Page 22 of All Too Well
Ugh.
Focus, Ainsley.
“You told him your name was Painsley?”
“Well, you seemed to enjoy reminding me of it. I wasn’t sure if you’d know who I was otherwise.”
He chuckles. “He came into my office, slightly afraid, and said there was a girl named Painsley, with aP, here to see me. That she was incredibly beautiful, and I should prepare for that, but clearly be wary with a name that literally has pain in it.”
“Aww, he thinks I’m beautiful?”
He huffs. “Of course you fixate on that.”
“Yes, the horror that a girl wants to hear she’s pretty. Whatever was I thinking latching onto a compliment?” I huff with a grin. “Did you explain who I was and why you call me that?”
Lachlan shrugs. “You’ll never know.”
“Yes, I’m sure Davidson will hold that secret close to his chest.”
He shakes his head and leans against his truck. “What can I dofor you, Berry?”
Ugh. The other nickname. “Why can you not just call me by my first name? I’m Ainsley. Not Painsley. Not Berry. Ains-ley. It’s not that hard.”
“I apologize. You’re all grown up and I shouldn’t tease you. Now what can I do for you,Ainsley?”
And here I thought I was going to have to work hard for this opening. “First, I brought you something.” I grab the coffee that I had Hazel make and hand it to him. “Here, this is a peace offering.”
Lachlan raises one brow. “Peace offering?”
“Yes, you know, a ... I’m sorry for the fact that I showed up here, wouldn’t let you in the shack thing, and that I haven’t spoken to you in the last few years.”Because we’re secretly in love with the other but can’t admit it—or at least I am.“So let’s be friends and go back to the way it was.”
“We’ve always been friends, Ainsley.”
I ignore that because for the last four years we have definitely not been friends. And I’ve felt that void in my soul.
“Okay. Call it what you want, I just wanted to benice.”
He lifts the cup. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Also, I might have spit in it.”
“I expect nothing less.” He laughs as he puts the cup on the hood. “Why else are you here?”
Ahh, Lachlan, always thinking there’s an underlying reason someone does something nice. In this case he’s kind of right, but still. “I’d like to come by and see Rose, if that’s okay? It’s been years, but hopefully she’s at least heard my name from Caspian and ... well, I just want to see her.”
My brother is her godfather, and even though he lives four hours away in Nashville, he comes up at least once a month to spend time with them. I can at least hope he’s talked about me.
“Of course you can, and yes, she knows who you are. I’ve shown her photos and talked about an annoying girl I know who used to torture me.”
Well, that was unexpected, and then I actually let what he saidsink in. “Torture you?”
He laughs once. “Did you think we liked you following us around and then tattling?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I didn’t tattle.”
“Right. You just what? Informed the Admiral about what we were doing?”
“I like to think of it as a form of journalism.” It wasn’t like I enjoyed telling on them. My dad was just very firm that if you see someone doing something wrong, and you say nothing, you’re equally guilty.
