by Lexy Timms
“What in the world does that mean?” Kallie asked.
“This is Stanley Edwards!” Ash exclaimed. “His dad owns several sports teams. He’s also the manager of a hedge fund worth several billion dollars. But I’m sure you knew that, didn’t you?”
“No, actually. I didn’t,” Kallie said. “I’m really sorry, Stanley. It was very nice meeting you.”
“Likewise, Kallie. Despite what Ash might think of you,” he said.
“You mean you didn’t know you were talking to the second richest person at this party?” Ash asked. “Hard to believe with your reputation.”
“No,” Kallie said. “I had no idea. Really, I didn’t, Stanley.”
“I believe you,” Stanley said. “Trust me, I’m very good at reading people, despite my young age.”
“At least someone is,” Kallie said bitterly.
Ash’s laugh was just at bitter and it turned her stomach.
“You really expect me to believe that?” Ash asked.
“I would,” Stanley said as he sipped his drink.
“I don’t give a damn what you do and do not believe, Ash Worthington. Because you don’t mean anything to me any longer,” Kallie said.
She watched Ash’s face drop and she stalked off before he could say another word. His bitterness was overwhelming, and she no longer had a passion to talk with Stanley. Of course the boy with the glasses would be the second richest fucker in the place. Of course that would be the man who approached her. Kallie wanted to leave. To get out of the party and head back to Jeremy’s place. She looked all around for her friend. She went upstairs and was met with why Stanley had made the comment about ditching her to go upstairs.
Every couple in each room sounded like they were getting in their last hoorah with their summer crushes.
Sighing heavily, Kallie went back downstairs. She stuck to the corners of all the rooms, trying desperately to find her friend. But when she finally came across them, all she wanted to do was leave by herself. Jeremy wasn’t doing any sort of promotion for his club. At least, not any longer. Instead, his hands were all over her best friend and Eris was straddling his lap. They were practically screwing each other drunkenly in a corner. It was gross, and Kallie wanted nothing more to do with this party.
But she didn’t want to bring her friend down either.
Throwing back the rest of her drink, Kallie tossed the plastic cup into a trash can. She made her way out the front door and took a left, following the path Jeremy had driven to Sasha’s mansion on the beach. The drive had only been four or five minutes, so his place couldn’t be more than three miles away. Her feet hit the pavement and her legs carried her away from the house as the moonlight lit her path.
The noise slowly fell behind her, and then all went silent. The waves lapping along the shoreline down at the beach filled her ears as she walked underneath the stars. The moon was bright and it reminded her of how she felt. Distant and alone, with no hope of ever recovering. Tears welled in her eyes and she didn’t attempt to fight them this time. Instead, Kallie let them fall in the droves in which they appeared. Down her cheeks. Flooding her neck. Trickling down her chest. Her breaths were broken and ragged and her skin felt clammy in the humidity pouring off the ocean waves.
And in her saddened state, a terrifying thought crossed her mind.
James won.
Ash had approached her twice. Two times he couldn't stay away from her long before he had to come assault her character. And she meant what she said to him. At least, she partially meant it. She didn’t give a damn about Ash if he was going to keep acting this way. If he was going to keep approaching her and accosting her the way he was. She couldn't believe what he actually thought of her. After all they had shared and all they had experienced and all of the opening up she had done to him. She couldn't believe he could take all of that and toss it out the window over some interview on television.
But she had no way to prove herself to him, and it made her angry.
Whatever James’s motive was behind all this, he succeeded. Whether it was to destroy her or mangle her or simply get revenge, he succeeded. The one man she wanted was nothing but a bitter, scarred, ghostly resemblance of the man in her dreams. The man she remembered and the man she had been taken by. The wind picked up and Kallie wrapped her arms around herself, walking past beautiful homes she would never be able to afford in her wildest dreams.
Yes. James had won.
James had succeeded in ruining her world.
Chapter 6
Ash
Her words felt like a punch to his gut. She didn’t care about him any longer? Who the fuck was she to no longer care? She was supposed to care! He was the one that wasn’t supposed to care! Ash looked over at Stanley and he shrugged his shoulders, then his friend patted him on the back.
“You’re wrong, dude. Sorry to say it, but you’re wrong.”
He watched Stanley walk off as his words rattled around in his head. Was it possible that Ash had somehow gotten this wrong? Stanley Edwards was a great judge of character. And seeing him talking with Kallie had made him so irate. Sometimes, he thought Stanley was a clueless college kid, until he exerted a wisdom beyond his years.
But he couldn't possibly be right about Kallie.
Nope. He got it wrong this time.
And Ash had saved him from a world of hurt.
He stalked off to get himself another drink, pouring it down his throat. He was getting pretty good at that. Scarily good at it, really. He shoved his glass to the bartender to take care of, then he went in search of his friend Jeremy. He didn’t know where Kallie had gone off to and he didn’t care. All he knew was that his friend from college was in town with a team of gold diggers. And he had to save him. He searched throughout the rooms, making a point to avoid Sasha and her wandering hands at all costs.
And when he finally found his friend, Kallie’s half-dressed best friend was grinding on his lap.
He reached his hand out and yanked his friend up by his elbow. Eris went stumbling to the floor and Jeremy immediately dipped down to help her. Ash struggled to get him away from the girl and the scuffle caused a great deal of attention. The room fell silent and Eris’s face was on fire with anger, and even his friend Jeremy was looking at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“The fuck, Ash?” Jeremy asked. “What the hell did you do that for?”
“It’s for your own good,” Ash said. “You should get rid of Eris and her friend. You know their reputation.”
“Are you seriously still stuck on that interview?” Jeremy asked.
“What the fuck is your problem?”
A slap to the shoulder that knocked him back caught his attention. He looked down into the eyes of Kallie’s best friend, and he debated on whether or not to drag her outside and get everyone’s attention. She was in on this entire con. He was sure of it.
“You’re a gold digger,” Ash said. “You and Kallie. Both of you work together as a team, don’t you?”
“Hell no,” Eris said.
“You should get out,” Ash said to Jeremy. “Get out before she milks you dry of whatever remains of your family’s fortune.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Eris asked.
“I should be asking you the same question,” Ash said.
“You’re acting like a complete and total asshole,” she said. “Just like James on Kallie’s fucking wedding day.”
“Dude, you really need to back off,” Jeremy said. “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink.”
“Seriously? You’d rather shack up with a known gold digger and her cohort of a friend instead of listen to the guy you went to college with?” Ash asked.
“To be fair, we never hung out after college. You dropped off the face of the planet and I didn’t hear from you for years,” Jeremy said.
“You saw the interview,” Ash said. “I know you did.”
“Yeah, and it was a bunch of bullshit,” Eris said. “I was the on
“And you think I’m supposed to believe that?” Ash asked.
“I don’t give a shit what you believe, quite honestly. Because in all of the encounters we’ve had with you, you’ve approached us. Every single time. Kallie in the grocery store. Us in the club. You come to us. Every single time,” Eris said. “But putting all that shit aside, James was full of shit at the wedding when he tried to apologize, and he was full of shit when he went on television and gave that damn interview. He made up lies about his ex because Kallie ended shit with him and he was embarrassed and pissed off that he couldn't get what he wanted. He’s throwing the equivalent of a six-year old tantrum because he doesn’t get his pretty little toy anymore. He’s doing exactly what all of you assholes do.”
“And what’s that?” Ash asked.
“He’s throwing money at the problem and hoping he’ll come out on top,” she said.
“Ash, I know you’re not familiar with James Rathbone’s reputation, but he is kind of a selfish nutjob at times,” Jeremy said.
“All James was trying to do was destroy you and Kallie’s relationship. To what end, I don’t fucking know. Whether he wanted revenge on Kallie or wanted her back, it doesn’t matter. The point is, he’s lying. And you’re a large enough idiot to believe him,” she said.
“Then what about the text messages, huh? He had all of them. Every single one of them outlining that disgusting plan of yours to drain my damn bank accounts and spend all my fucking money,” Ash said. “Huh? What about those!?”
“Does that really sound like Kallie?” Eris asked.
“Is that really your only defense? I mean, I expected you to defend your partner in crime, but that’s a pathetic defense,” Ash said.
“Look, Kallie told me she went to you and showed you our call logs. Our lack of text messages. A damn idiot with a decent enough computer can forge a text message, Ash. And with our lack of messaging during the trip, it’s an easy enough thing to fake. And again, because you’re stupid, you fell for it. Kallie’s never been that type of person. In fact, I know several instances in which she told James not to spend money on her because it made her feel uncomfortable.”
“She didn’t look uncomfortable flying to St. Barts on her ex’s dime,” Ash said.
“Because he fucked her bridesmaid, you asshole! If anything, you were supposed to be a one-night stand. Oh. Wait. Holy shit. Hold on.”
Ash watched wildly as his eyes snapped over to Jeremy. His friend shrugged and it made him angry. Was that the only gesture people fucking had for him tonight? He watched Eris take her cell phone out of her pocket before she turned around so he could see the screen.
“Look. Just in case you think I fucking fabricated this too,” Eris said.
Ash’s eyes whipped over to the side of her face before Kallie’s voice filled the room.
“Hey, Eris. I’m home early. Just wanted to let you know. I couldn't stay. I know Ash was supposed to be a one-night stand but I...”
Kallie’s voice filled the space between them and Ash was entranced.
“He’s not what he seemed. That’s all. So much more like James than I wanted him to be. Can you come over later? I just really need my best friend.”
Ash’s eyes widened as the voice mail stopped going.
“What the hell was that?” he asked.
“That was the voice message Kallie left me when she got back from the island,” Eris said. “And before you ask why I haven't deleted it yet and try to twist it to look like some kind of intricate plot in your twisted narrative, I haven’t gotten rid of it because I don’t delete shit. Ever.”
“It’s pretty bad,” Jeremy said. “I mean, she doesn’t delete a thing. Emails. Text message. Apps on her phone. The woman’s practically an electronic pack rat.”
The room was silent. At a complete standstill. Ash looked up to Jeremy, but he didn’t look shocked. Stanley’s words rolled through Ash’s mind, and coupling that with the voice message he just heard, an unsettling feeling bloomed in his gut.
Was it possible he had gotten this wrong?
“I’ll give you my damn phone if you want,” Eris said. “But it’s all bullshit. Kallie came back from that island because you weren’t the basic island surfer she thought she was entangling herself with. She came back because you admitted her wealth to her and, in her eyes, it made you too much like James.”
Ash had no idea what to say.
“Have you heard this before?” Ash asked Jeremy.
“Yep. The first time I tried to defend you, actually. She whipped it out and put me in my place,” Jeremy said.
“But none of this even matters anyway, and you know why? Because you're not worth Kallie’s time. That girl is special. Intelligent. Kind to her core. And you’ve screwed up too badly. She was almost willing to forgive her cheating ex. That’s how dedicated she is to the people she loves. But you?”
Ash watched Eris snicker as she took Jeremy’s hand.
“You’re just a dumbass liar from an island that screwed my best friend over.”
He watched the woman drag his friend away. His mind swirled in its drunken state as the entire room watched them leave. Ash didn’t know what to believe. He didn’t know what was real and what was fake. Eris’s words hurt. Jeremy taking her side hurt. Stanley telling him he was a poor judge of character hurt.
He stalked off as the room slowly came back to life, but he wasn’t walking long before Sasha cornered him.
“Well, that was interesting,” she said.
Ash could smell the booze pouring from her pores.
“I need to go,” he said.
“Oh come on. That girl’s no good for you anyway,” Sasha said. “Plus, you haven’t given me my birthday present yet.”
Her hands grabbed his shorts and tried to pull them down.
“Sasha, cut it out,” he said.
“I’ll start with my present first,” she said as she slurred her words.
She tried to get down onto her knees, but Ash wrenched her up from the floor. She used the momentum to propel herself into Ash’s face, but he put his hand over his mouth. Instead of Sasha’s lips falling against his, they fell against the back of his hand. Her eyes were half hooded with alcohol and bloodshot from being way too intoxicated and it made Ash’s stomach turn.
“You can do whatever you want with me,” Sasha said. “Just take me, Ash. Let me remind you of all the fun times we’ve had.”
Sasha pulled him into a room before the door closed behind them. He fought her off as best as he could without hurting her. The room was dark and her hands were everywhere. Up his shirt. Tugging at his shorts. Palming his cock.
“Cut it out, Sasha,” Ash said.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” she said with a sigh.
Her lips fell to his neck and his stomach physically turned with nausea. She didn’t feel like Kallie. Didn’t sound like Kallie. Didn’t touch him or kiss him the way Kallie did. He shoved Sasha back, but she grabbed his shirt, and together they tumbled to the bed. Sasha rolled him over and straddled his lap, grinding her bony pelvis into his.
“I’ve missed that cock,” she said as her hands fell to his chest. “Let me ride it, Ash. Make the birthday girl happy.”
He shoved her off him and heard her collapse onto the bed. He threw himself onto his feet and toward the door, ripping it open before he charged out. His shorts were crooked and his shirt was wrinkled. He could tell his face was flushed with anger. Sasha’s touch made him feel cold. Her kisses made him feel gross. He slammed out the front door and stumbled down the steps, his own drunkenness getting the best of him.
He looked right, then he looked left. He raked his hand through his hair before turning down the road and walking back toward his father’s place. His chest filled with regret. His heart ached in his chest. The marrow of his bones weighed him down until all he wanted to do was lie on the pavement and get run over by a damn car.
Fuck, was Eris telling the truth?
Did Kallie really leave the island because of his money?
It went against the narrative. The entire fucking narrative. Both Kallie and Eris had ferociously defended themselves. And she was right. Kallie wasn’t the one that kept approaching him. He kept approaching her. Was it possible his heart knew something his mind refused to believe? Was it possible he was clouded by his own assumptions of the situation. He assumed every woman who came into his life would want his money, so when someone insinuated Kallie was the same, he shoved her out of his life.
Was it possible he had created his own self-fulfilling prophecy?
Maybe they weren’t lying.
Maybe that voice message was real.
Maybe the text messages were fake.
Ash stumbled up the steps to his front door and poured himself in. He shut the door behind him and lay down on the cool marble floor. His back was drenched with sweat. His face was red with heat and anger. He felt his eyes flutter closed as he lay there, sprawled out on the marble floor of his father’s beachfront mansion in the Hamptons.
He had to get to the bottom of those text messages.
As soon as he possibly could.
Chapter 7
Kallie
All Kallie wanted to do was leave. While she knew her best friend meant well when she dragged her all the way to the Hamptons, her time there had been a total bust. Instead of getting away from Ash, he was around every corner. Drunk. Confronting her. Berating her in front of everyone. He had single-handedly turned her weekend into one massive embarrassment, and she wasn’t going to deal with it any longer. Around every corner, there was something he said to make her feel like shit. Around every bend, he was there. Sneering at her and defaming her over some idiotic interview that was filled with nothing with falsities. And she was done. She knew Eris and Jeremy had plans to stay until Monday, but she wasn’t going to do it.
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