Текст книги "Truth Or Dare"
Автор книги: Aimee McNeil
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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
“No, just the opposite. That was so fucking sexy. I don’t want anyone else to see you take your clothes off except me. I’m a very selfish person, Sophie, and I don’t like to share. I don’t want to share you with anyone…ever.” Ashton stepped closer, leaning down so he was a breath away from her. His smell was heady, causing her whole body to need him with an intensity that ravished her. She was completely lost in him and she knew there would be no going back. “You’re like a drug, Sophie.” He grazed his lips over her cheek, running his fingers through her hair. His nearness caused her insides to heat, caused her heart to race, and her mind to fog. She was lost in the lust he ignited in her in a white hot fury. A moan escaped her lips as he ran his tongue along her neck. “My. Place. Now.” Sophie practically melted from his arms when he pulled back. It took great effort to keep her legs beneath her. Ashton opened her door and she slid in like she was made of liquid.
The ride was short to his place and Sophie was grateful because his eyes made her skin heat and she couldn’t find any words. The sexual energy between them was intoxicating. This passionate lust was a new experience for her. Her body wanted him like he was breath for her lungs. Is this love? Whatever it is, it feels absolutely amazing!
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Ashton pulled his car up in front of a beautiful sleek building. A doorman approached once they came to a stop. Ashton swung open his door and stepped out. Sophie’s door was opened by a man with an inviting demeanor.
“Thank you,” Sophie said softly.
“My pleasure. Do you have any bags that you need assistance with, dear?” The man was probably in his forties with graying hair and a perfectly trimmed mustache.
“Got it, Alfred,” Ashton answered before Sophie could. He had already retrieved Sophie’s small duffle bag from the back of the car. Sophie was surprised to have a doorman assisting them. He seemed to be on familiar terms with Ashton, anticipating that Ashton would toss his keys. He grabbed them easily when they soared through the air in his direction.
“Very well. Have a good evening, miss.” The doorman bowed respectfully.
“You too. It was nice to meet you. I’m Sophie, by the way.” Sophie offered her hand. The man seemed amused as he accepted her hand.
“Charles, but you can call me Alfred if you like. Ashton seems to think it more fitting. I won’t tell you what I call him. I fear it would not be appropriate for a lovely lady such as you to hear. Though, I will tell you it is definitely not Bruce Wayne.” He winked.
“Hey now. Be nice. Don’t scare her off.” Ashton reached over and grabbed Sophie’s hand, pulling her along with him. Another man was holding the main doors open for them as they walked toward the entrance.
“Where are we?” Sophie whispered, walking into the grand building. A beautifully decorated lounge presented before them—it looked professionally decorated with exquisite art covering the walls and a large desk made of marble stretched out to the left with a woman sitting behind it. The building was impressive.
“Good evening, Mr. King.” The woman behind the counter practically salivated as they walked past. Sophie watched the woman’s eyes linger on Ashton.
“Evening.” Ashton nodded as he kept his pace quick. Ashton seemed oblivious to her interest. Sophie decided against acknowledging the woman, whose thoughts were written all over her face.
“This is where I live. Well, on the top floor, actually.” He pressed the elevator button impatiently.
When the elevator doors opened, Ashton pulled her inside. Sophie looked around the mirrored interior. She looked up and caught his darkened eyes locked on her in their reflection, his jaw clenching. Her face heated from the intention that was painted on his expression. As soon as the doors closed completely his hands were on her. Her bag dropped to the floor and he lifted her up easily, pinning her between his hard body and the cool mirrored wall. He greedily roamed her body with his hands. His fingers reached under the hem of her shirt and browsed her sensitive flesh teasingly.
“Should we be doing this? There might be cameras in here or something.” Sophie panted from the desire that now coursed through her, robbing her of breath.
“There are cameras but I don’t fucking care. I can’t wait to touch you.”
“Ashton!” Sophie gasped, trying to pull her shirt back down and right herself. The elevator beeped and the doors began to open. Ashton reached down for her bag before he turned around and grabbed Sophie, throwing her over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Sophie couldn’t help the laughter that spilled from her.
“Taking you to my bed,” Ashton announced. Sophie looked around at the beautiful foyer that presented before two grand white doors. Ashton pushed a sequence of numbers into a keypad before he opened the door and walked in.
His hand cupped her bottom under her shorts and she squealed out in laughter. “Ashton! Put me down. I want to see your place.” From what Sophie could see from her view over Ashton’s shoulder the place was wonderful. Full height windows ran along the outside wall, giving an incredible view of the city below.
“Sure. You can see my place but we start with my room,” he said playfully. Sophie screamed when he dropped her on the bed.
“Is this how you bring all the girls into your place?” Sophie laughed as she sat up on his bed.
“I have never brought another girl to this place before. You are the only girl I want in my bed.” Ashton leaned down to kiss her lips. The city lights shone in the massive window that covered an entire wall in his room, casting a glow over his body. She ran her fingers over the magnificent bone structure of his cheek. She couldn’t help but appreciate his perfection.
Sophie pulled away from the kiss. Reaching down, she pulled her shirt up over her head. “I want you,” Sophie whispered as she let him take in her flesh. She pulled the straps of her bra down off her shoulders before reaching back and unclasping it.
“I want you more,” he whispered, watching her. Sophie was driven by the heat and the desire to be with him that overcame her.
Sophie slipped off his bed and stood in front of the window so she was cast in the lights that shone upon them. She unbuttoned her shorts and slid them down the length of her legs. Her panties followed. She stood in front of him completely naked and heated with the need for his touch. “Don’t move,” she whispered as she approached him.
Sophie walked toward Ashton, who stood watching her, unmoving with clenched fists. His gaze followed her like a predator watching his prey. She stepped behind him and reached for his shirt, pulling it up. Ashton reached back over his shoulder, pulled his shirt off over his head, and dropped it on the floor. Sophie’s hands skimmed his waist as she ran her hands around to the hard rippled flesh of his stomach. She loved all the grooves that her fingers dipped into. She reached for the button of his pants as she pressed her breasts against his back and his breathing became deep and labored.
Sophie slipped his pants and underwear down, freeing him of any confinements of clothing before she circled him and took in his body. “Have you figured out what this is between us?” Sophie whispered.
“What do you want it to be?” he responded, watching her closely, his hands still by his sides.
“When I walked into that classroom when I saw you the first time, I wondered what it would be like to kiss you…I wanted to. I wanted to be the girl that held your hand and cheered you on from the sidelines as you played. I was jealous of Lucinda for having you.”
“You should never have been jealous of Lucinda. Every time I kissed her I imagined it was you. You were out of my reach but it didn’t stop me from wanting you. Now that I know what it’s like to be with you I don’t ever want to be with anyone else.” Sophie ran her hands down his lean hard stomach, causing Ashton to take a sharp intake of breath. “Let’s forget about the past and concentrate on the future.”
“That sounds like a good plan to me.” Sophie whispered. “I want you to touch me.”
“Good, ’cause I was going out of my fucking mind.” Ashton pulled her naked body against his as he lowered her onto the bed. Sophie delighted in the feel of his lips all over her. If this was love then she was now a believer. She wanted him, she needed him, and he had become a part of her heart.
Sophie’s head spun as he moved down her body, teasing her with his lips and explorative hands. He continued until he met the over-sensitized skin between her legs. His tongue explored and his hands caressed until Sophie lost touch with reality. She fell deep into a pool of pleasure and came undone.
***
The next morning Sophie woke with a smile on her face. When she opened her eyes she felt Ashton’s arm wrapped around her. She could hear his soft even breathing, indicating that he was still asleep. As much as she wanted to remain wrapped in his comfortable embrace, it was getting late and she was scheduled to work at the restaurant. When she moved, Ashton’s arm tightened around her. “Are you trying to sneak out on me?” His voice was thick with sleep and he sounded so incredibly sexy.
“As much as I would love to spend the day with you in bed, I have to work.” Sophie laughed as he pulled her closer to him.
“Do you still not believe in love?” he whispered against her neck.
“Are you trying to make a believer out of me?” Because you already did! She wasn’t ready to make that kind of confession yet. Sophie turned around to see his face. He leaned up on his arm to look down at her. His hair was messy and it made her smile how delectable he looked. His eyes were so bright blue and she wanted to know everything about him, all his secrets.
“Maybe.” He leaned down and kissed her arm before looking up at her from under his thick dark lashes. Sophie ran her fingers through his soft hair. “You look so beautiful in my bed,” he confessed as Sophie played with his hair.
“I like your bed.”
“I also want to know what you look like in my shower,” he said with a mischievous tone.
Sophie’s eyes widened before he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her off the bed. He carried her out of his room toward the shower. “Ashton! What are you doing?” Sophie laughed as he hugged her against his chest. Sophie wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her. She couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to nibble on his ear as she leaned in close to him. He grabbed his toothbrush off the counter and slathered it with toothpaste before he stuck it in his mouth and went to turn on the shower, all while refusing to let her down. Sophie laughed and squirmed in his hold as he kissed her with his toothpaste covered mouth. She grabbed his toothbrush from his mouth and placed it in her own and proceeded to brush her teeth. “That’s so fucking hot. I am never getting a new toothbrush,” Ashton commended. Sophie kissed him back, making him laugh deep. It was the perfect sound and it melted her insides. He walked them into the hot water of the large tiled shower. Under the soothing stream of water he kissed her passionately, deeply like he could never get close enough. She knew because she felt the same about him. This has to be real! I want to stay here forever.
After the shower that Sophie knew she would not soon forget, Ashton offered to drive her to work. She gladly accepted because it meant she could have that much more time with him.
When they got in the car, Ashton reached over and ran his hand over the bare skin of her leg. She was wearing her black skirt and white button up blouse, which was pretty much a standard for her work attire.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, sir.” Sophie stopped his hand from reaching under her skirt.
“The backseat is roomier than it looks.” Ashton raised his eyebrows suggestively.
“You know you never did tell me how you ended up posing nude for my art class,” Sophie said when the question suddenly came to mind.
Ashton smiled. “Truthfully…I found out you were in that class and the opportunity arose. So I decided to go for it.”
“You did it to see me?” Sophie was shocked at his confession.
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, I am. Were you hoping that I would see your hot body and not be able to resist?”
“Yes. I told you I always had a thing for you,” he stated wickedly.
“What about the girl?”
“I was trying to make you jealous. Did it work?”
“That depends on if you slept with her.” Sophie raised her eyebrows.
“Naw. Not my type. She practically threw herself at me. I like girls to pretend they hate me.” Ashton pulled up to the front of the restaurant. “Do I need to go in and tell Sam that you’re off limits?” His mood turned suddenly serious as he looked past her into the restaurant.
“Nope. Not necessary. Things are good between me and Sam now that he knows I don’t want anything more than friendship.” Sophie leaned over and gave Ashton a kiss before she opened her door.
“Do you want me to pick you up?”
“No. I don’t know what time I’m getting off, but I’ll call you tomorrow before I go visit Margaret.”
“Sounds good.”
When Sophie walked into the restaurant she could see the beginning of the lunch rush start to accumulate, filling up the tables. She walked into the back room to put her bag in her locker when she was intercepted by Lori, who seemed slightly anxious.
“You look like you are going to say something I won’t like,” Sophie stated before Lori had a chance to speak.
“There’s something I wanted to tell you before you hear it from someone else.” Lori twisted her apron in her hands.
“Okay…” Sophie encouraged hesitantly.
“Well…I know Sam has had this thing for you. Lately he’s been sulking around. I’m not sure what exactly happened between you two but last night I asked him out for a drink. I felt bad for the guy…I had a great time and I think he did too. I just want to make sure it’s okay with you before I ask him out again. I’m not rushing into anything, especially since I know he’s still hung up on you, but I thought maybe I could win his attention if we spend time together…” Lori looked up at Sophie with an awkward smile, unsure of how to continue the conversation without some feedback from her. “I need to know that I’m not competing with you, because if that’s the case, I wouldn’t have a chance.”
“Nothing happened between Sam and I, and nothing will happen. We’re friends and that’s all it will ever be,” Sophie insisted. “I think it’s wonderful that this might be the beginning of something between you two. I want you both to be happy.”
“I feel so much better. I didn’t want you to get mad at me. There’s already enough drama with Megan having the hate on for you right now.” The relief was evident in Lori’s posture. “She’s convinced that you stole Ashton King from her, by the way.” Lori shook her head. “I have no idea what’s going on, but from the way that Ashton looks at you, I wouldn’t blame you for falling for him.”
“We are actually seeing each other.” Sophie looked at Lori guiltily. “How exactly do I break the news to Megan without her trying to kill me?
Lori’s mouth hung open. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”
“For what it’s worth, I had fallen for him a long time ago. I just didn’t know what it was then,” Sophie confessed.
“Megan has to accept it eventually—we can hope anyway.” Lori patted her on the shoulder.
Sophie worked up the courage through the rest of her shift to break the news to Megan. She felt like she owed it to her to let her know even though Sophie was fearful of how Megan would react. When their shift wrapped up, Sophie took the opportunity. Megan did not take the news well and Sophie had to dodge a few glasses before Megan stormed out of the restaurant.
“I don’t want to know what that was about,” Sam said as he came out of the back room to see what the commotion was about. “Please tell me no one is injured.” He looked at the broken glass on the floor.
“No injuries,” Sophie assured. “I’ll clean up the mess.”
“Give her a month or two, she’ll move on to her next obsession.” Lori tried to cheer Sophie up as she helped with the cleanup.
Sophie sighed dejectedly. “I hope so but until then I think I have to watch my back.”
“Megan is mostly bark. I wouldn’t worry too much about her bite.” Lori shrugged.
“It seemed more than just bark as the glasses were flying at my face. She barely missed me.”
***
When Sophie walked in her apartment after work she was met with a beautiful aroma. She let her purse slip from her shoulder and took in the flowers that were displayed throughout the apartment. The drama from work was suddenly forgotten.
“Do you have a magic vagina or something? Seriously, this guy is in love with you.” Mel came skipping over toward her. “Here.” Mel passed her a card.
Sophie,
A reason to believe in love.
Ashton
Sophie couldn’t help the excitement that coursed through her. It was a beautiful gesture. Sophie pulled out her phone.
Sophie: My apartment smells beautiful…thank you. A bit much but very much appreciated.
Ashton: You’re welcome. I am trying to make you a believer and nothing is too much when it comes to you.
Sophie: It might be working.
Ashton: Good. I wanted to make those beautiful lips smile.
Sophie: Mission accomplished.
Ashton: I wish I was there to kiss them.
Sophie: Me too…tomorrow.
Ashton: Definitely.
Sophie was inspired to paint looking at all the flowers displayed around her apartment. She sat in front of her easel, deliriously happy. The memory of his touch still energized her, lingering upon her skin. She wanted to transfer her feelings on the blank canvas in front of her to represent how she felt.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Sophie and Mel had arranged to meet the business consultant that Margaret had recommended early the next morning. The meeting went well. John Marshall, the consultant, seemed to be optimistic about their endeavor, especially knowing Mel had actual experience working in a bakery. He reviewed their business plan, making only minor adjustments. John even indicated he might have potential investors. Sophie and Mel took it as a sign that they were on the right path.
***
“It’s perfect!” Mel spun around in the building Sophie had found.
“There is a definite advantage to having a building that’s already set up with some of the necessary equipment. This will substantially help with the start-up costs, not to mention making the process that much easier.” Both Sophie and Mel fell in love with the place. It offered the perfect character and location they were looking for.
“A fresh coat of paint and some minor tweaking and this place will be ready to go,” Mel squeaked out in excitement.
The landlord agreed to their terms, allowing them to make the necessary renovations that would be required. Mel and Sophie were able to make the first payment with savings and the landlord agreed to give them a month to finalize further financing. John was incredibly helpful in the negotiations, finding terms that worked well for everyone. John was working out the final details with an investor and was confident that everything would firm up. Everything seemed to be falling into place.
When they left the building, Sophie decided she would head to the hospital to visit Margaret before visiting hours were over. Sophie called ahead, letting Margaret know she was heading in. She sounded wonderful on the phone and even proceeded to let Sophie know that she was no longer on a liquid diet. Sophie laughed and took the hint that Margaret was looking for something to eat other than hospital food. Before she left, Sophie sent a quick text to Ashton, letting him know she was heading in to visit his grandmother.
Sophie decided to get off the bus a couple of blocks away from the hospital to pick up Margaret’s favorite coffee and pastries. Sophie pulled out her phone again to see if Ashton had responded but was disappointed to discover there was still no response.
Walking into the coffee shop, her senses were assaulted with the very rich flavor of coffee. The smell reminded her of Margaret. It was always a favorite stop they made in their daily schedule. Sophie got in line behind an older couple who were trying to make a choice in what type of croissant to get with their coffee. Sophie found their playful banter endearing.
She looked around the café as she waited her turn, taking in the people that filled the seats when her eyes fell on Ashton on the other side of the room. He didn’t blend into the crowd because of his striking appearance. People’s attention was drawn to him, his presence was so magnetic and remarkable. The company he was keeping made her stomach feel like lead. Across from him in the booth was the one and only Lucinda. She couldn’t help the ache that made her insides twist. She watched Lucinda flip her hair flirtatiously and reach out toward Ashton’s arm. They looked happy in each other’s company.
The mocha colored walls felt like they were closing in on her; the painted coffee mugs that ran along the wall seemed to shift around her as if her world was suddenly tilting in the wrong direction. Everything felt wrong—even the smell of the air suddenly made her nauseous. Ashton stood up and Lucinda followed suit, straightening her very short skirt. She smiled before leaning in to kiss Ashton on the lips.
“Miss?” Someone tapped Sophie on the shoulder and she turned to see that it was her turn at the counter. The girl behind the register was staring at her impatiently and Sophie couldn’t bring herself to form words. She was trying to hold herself together, she felt so brittle.
“Sorry,” Sophie mumbled as she backed out of line. Her eyes found Ashton again but this time he was looking straight at her, a shocked expression on his face. She turned to leave as fast as she could. The air outside offered little relief when she pushed through the doors. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Sophie flagged down a cab that was passing.
Sophie didn’t turn around when she heard Ashton call her name. She didn’t respond when he touched her arm. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes. She could feel herself shatter on the ground beneath her.
“Sophie please…it’s not what it looked like.”
Sophie reached for the cab door. “That seems to be the going excuse when it comes to you and Lucinda.” Ashton reached for her hand and she pulled it away. “Don’t touch me!” She climbed into the car and tried to pull the door closed but Ashton held it open.
“Don’t leave like this,” he pleaded. “Don’t keep running away from me.”
“It was stupid of me to think that I could just forget the past. I’m done being hurt by you,” Sophie spat out angrily. “This thing with you and Lucinda is clearly not over if you keep finding your way back to each other. I feel like a fucking yo-yo with you. I’m up one minute and down the next, but guess what? You pushed me too far this time and I finally snapped.
“Congratulations, Ashton, you finally broke me. I don’t want to be with you. I can’t be with someone that secretly meets up with their ex, who hates me. How do you think that looks? Seeing you there together, so friendly with each other, both with stupid smiles on your faces? Then the final straw was that lovely fucking kiss. What the fuck was that? Actually, I don’t even want to hear you try and explain yourself out of this. I don’t believe any of the shit that comes out of your mouth. Your word means nothing to me because I can’t trust you. You’re not the person I thought you were.” Sophie tried to swing the door shut behind her but Ashton held it open.
“You just swore,” Ashton said in disbelief.
“That’s what you got from all of that?”
“No, but…”
“Fuck you!” Sophie pulled the door so hard it slammed closed. She pushed the lock down before Ashton pulled on the handle.
She told the driver to take her to the hospital, completely ignoring Ashton.
“Are you okay, miss? That was quite the argument.” The driver kept glancing at her through the rearview mirror as they drove the short distance to the hospital. It was barely long enough to justify getting a cab but she had to get distance between her and Ashton as soon as she could.
“Yes. Sorry. Just give me a second to pull myself together.” Sophie took a deep breath.
“Take all the time you need.” The middle aged man seemed nervous about her emotional state. When she finally got her tears to stop falling she reached for her purse. “It’s on me, miss, no need to pay. Just feel better.”
“Thank you.” Sophie’s voice wavered. She knew she should probably just have gone home but she knew she would regret not visiting Margaret, who was expecting her, and she feared that if she went home there might be a chance that she could not bring herself to leave again.
Everything felt wrong, her skin felt too heavy upon her and her head felt too light. The ground beneath her feet was too hard and the air around her too thin.
Sophie stood outside Margaret’s hospital door trying to get control over her emotions, trying to bury the pain that assaulted her. She could feel her phone vibrating in her pocket but she couldn’t bring herself to pull it out. She knew Ashton was trying to call her and she felt too broken to face him now. She was here for Margaret. Taking a deep calming breath, she tried to pull all of her frenzied emotions in tighter against her heart so they wouldn’t show through. Sophie held onto a basket of sweets that she had bought from the gift shop downstairs. Her hands felt numb as she grasped the handle of the basket until it groaned in distress. Finally when she felt as ready as possible, she knocked. When Margaret called for her to enter, she pushed the door open and forced herself to seem unaffected by the storm of emotions brewing inside her.
“Sophie,” Margaret welcomed warmly when she entered. It did offer Sophie some relief knowing that she was doing so well. She was sitting up with a magazine upon her lap. “It’s good to see you, dear.”
“You look beautiful. Are you sure you just had surgery?” Sophie tried to be light but she could hear her words fall heavy to the floor.
“Come sit. I’m a little sore but other than that I’m doing great. The doctor feels good about the surgery and my recovery, so I couldn’t ask for more,” Margaret assured her.
Sophie placed the basket on the table next to her bed. “In case you need something sweet.” Sophie smiled and reached in to wrap her arms around Margaret. “I was worried about you. I’m glad things went so well.” When Sophie went to pull away, Margaret held onto her, giving her an extra squeeze.
“Tell me what’s wrong?” she whispered, holding onto Sophie. She let her go to look into Sophie’s eyes.
“I’m fine.” Sophie tried to sound sincere but she felt her lip tremble. “Nothing that needs to be discussed right now. When do you get to leave this place, anyway?” Sophie sat down beside Margaret’s bed and took in the white room around her.
“It could be as early as tomorrow but what I would really like to know is why there is so much sadness in your beautiful green eyes.”
Sophie shook her head as she avoided Margaret’s gaze. “You would think that they would have clued in that a little color on the walls could make this place a little less stark and depressing,” Sophie said thoughtfully.
“Sophie? Look at me.” Margaret reached for her hand. “I want you to talk to me.”
Sophie looked into Margaret’s eyes and felt her resolve crumble. “My whole life I told myself not to fall in love because I would only get hurt. I saw my mother hurt so many times. I didn’t want to feel that.” Sophie reached up and wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. “I thought I could avoid it…I should have avoided it.” Sophie didn’t want to tell Margaret who she was talking about because she didn’t know how Margaret would feel about her being with her grandson. “It’s my own fault for believing that it could end any other way.”
“What happened?” Margaret held onto Sophie’s hand.
“I stopped on the way here to get you your favorite coffee and he was there with his ex-girlfriend. And she’s not just some girl. She made it her life’s mission to make my life miserable in high school. I saw them kiss. I ran out without the goods…sorry.” Sophie wiped away the tears that ran freely down her cheeks. “You probably really would have enjoyed a caffeine fix right now.” Sophie took a deep calming breath.
“Come here.” Margaret offered her arms for an embrace. Sophie leaned over and fell into Margaret’s comforting hold. “We can’t have the good without the bad, unfortunately. I know that it hurts right now but if there is something that I have learned over my many years it’s that the pain is worth it…I never did like that Lucinda girl.” Margaret patted her arm.
Sophie pulled away and looked at Margaret with wide eyes. “You know?”
“Yes, dear. I don’t know why he was meeting her. That’s something only Ashton will be able to tell you. Though, one thing that I do know is when my Ashton came to me years ago and told me about a new girl at his school, I could see it in his eyes that you owned a piece of his heart even then. He told me that you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Since that first day he spoke of you, you have never been far from his mind. I think he reserved his heart for you since that very first day. Maybe things are not as they seem.”
Sophie shook her head. She wasn’t really sure how to proceed with the information that Margaret had just told her. “I don’t understand. Did you know who I was when you hired me?”
“Yes.” Margaret sighed. “He didn’t want you to know but it was actually Ashton who told me you needed a job. He arranged everything. Though, I am so very grateful you came into my life. I knew instantly why you meant so much to him. You need to keep in mind that fate brought the two of you back together for a reason. When you open yourself up to love it makes you vulnerable to pain.”
“I wish you were right, Margaret, but I fear this crazy road that Ashton and I are on has come to an end. I’m not strong enough for this.”
