Until Ashlyn
Page 42
“You are not an idiot. You’re in love. Love makes you feel vulnerable and unsure, and it also makes you doubt and question everything. It’s normal to feel like you feel right now.” She waves me off as I take a seat next to her.
“I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here,” I mutter, and she grins, bumping my shoulder.
“My guess is you would have probably run away.”
“Probably.” I laugh, knowing she’s right. I don’t like questioning his feelings for me, and I don’t like the feeling of jealousy and envy I get every time I think about his relationship with Isla, or the fact she probably knows more about him than I do.
“You, my beautiful cousin, have a lot to learn about love and relationships. Dillon is the first guy you’ve ever been serious about. This is all new to you and—”
“I’ve dated,” I cut her off, and she raises a brow. “Okay, fine, I’ve skimmed through a selection of men.” I sigh, and she laughs.
“The point is you will figure it all out. Just don’t overthink things, and always talk to him if you have doubts about anything.” She nudges my shoulder then takes a sip of water before moving her eyes over my face, letting them linger on the bruise at my temple. “How are you feeling?”
“Thankfully, better. I go back to work Monday, and get my stitches out in ten days,” I reply as I absently rub my fingers over the side of my head where my stitches are.
“Have the police said if they caught the person or gotten any leads?”
“They still don’t know. No one saw a license plate, only the make of the car. Even with the story being in the news the last few days, they still haven’t gotten anything.”
“It’s scary that something like that can happen in the middle of the day and no one knows anything.”
“I know. I just…” I pause, taking a breath. “I don’t even want to think about it any more. Every time I think about it, I start to panic,” I admit, which is something I haven’t told anyone until now, but it’s true. There is a constant fear in my stomach. Even today, when I went to the hospital with my mom, I was scared to death about having to walk through the parking lot.
“It may have just been a freak accident.”
“Maybe,” I agree, but something in my gut tells me it was intentional, and even though Dillon said the person may have been after him and not me, the more I think about it, the harder I’m finding it to believe. He was at the office. There is no way they could have known he would be standing in the door, talking to a patient when I walked out of the restaurant, or that he would have come across to meet me. And not only that, but if they were after him, they could have aimed for him when he jogged across the street toward me. They had a clear shot of him then, if he was who they wanted to hurt.
“Earth to Ashlyn.” She snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I blink.
“Sorry, I spaced.”
“It’s fine.” She studies me thoughtfully for a moment then smiles. “In better news, I was talking to July yesterday, and we were going over ideas for your bachelorette party next Saturday. There were a few things I wanted to run by you.”
Frowning at her, I shake my head. “I’m not having a bachelorette party next Saturday,” I deny, and her smile turns into a grin.
“You definitely are having a party. Everyone is coming. Even the moms are going to come out for a drink or two.”
“Oh, Lord,” I murmur, seeing that she’s serious. “Dillon is not going to be happy about this.”
“What am I not going to be happy about?” Dillon asks, startling me, and I squeak, turning on my stool and coming face-to-face with him. I didn’t even hear the garage door open like I normally do when he comes home.
“I thought you said you would be home at five.” His eyes narrow then move to June, and he lifts his chin in a silent hello before crossing his arms over his chest and turning his eyes back to me.
“What is it that I’m not going to be happy about?” he repeats, and I pray June can once again know what I’m thinking without me having to say a word.
“We’re throwing Ash a bachelorette party.” She smiles.
Apparently not.
“Seriously, did you have to just come out and say it like that?” I snip, glaring at her, and she shrugs at me then smiles brighter at Dillon.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going to have strippers. April mentioned getting strippers, and Evan overheard then proceeded to lose his mind.” She rolls her eyes, and Dillon’s jaw begins to twitch.
“Oh, God,” I whisper, and she looks at me.
“I know. Then Evan told Wes, and Wes freaked on July.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t really want strippers there anyway. I mean, guys with nice bodies are fun to look at, but I have my own hot guy and I really don’t like polyester-covered sausage flung in my face, and I can’t imagine you would want to have a ding-a-ling in your face either,” she mutters. I shake my head, and my eyes widen at her in a silent plea for her to shut up before she causes Dillon to have a stroke. “Anyway, the plan is to have dinner with everyone before as a congratulations dinner, and then go to my house, change, and meet the party bus.”
“Um…” I mumble, taking a chance to look at Dillon out of the corner of my eye and see his jaw is still ticking away.
“Also, April mentioned that maybe we should just rent a hotel room downtown and make a night of it.”
“I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here,” I mutter, and she grins, bumping my shoulder.
“My guess is you would have probably run away.”
“Probably.” I laugh, knowing she’s right. I don’t like questioning his feelings for me, and I don’t like the feeling of jealousy and envy I get every time I think about his relationship with Isla, or the fact she probably knows more about him than I do.
“You, my beautiful cousin, have a lot to learn about love and relationships. Dillon is the first guy you’ve ever been serious about. This is all new to you and—”
“I’ve dated,” I cut her off, and she raises a brow. “Okay, fine, I’ve skimmed through a selection of men.” I sigh, and she laughs.
“The point is you will figure it all out. Just don’t overthink things, and always talk to him if you have doubts about anything.” She nudges my shoulder then takes a sip of water before moving her eyes over my face, letting them linger on the bruise at my temple. “How are you feeling?”
“Thankfully, better. I go back to work Monday, and get my stitches out in ten days,” I reply as I absently rub my fingers over the side of my head where my stitches are.
“Have the police said if they caught the person or gotten any leads?”
“They still don’t know. No one saw a license plate, only the make of the car. Even with the story being in the news the last few days, they still haven’t gotten anything.”
“It’s scary that something like that can happen in the middle of the day and no one knows anything.”
“I know. I just…” I pause, taking a breath. “I don’t even want to think about it any more. Every time I think about it, I start to panic,” I admit, which is something I haven’t told anyone until now, but it’s true. There is a constant fear in my stomach. Even today, when I went to the hospital with my mom, I was scared to death about having to walk through the parking lot.
“It may have just been a freak accident.”
“Maybe,” I agree, but something in my gut tells me it was intentional, and even though Dillon said the person may have been after him and not me, the more I think about it, the harder I’m finding it to believe. He was at the office. There is no way they could have known he would be standing in the door, talking to a patient when I walked out of the restaurant, or that he would have come across to meet me. And not only that, but if they were after him, they could have aimed for him when he jogged across the street toward me. They had a clear shot of him then, if he was who they wanted to hurt.
“Earth to Ashlyn.” She snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I blink.
“Sorry, I spaced.”
“It’s fine.” She studies me thoughtfully for a moment then smiles. “In better news, I was talking to July yesterday, and we were going over ideas for your bachelorette party next Saturday. There were a few things I wanted to run by you.”
Frowning at her, I shake my head. “I’m not having a bachelorette party next Saturday,” I deny, and her smile turns into a grin.
“You definitely are having a party. Everyone is coming. Even the moms are going to come out for a drink or two.”
“Oh, Lord,” I murmur, seeing that she’s serious. “Dillon is not going to be happy about this.”
“What am I not going to be happy about?” Dillon asks, startling me, and I squeak, turning on my stool and coming face-to-face with him. I didn’t even hear the garage door open like I normally do when he comes home.
“I thought you said you would be home at five.” His eyes narrow then move to June, and he lifts his chin in a silent hello before crossing his arms over his chest and turning his eyes back to me.
“What is it that I’m not going to be happy about?” he repeats, and I pray June can once again know what I’m thinking without me having to say a word.
“We’re throwing Ash a bachelorette party.” She smiles.
Apparently not.
“Seriously, did you have to just come out and say it like that?” I snip, glaring at her, and she shrugs at me then smiles brighter at Dillon.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going to have strippers. April mentioned getting strippers, and Evan overheard then proceeded to lose his mind.” She rolls her eyes, and Dillon’s jaw begins to twitch.
“Oh, God,” I whisper, and she looks at me.
“I know. Then Evan told Wes, and Wes freaked on July.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t really want strippers there anyway. I mean, guys with nice bodies are fun to look at, but I have my own hot guy and I really don’t like polyester-covered sausage flung in my face, and I can’t imagine you would want to have a ding-a-ling in your face either,” she mutters. I shake my head, and my eyes widen at her in a silent plea for her to shut up before she causes Dillon to have a stroke. “Anyway, the plan is to have dinner with everyone before as a congratulations dinner, and then go to my house, change, and meet the party bus.”
“Um…” I mumble, taking a chance to look at Dillon out of the corner of my eye and see his jaw is still ticking away.
“Also, April mentioned that maybe we should just rent a hotel room downtown and make a night of it.”
