up to him at that party and turned his world upside down.
No way in hell did he need to stroll down that particular memory lane.
Zane stood. "We're not leaving here without you."
Steele nodded, standing between Zane and Kurt to form an intimidating line. "So you do this the easy way and come with us, or we drag you with us anyway."
"You're all frigging bullies," Wyatt muttered. "I'm not a party guy—"
"Stay an hour. For us?" Zane's pleading expression could've convinced a nun to dance burlesque.
"You're pathetic," Wyatt said, but he knew he was beaten. "One hour tops, okay?"
"Done." Kurt slapped him on the back. "Come on, bro. Let's go bond some more."
For once, Wyatt didn't have a smart-ass comeback for his brother.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"You all packed?" Miranda lounged on the sole chair in Ashlin's bedroom, totally rocking a strapless red satin sheath that ended above her knees.
"Yeah." Ashlin zipped her last suitcase and plopped on the bed beside it. "Thanks for the help, by the way. Not."
Miranda laughed and gestured at her outfit. "Couldn't risk a zip snagging this." She held her hands at length, studying her nails. "Or ruining this manicure."
Ashlin stared at Miranda's crimson nails. "Since when do you get your nails painted anything other than clear?"
"Since I need to make a point." Miranda stood and cocked a hip. "I have to make that supercilious idiot weep at the cocktail party tonight."
Ashlin snickered. "You've still got a thing for Steele?"
"I don't have anything but a distinct dislike for that jerk," Miranda said, making a mockery of her statement when she blushed. "He rubs me up the wrong way."
"Don't forget he's transient and it may not be worth starting up if you really like him," Ashlin said, wishing she'd had the wisdom to take her own advice.
Miranda nudged a suitcase aside and sat next to her. "Is that why you ended things with Wyatt? Because you're moving to London?"
Ashlin’s heart ached as it always did when she thought of Wyatt; too often. "It's more complicated than that."
"Life's complicated, honey.” Miranda studied her, tiny worry lines between her immaculately waxed brows. “If he's worth it, you work it out."
Wyatt was so worth it but Ashlin wasn't, that was the problem.
"Look, you've had me feed you Intel all week so you wouldn't run into him at Bombshells, so it must be pretty intense between you two if you wanted to avoid him that bad." Miranda patted her knee. "Whatever it is, I've never seen you back down from a challenge, so why don't you give it a go? Long distance can work."
"The distance isn't the problem." It's what she'd done the last time she'd been in London that ensured she could never be with Wyatt beyond short-term. "I've done some stuff in my past."
Miranda squeezed her knee and let go. "We all have."
"Yeah? What's the perfect Italian girl done in her past that's so bad?" Considering Miranda’s clean living, hippy lifestyle, Ashlin couldn't imagine her doing anything worse than littering. "Served up store-bought pasta rather than homemade? Missed Mass two Sundays in a row?" Ashlin covered her mouth in mock horror. "Maybe slept with a boy so you're not a virgin on your wedding night?"
She'd expected Miranda to laugh. She hadn't expected her eyes to fill with tears.
"Shit, sweetie, I'm sorry. I was joking." Ashlin hugged her friend. "You okay?"
Miranda sniffled then nodded. "Everyone's got a past. Trust me on that. So whatever you did, whatever you can't forget, get a grip on it and move on."
Ashlin wished she could. But not living up to Dougal's expectations had ruined her for years. Not living up to Wyatt's expectations would destroy her completely.
"Running from the past doesn't change anything." Miranda gripped her shoulders and gave her a little shake. "I made a stand and here I am today. When are you going to make your stand and confront whatever's putting that haunted look in your eyes?"
Haunted? Was it that
No way in hell did he need to stroll down that particular memory lane.
Zane stood. "We're not leaving here without you."
Steele nodded, standing between Zane and Kurt to form an intimidating line. "So you do this the easy way and come with us, or we drag you with us anyway."
"You're all frigging bullies," Wyatt muttered. "I'm not a party guy—"
"Stay an hour. For us?" Zane's pleading expression could've convinced a nun to dance burlesque.
"You're pathetic," Wyatt said, but he knew he was beaten. "One hour tops, okay?"
"Done." Kurt slapped him on the back. "Come on, bro. Let's go bond some more."
For once, Wyatt didn't have a smart-ass comeback for his brother.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"You all packed?" Miranda lounged on the sole chair in Ashlin's bedroom, totally rocking a strapless red satin sheath that ended above her knees.
"Yeah." Ashlin zipped her last suitcase and plopped on the bed beside it. "Thanks for the help, by the way. Not."
Miranda laughed and gestured at her outfit. "Couldn't risk a zip snagging this." She held her hands at length, studying her nails. "Or ruining this manicure."
Ashlin stared at Miranda's crimson nails. "Since when do you get your nails painted anything other than clear?"
"Since I need to make a point." Miranda stood and cocked a hip. "I have to make that supercilious idiot weep at the cocktail party tonight."
Ashlin snickered. "You've still got a thing for Steele?"
"I don't have anything but a distinct dislike for that jerk," Miranda said, making a mockery of her statement when she blushed. "He rubs me up the wrong way."
"Don't forget he's transient and it may not be worth starting up if you really like him," Ashlin said, wishing she'd had the wisdom to take her own advice.
Miranda nudged a suitcase aside and sat next to her. "Is that why you ended things with Wyatt? Because you're moving to London?"
Ashlin’s heart ached as it always did when she thought of Wyatt; too often. "It's more complicated than that."
"Life's complicated, honey.” Miranda studied her, tiny worry lines between her immaculately waxed brows. “If he's worth it, you work it out."
Wyatt was so worth it but Ashlin wasn't, that was the problem.
"Look, you've had me feed you Intel all week so you wouldn't run into him at Bombshells, so it must be pretty intense between you two if you wanted to avoid him that bad." Miranda patted her knee. "Whatever it is, I've never seen you back down from a challenge, so why don't you give it a go? Long distance can work."
"The distance isn't the problem." It's what she'd done the last time she'd been in London that ensured she could never be with Wyatt beyond short-term. "I've done some stuff in my past."
Miranda squeezed her knee and let go. "We all have."
"Yeah? What's the perfect Italian girl done in her past that's so bad?" Considering Miranda’s clean living, hippy lifestyle, Ashlin couldn't imagine her doing anything worse than littering. "Served up store-bought pasta rather than homemade? Missed Mass two Sundays in a row?" Ashlin covered her mouth in mock horror. "Maybe slept with a boy so you're not a virgin on your wedding night?"
She'd expected Miranda to laugh. She hadn't expected her eyes to fill with tears.
"Shit, sweetie, I'm sorry. I was joking." Ashlin hugged her friend. "You okay?"
Miranda sniffled then nodded. "Everyone's got a past. Trust me on that. So whatever you did, whatever you can't forget, get a grip on it and move on."
Ashlin wished she could. But not living up to Dougal's expectations had ruined her for years. Not living up to Wyatt's expectations would destroy her completely.
"Running from the past doesn't change anything." Miranda gripped her shoulders and gave her a little shake. "I made a stand and here I am today. When are you going to make your stand and confront whatever's putting that haunted look in your eyes?"
Haunted? Was it that
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