Page 129 of In Your Wildest Dreams
“There he is!” Tyler calls as he raises a beer.
“You fuckers are throwing me a goodbye party atmyhouse?” Ash asks with an amused smile.
“It deserves a proper send-off just like you.” Leo hugs him.
Jack hangs back, a glass of whiskey in hand. “I’m here under protest and it’s not a fucking goodbye party.”
“Thanks for coming, man,” Ash says, smiling.
Jack tips his head at me. “Hey, Bridge. Good to see you.”
I’m not sure if he means that or not, but he’s here for Ash and that’s all that matters.
“You too.”
He stands tall and points to a basket filled with phones. “Drop ’em.”
“Seriously?” Ash asks. “You know my agent is going to be calling.”
“It can all wait until tomorrow. Tonight we’re all going to be present and distraction free.”
I toss my phone in there and Ash reluctantly does the same.
Jack finally smiles. “Enjoy your party.”
Ash wraps an arm around my waist and places a kiss on the top of my head. “I have a feeling things are about to get weird.”
My heart squeezes in my chest. “They just want to say goodbye.”
I let the guys have him and find Everly in the kitchen.
“He’s really going?” she asks me. Her eyes are red-rimmed and her usual winged eyeliner is missing.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“And you too?”
“I don’t know yet, but you’re stuck with me until at least May.”
She stares down at the can in her hand. “I know that we haven’t known each other all that long, but I thought we’d be friends forever.”
“We will.” I hug her. “Forever. I promise.”
She hugs me back and when I pull away, she shakes her head like she’s snapping herself out of it. “Okay. Let’s do this night up right for your man.”
We definitely do it up right. No one leaves until well after one in the morning. Even Leo—though he and Scarlett kept switching off on carrying Callum around in a little baby carrier.
The guilt I felt earlier tonight starts to wane as I watch Ash throughout the night, but in its wake is sadness. Maybe this is the right step forward for him and for us, but it isn’t the way I would have wanted it to happen.
Ash falls into bed with a happy, drunk smile. “Why aren’t you naked and on top of me yet?”
“I can’t find my favorite sleep shirt,” I say as I rummage through my bag.
“There are no clothes required for this ride,” he says with a cocky smirk.
I’m about to give up when my hand brushes against something hard. A smile spreads across my face as I close my hand around it.
“Hey, remember the first time we met?” I ask him and walk over to the bed with it behind my back.
