by Tia Siren
“Yes, I’ve dated a lot of women. And yes, I’ve slept with countless others. But Ash, I didn’t expect thing to get as serious as they did between us.”
“Obviously,” she said.
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
“You apparently had no issues telling everyone exactly how you met me,” she said.
I saw the tears rising in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. I fumed at the idea that Winston had possibly opened his mouth and said something to someone.
“Give me one second,” I said.
I took out my phone and pulled up the recording from this morning with Eva. I sent it to my mother along with a message. I forwarded the message to our lawyer, just to make sure it got into the right hands, and then I shoved my phone in my pocket and turned my attention back to Ash.
“Right now, I need you to understand something. I need you to understand that I want to be with you. Not Eva. You, Ash.”
I grabbed her elbows, hoping to god she would hear me. Hoping to god she would believe the words tumbling from my lips instead of whatever bile Eva had spewed at her before I’d gotten here.
“If you only knew the things she said.”
“I’m fully updated on what she told you at the charity dinner,” Ash whispered.
“Of course,” I said. “Look, Ash. I’m expected to carry on the family name. I’m expected to act and behave in a way that abides by my family’s wishes and expectations. There’s a certain amount of protocol that comes with the way I was raised, and I can’t simply abandon all of them at once.”
“So, where do I fit into those expectations, then?” she asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
I watched tears slide down her cheeks. I raised my hand to wipe them away, but she pulled away from me. It made me so angry. Angry at how this entire thing had come crashing down on me, and angry at my family. I was angry at my life, and angry at Eva, and angry that all of this was crashing down onto Ash while I simply stood back and watched.
“But I’m willing to figure it out,” I said. “With you. Don’t you see that? I can’t lie to you. It’s gonna be tough. Fitting you into my life won’t be easy, and Eva is the easier part of the issues we’ll face. We’ll experience pushback from some of the richest families in the world, and people won’t invite us to parties and events because of you being in my life. But I’m willing to tackle all of that with you because I want to be with you, Ash.”
“So, you’ll experience more pain in your life because of someone like me standing at your side,” she choked out.
“Ash, that’s not what I’m saying.”
“You’re saying that maybe if I change myself a little, then it might not be so hard for us,” she blurted out.
“That’s not even remotely—”
“Well, I’m not changing for anyone, Mason. Not for you, or Eva, or your mother, or all these stuck up, rigid ass rich people I’ve never even met. If I’m not good enough as I am for people to open their arms to us and you just being happy, then the elite can go fuck themselves.”
Before I could rein the conversation in, she stormed by me and grabbed her purse off the couch.
“And fuck you, too,” she spun around and said to me before she slammed the door behind her.
I heard a small giggle of laughter waft in from the terrace, and I was ready to chuck a water glass at Eva’s head. Dear god, why the fuck was all of this happening? How the fuck was I ever going to fix this?
What the hell would Winston do?
“She really is spunky,” Eva said, chuckling.
“Get out,” I rumbled.
“Oh, Mason.”
“Eva St. Stevens, if you don’t get the fuck out of this house, I will send that recording I took earlier to your father along with my official engagement withdrawal before having you escorted out by the police all the way back to the airport.”
She looked at me with stern eyes before a small chuckle burst forth from her lips.
“You wouldn't dare,” she said.
“I’ve already sent it to my mother and our lawyer. Ready for daddy dearest to hear it, too? Or would you like to speak with him first?”
“I will ruin you,” Eva said.
And then, her phone blared out her ringtone from her purse.
“I’d take that phone call before you made anymore threats, Eva,” I said.
And then I headed out to the car, only to find it was gone. Ash must’ve taken it so she could get to her second jewelry class of the day, so I pulled my phone out to call a cab. I didn’t care that I was in two-day old clothes and that I was wearing my morning robe. All I cared about was finally fixing everything in my life and making sure everyone in it understood exactly where their position was when it came to me.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t do all of that over a drink in downtown Milan.
Chapter 32
Ash
Of course, it happened again. But this time, it was my fault. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. It shouldn't have shocked me one bit that the man who buried me in the ground once over our differences in status would do it again, in the most beautiful city alive. It was the only trip like this I’d probably ever take, and I got broken up with on it.
Who gave a shit if I wanted to be an independent woman!? I made my own way in this world, but that didn’t mean someone shouldn't stand up for me when I’m being walked all over. What the fuck did they know about my life anyway?
And seriously, did he really think it was a good idea to not tell me this was a family trip? Did he expect his mother to just show up, throw her ideals out the window, and embrace us? Did he really think that blindsiding his mother was a good idea? That it would work?
My god, Mason was an idiot.
Maybe I was just a buffer between him and his mother. Maybe I was just this little pawn he was using to show her he couldn't be manipulated. Maybe he was pissed off and he didn’t have poor old daddy to bail him out, so he was looking for some unsuspecting low life to provide the buffer so he didn’t have to stand up for himself. So he didn’t have to disappoint anyone. So he could keep going to his fancy parties and dinner ventures and schmooze with the rich and famous and still get to stick his dick in girls with lower statures to make himself feel superior.
I shoved my shit in my bag, I left behind all the things he bought for me, and I rolled it out of the house. Yeah, he protested, and yeah, Eva was finally nowhere in sight, but I didn’t care. Yet again, I was told how hard shit would be because I had no money and didn’t come from a popular family. That was bullshit. I was over trying to convince some spoiled rich kid that money and family names didn’t mean shit.
Not where I came from. Not ever.
I took the car and went to the least busiest airport, since Mason would automatically assume I’d go to the big and fancy one. Of course, he would.
Rich prick.
When I was stopped in traffic, I took out my phone and racked up my data plan trying to figure out how much money I had. I transferred funds and reworked things on my credit card, and I ended up spending all my hard-earned savings just so I could fucking get home. A plane ticket from Italy back to the States drained me for almost everything I had. If I wanted to catch a cab from the airport home, that meant I couldn’t eat.
Not in the airports, not on the airplane, not anywhere.
“Fuck!” I yelled in the car.
I got to the airport and broke down in front of the woman at the desk. She took pity on me and found me the cheapest flight available, and even though my legs fell asleep halfway through the flight, I was able to eat when I landed.
I walked out of the airport and hailed a cab, and I told the cab driver I’d pay for his dinner if he didn’t charge me for the ride home. We drove halfway across town to the best fast food joint near my apartment, and we went inside. I got us food and the driver still offered to pay, and I brushed him off with a smile on my face.
I turned my phone off, knowing I’d pay a hefty bill when it came in. When the cab I hailed from the airport finally pulled up to my apartment, I cried I was so happy. Ever since my leg first fell asleep on that bullshit plane ride, I’d thought of my bed. It was big, and soft, and every time I sunk down into it, it cradled me like a child.
My room had no windows, so the world was never a bother, and my cell phone hardly had service unless it was sitting on my desk. So people couldn’t bug me. Even if someone banged on the door really hard, if I was sleeping, they’d never wake me up. It was the perfect place to completely forget about my pathetic life, and I figured if I just showed up at work in the morning, Luna would just accept the help.
I walked into the building and rolled my stuffed suitcase behind me. It was over. This nightmare was finally behind me, and I could get some rest and try to get my life back on track. I smiled at my apartment door and didn’t even question when the door was unlocked. I was a few steps away from falling into the sweet abyss of my bed and being completely cut off from the world.
Maybe Mason was right. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for his high society fuckery. But that was fine. If being in his bullshit existence meant tolerating Eva and people like her, then they could fuck off.
They could all fuck off.
I walked into the apartment, ready to spill my guts and tears to Frank. I knew my best friend would side with me no matter what, especially after she’d already met him. I was prepared to go all-in and tell her the exact kind of dick I thought he was. But instead of finding Frank on my couch, I found him.
My rat ex Jason.
“Fucking really?” I said.
“Ash! I’ve been looking for you.” He hopped off the couch and stood, lanky and tall, in the middle of my apartment.
“I’m gonna kill you, Frank!” I yelled.
“She’s actually not here,” he said.
“Then what the hell are you doing here?”
“I heard you were dating a billionaire from Frank,” he said.
“Of course, you did,” I said.
“And all of my celebrity friends in high places tell me that I could use the angle on the show and get us massive ratings.”
“I’m over people in high places, Jason,” I said.
“I’m serious,” he said. “It could mean massive exposure.”
“Get a life.”
I was too tired to deal with this bullshit, but it had dropped into my lap. My heart had been stomped on, shattered, and deep fried by some spoiled asshat rich kid. My dumbass ex with shitty bass playing skills was standing in my empty apartment. And my pathetic “best friend” was off god knows where, getting drunk with god knows who, off money she wasn’t paying when she was sleeping on my fucking couch.
I’d had it. I was done.
“I don’t care what angle you’re working,” I said flatly. “The billionaire and I broke up. Now, get out.”
“Wait,” Jason said. “That’s actually even better.”
“How so?” I asked.
“Just hear me out. Why don’t we get back together?”
“I’d rather deep fry my vagina,” I said.
“Come on, Ash,” he said. “Be reasonable. Just listen. We could go on the reality show and pretend we’re dating. Then we can talk about how the other half lives. We could talk about their sordid details and the drama that happened, and that wouldn’t just be exposure for me. It’d be exposure for you, too. The camera’s eating up bigger women these days, and you could wear and mention your jewelry line! It’d be perfect.”
“God, there was so much wrong with that statement I just don’t know where to begin.”
“But we’d really have to sell it,” Jason continued. “I could get you exposure, people buying your jewelry, and we’d have to do a bit of sleeping together.”
“For the cameras?”
“No, just to sell us dating. You know, talk about our sex life and stuff. Might as well have sex to talk about it. You’d get exposure, your product line off the ground, and mind-blowing sex.”
I stared blankly at him. Did he seriously think he could give me mind-blowing sex? After the multiple orgasms Mason could give me just with his tongue alone, did he really think the twig between his legs would actually compare to the thick piece of meat I’d been stuffing myself with for the past few weeks!?
I held out my hand and plastered a sly smile on my face, and I could tell by the way his eyes lit up that he thought he was in. He took it, and we stood by the door. Then I took his other hand and squeezed them tightly.
“Jason, sweetheart,” I said.
“God, you’re wonderful. I knew you’d do it, Ash.”
“Fuck off.”
I wrenched my hands away and threw him out the door. Then I slammed it shut behind him. I locked all the locks and made sure the window was closed, just in case he jumped off the deep end, and then I made my way back to my room. I grabbed my suitcase, tossed it into the corner, and flopped down onto the bed.
God, I’d always loved my bed. The sheets were thick and comfortable, and I could crank my ceiling fan on high and sleep like a sound little child. My bed had always been a comforting thing for me. It blocked out the world and had absolutely no windows. It was the perfect place for me to forget about absolutely everything.
Finally, I had the balls to tell the world to go to hell.
It just took getting my heart broken twice in order for it to happen.
Chapter 33
Mason
There was nothing when I came home. Ash left Milan, I was stuck with the likes of Eva, and I just couldn’t handle it. The engagement ring had been burning a fucking hole in my robe pocket, so I simply packed up my shit, left Eva yelling at me in the doorway of the mansion in Milan, and peeled the fuck out. The city felt empty without her, and the world had come crashing down around us, and I had no idea how to fix it.
I didn’t really know if it could be.
Why the hell was this so hard? Why the hell was Ash getting so angry with me every time I brought up our differences? All sorts of couples have differences? What the hell was wrong with ours?
I loved our differences. I loved watching her face while we flew up the coast. I loved watching her eyes light up as she walked the city of Milan for the first time. I loved the way she gripped my thighs hard on the jet plane when she was scared of flying over the ocean. All those things were incredible about her. Everything was so new and fresh.
Nothing was new and fresh with Eva. Or Winston. Or my mother. Or even me.
I loved that she hadn’t experienced everything because it meant I could have all her first times. I gave her her first man-induced orgasm, but we’d experienced so much more together. I took her to her first charity dinner and got to hold her hand and comfort her through her first bitch rage with Eva. I got to buy her her first ever real materials for her jewelry and take her on her first ever plane trip out of the country. I got to buy her her first ever piece of clothing that was more than fifteen dollars, and she got to share with me my first time ever having sex in a car.
I’d never be able to fuck another woman in another vehicle ever without thinking of her.
I hopped on my private jet without Eva and flew back to L.A. I was promptly met with the shrieks of my mother. She wanted to know what the hell that recording was that I sent her, and she was infuriated that I’d sent it to our lawyer.
Apparently, our lawyer promptly contacted Eva’s parents and threatened them with a class action lawsuit if Eva thought for one second she could get away with anything she was spewing, and it pissed her father off so much he called to rip her back from her ledge.
And here my mother was, debasing me because I was sullying the family name, along with causing a rift between us and Eva’s family
I
didn’t even care anymore. I dragged my shit up to my bedroom and slammed the door shut. Mother was constantly yelling things up the stairs at me. Things like “Why are you doing this to us?”, and “I raised you better,” and “We had so many plans.”
You’d think I’d taken her prim and proper little puppies with their little bows and their matching haircuts and their fur dyed the same color hair as my mother’s for ransom. You would’ve thought a madman was holding a gun to her head, and she was begging me to do something just so he wouldn’t blow her brains out.
She was hysterical, and it made me sick.
I watched the sun go up and down, and I lost count of my days. My phone was ringing with my mother’s asinine text messages, and I was letting the battery run out. I watched message after message from Winston, my mother, and even fucking Eva roll through. And then it simply cut off.
I got up to piss and draw the curtains every once in a while, and then I slept. I didn’t give a shit about what day it was or what dumbass functions I was missing. They weren’t any fun without Ash anyway. She made fun of people’s dresses and talked about how gaudy their bright diamonds were.
I loved her muted style juxtaposed against her bright jewelry and her red lipstick.
Mother kept yelling through the door at how disappointed she was with me for how I treated Eva. She couldn’t believe what I had done to their family, and how I could actually take any of her threats seriously. She was pissed that our lawyer was following up on Eva’s threats as if they were real, and for the first time in days, I lifted my head and shouted back at my mother.
“If you really think what I did was so wrong, then you’re not the woman Dad married anymore!”
I heard her gasp in shock before she let out a shuddered breath. Had I not been so fucking done with the entire situation, I probably would’ve felt bad. My mother had been through a lot and changed absolutely everything about her in order to fit in. All I did was throw it back in her face, along with reminding her of her dead husband.
But he was also my dead father, and I had to keep telling myself that he would’ve never allowed this. He never would’ve stood for it. I had to keep telling myself that, if I’d told him I was in love with Ash and not Eva, he would’ve supported me.