Page 135 of Playing for Keeps
I answer with a tired sigh.
“Hey, Ash.”
“Wyatt, I just saw all the crap online after your message. What the hell is going on?”
I fill her in, even though everything’s laid out in the statement we released.
“Jesus,” she mutters. “Has Ivy seen it yet?”
“No. She’s still asleep. I figured you would be too.”
“I was,” she groans. “Ben woke me up going for a damn run.”
I rub my hand over my face. “This is going to wreck her, Ash. She’s going to hate me.”
“She’s not going to hate you,” Ash says, her voice gentler now. “She loves you. That’s obvious to anyone.”
I let out a heavy breath. “Yeah, I know she does. But if this ruins her career…” I trail off, swallowing hard. “She’s not going to stay if my screwed-up past blows up her future.”
Ash doesn’t reply right away, and her silence says more than words. Love only stretches so far when everything’s on the line.
She finally sighs. “As soon as Ben gets back, I’m coming over.”
Relief hits me like a wave. “You are?”
“She’s my best friend. Of course I am. I’ll always show up for her.”
“Thank you, Ash. She’s lucky to have you.”
“She’s lucky to have you too, Wyatt.”
I shake my head, even though she can’t see it. “No. I’m the lucky one.”
“It’s going to be okay.”
“God, I hope so. I can’t lose her.”
“You’re not going to lose her. I’ll be there soon.”
I end the call and let my head fall back against the back of the sofa. It’s still early, which means Ash might be here before Ivy even wakes up. Maybe that’s for the best. If she doesn’t want to talk to me after seeing everything online, at least Ash will be here. I can handle her needing space, but what I can’t handle is her going through this alone because she won’t let me in. I pray it doesn’t come to that, but the truth is, I have no idea how she’s going to take this.
At some point, I must have dozed off on the sofa. I wake to the sound of a knock at the door. Stretching my arms above myhead, I drag myself up and head for the entryway. One glance through the peephole and I smile. Ashlyn.
I open the door and pull her into a hug.
“Thanks for coming. I owe you one.”
She hugs me back tightly. “You don’t owe me a thing.”
As she steps inside, I gesture down the hall. “She’s still sleeping. Coffee?”
“Absolutely. You got any food? I’m starving.”
I chuckle as we head into the kitchen. “Yeah, I can make something. Grab a seat.”
She pulls out a stool at the breakfast bar. “What’s on the menu?”
“I don’t know. What do you want?”
