Chapter 24
Beat someone to the punch – when your mom anticipates your response before you realize what your response is going to be
I pause with my hand on the doorknob. Come on, Ash. You can do this. You can be in the same room as Rowan and not kill him. Snort. I wish I wanted to kill him. But no. No matter how much he hurt my heart, I still want to jump him like he’s a tall glass of water I found after I trekked over the desert for days without anything to drink. Why I would trek over the desert is beyond me, but my comment stands.
I straighten my back and throw the door open. I march down the hallway through the living room on my way out the door. Trust me, I did consider jumping out of the window, but once was enough. This boot doesn’t exactly invite aerobatic displays.
“Hold up!” Rowan shouts before rushing to me.
I keep my back to him. If I don’t see his face, I won’t crave him. I lie. I can feel his energy in the room, and I want to suck it up and drown in it.
“What?” I manage to ask without sounding all breathy.
“I’ll drive you.”
I whirl around. “You don’t know where I’m going.”
He smirks. “Yeah, I do. It’s Sunday. You’re going to Sunday family dinner.”
Apparently, I’m not only a mistake, I’m predictable. My self-confidence is going to need an electric shock to restart it once I move back home.
“Whatever,” I mumble.
I’m not going to argue with him. Arguing with him means I have to spend more time in his presence and I’m not afraid to admit being in his presence makes me want to forgive him despite the whole ‘have sex with her but afterwards tell her you don’t want a relationship’ thing.
He places his hand on my lower back to escort me out of the house and I jolt forward before I rush away. I probably resemble a maniac the way I’m bustling in my boot toward the golf cart, but I don’t care. Much.
“How is your work going?” Rowan asks as we drive the few blocks to my parents’ house.
I contemplate not answering for a count of thirty but finally settle on, “Fine.”
He clenches his jaw. I guess he’s not a total idiot. He knows fine is the worst possible answer a woman can give a man. Lucky for him, he decides to forego any further conversation attempts for the remainder of the three-minute drive.
The second he rolls to a stop in front of my parents’ house, I hop out of the cart and wave. “Thanks for the ride, Jeeves.” I frown when he switches off the engine and exits the vehicle. “What are you doing? I’m perfectly safe here.”
I hear the door open behind me. “Rowan!” Aspen greets. “You made it.”
I’m going to kill my sister. I’m sure there’s some kind of defense to murder when the victim is your sister and she’s being a pain in your ass. Any juror who has siblings will understand.
“Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand. Blood and revenge are hammering in my head,” I grumble as I pass her into the house.
“Drama nerd!” She yells after me.
“Dead woman walking!” I yell back.
“Ashlyn Dream.” Mom smiles as I enter the dining room and pulls me into her arms for a hug. I’m not a baby, but I admit I lean into her for a moment. What can I say? She gives the best hugs, and I could certainly use one now. “I’m glad you could make it.”
Make it? I’m here every Sunday. Before I can respond, she releases me and opens her arms to hug Rowan.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. West.”
She giggles. “Don’t be silly. Call me Ruby.” She winks at him, and my eyes roll so far back in my head, I think they’re going to get stuck there.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten a homecooked meal I didn’t make myself. And it’s been entirely too long since I’ve eaten your world famous fried chicken and coleslaw.” What a suck-up.
Mom’s chest puffs out. “Thank you, my dear. How are your parents doing in Florida?”