonder Lorelei is distracted. Honestly, Ashton, why have you never learnt that sometimes people don’t need you to sort stuff out? Sometimes we just want to be left alone to figure it out on our own.”
“You’re being dramatic, Alessandra. Lorelei simply—”
“Just tell me what happened. When you use the word simply, I know the shit’s about to hit the fan. No woman ever wants to hear a man try to downplay a situation that way.”
We could stand here for hours arguing over this and I know she’d never cave. When my sister wants information badly enough, she’ll never give up the fight. So I give her what she wants and hope to hell she doesn’t make matters worse between Lorelei and me. “Her ex is sniffing around and she kept the fact from me that she went to him to ask him to leave her alone. She also kept from me that he has no intention of doing that. We’ve discussed it today and I’ve told her I’ll take care of the problem.”
Her face softens and so does her voice when she says, “Oh boy, this is all new territory for you. I should have known it was something hurtful like this that would cause you to—”
“I’m angry, Aly, not hurt. I don’t appreciate information deliberately being kept from me.”
“Yes, I know you’re angry, but where do you think that anger is coming from? You’re hurt by her choices, and it’s okay to admit that. You should tell her this is how you feel.”
“I’ve made it clear to Lorelei how I feel on this matter. And as far as I’m concerned, the discussion is finished.”
She cocks her head to the side. “So you told her you’d take care of Boston?”
“Yes. Her attempt didn’t work. I’ll make sure the job gets done.”
“Oh God, did you say that to her? The bit about you getting the job done after she didn’t?”
I nod. “She doesn’t want him in her life anymore. I’m going to help her with that.”
“You seriously have no clue about women. You’re good at getting them, just not so good at keeping them. You’ve basically told her you don’t think much of her ability to achieve her goal. And that, little brother, is a sure-fire way to upset a woman.”
This conversation is pointless and I’m finished with it. Alessandra doesn’t know the finer points of my relationship with Lorelei, and I don’t have the inclination to explain them to her. Glancing behind her, I spot Malcolm coming our way. Lorelei and Bradley are right behind them, and the smile on Lorelei’s face gives me hope she’s moved past our earlier discussion.
Lifting my chin towards Malcolm, I say, “They’re back, so can we drop this? I’ve got a handle on the situation.”
“I truly hope so, because I’ve never seen you happier than you are with Lorelei in your life.”
My eyes meet Lorelei’s as she comes closer. The smile in them disappears. And when she moves next to me and says, “Malcolm has invited us to hang out with them this afternoon and have dinner at their place tonight, and I said yes,” I know she hasn’t moved past anything.
I frown. “We have plans for tonight.” At her request, we’re sailing out of Sydney at four this afternoon on a private yacht. We’ve both blocked out Monday so we can have two nights out to sea with no distractions.
“Cancel those plans, Ashton. We have more important things to do this weekend.”
48
Lorelei
I watch Ashton pace his living room as he talks to Cassia over the phone. We left Alessandra’s and arrived here about fifteen minutes ago, and they’ve been on the phone since then. From what I can work out, something’s going on with his parents, and Cassia’s trying to get Ashton to go over to their house and intervene.
“
I’ve made my position clear, Cassia,” he says, ice clinging to his words, “I’m not getting involved. This isn’t the first time my parents have argued.”
He listens to her response and rakes his fingers through his hair. “Stop. I said no. I’ll check in with Mum tomorrow, but I have to go and deal with something now,” he says as his eyes find mine.
Deal with something?
I’m just “something” to him?
I turn away from him and walk out of the living room onto the balcony. I’m so angry with him. It’s the kind of anger that builds with every passing minute until it reaches breaking point. After everything that’s happened today, I’m at breaking point now. I’m not even sure how we made it through dinner at his sister’s with this anger between us.
“Lorelei.”
I grip the balcony railing for one last moment before turning to him. I don’t want to fight, but I won’t stand for his controlling ways or his dismissiveness when I take issue with something he does.
His eyes demand my attention. “Are you ready to talk?”
“Yes.”
His brows lift while he remains silent. It’s as if he doesn’t have anything to say and is just waiting for me to get my thoughts out so he can deal with them. His attitude has been off all night, and I’m over it.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I say as I shiver. The air is cold out here, but I want that sharp bite. It helps keep me focused.
“Jesus,” he mutters, “Like what?” His voice and his body language scream his frustration and irritation, and as much as I try to ignore that so we can attempt a conversation, I can’t.
“Like you can’t even be bothered to acknowledge my thoughts are valid. Like this whole situation is beneath you even dedicating time to sorting out. You’ve been angry with me all night, and I’m—”