Текст книги "Be My Temptation"

Автор книги: Rachel Brookes

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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

“We have had sex once, Josh,” she said in a breathy voice.

“Fine, if you want to get into specifics, I’ll rephrase my question. Are you just a friend who I have had sex with once, but who I have kissed and finger fucked more than once? You think I look at you as a friend with benefits?”

Her eyes turned intense and her jaw tightened. “That’s all I can be.”

“That’s bullshit. Have I not touched you, kissed you, fucked you? Have I not given you a clear sign that you are my girl? I’d give you the world, Ashy. I would give you my final breath if it meant I didn’t have to live a moment without you. Sorry if that freaks you out, but that’s the truth. Time means nothing when it comes to how I feel about you, because I’ve felt like this for a long fucking time. You aren’t a casual fling to me, and you aren’t a friend with benefits. Get the fucked up thought of being a notch on my belt out of your head too.”

“It’s not bullshit, Josh,” she whispered. “Hearing you say all of that is like living a dream. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to hear that? How many years I wished for those words to spill from you? But I’ve changed, and I feel like in some fucked up way that I’m damaged goods. All I can give is casual. Five years ago, we had a chance, but it felt like all you wanted was a one-night stand. I lived for a happily-ever-after, and you chose a path of random girls and no commitment.”

My jaw clenched at the words she was spitting. For the past five years, this was what she’d been thinking? That she was a one-night stand, and that was all I wanted? That was so far from the truth. “You have absolutely no clue what happened five years ago. The fact that you even considered yourself a one-night stand pisses me off.”

She crossed the office and stood before me. “I’m standing right here, Josh. Tell me. Make me believe it. You’ve been so incredible to me, and no one has ever treated me like you have recently. Fuck, you’ve made me believe that I am worthy of finding love one day. You make every bad thing disappear with a kiss, a look, or a simple touch. You, Josh. No one else. But every single time I feel myself start to fall, I have to catch myself. I can’t trust that my heart won’t get broken again, because I can’t shift the thought that I was just some random girl to you.”

I hooked my finger into the hoop of her jeans and pulled her hard against my body. Her hands went flush against my chest, and she looked up at me with shock and intrigue. My lips collided with hers in a hard kiss. There was no softness, there was no romance, and there was no thinking. All I wanted was to show her the strength I had behind everything I felt for her. I wanted to bruise her lips so she’d remember this moment for days to come. Her gasp rang through my body as she breathed in everything I was giving her.

Broken breathing filled my office as I pulled away, leaving my mouth lightly brushing against hers, while my lips were caressed by her desperate need for air. “You have never been a random girl to me. You, Ashlyn, are everything. Do not let that thought get inside your head, because I’ll make it my mission to destroy it.”

“Tell me. I need to know,” she whispered.

Suddenly, the air around us shifted, and Ashlyn stepped away as the door opened. She wiped her lips and removed the smudged color just as Ky and Eden stepped into my office.

Perfect fucking timing.

“Just the two people we wanted to see,” Ky said with a wide smile gracing his face.

“Have you found out anything, Ash?” Eden asked, shooting me a cheeky wink. Jesus, she wasn’t going to let up.

“Not yet. Still working on finding out what I want to know,” she replied, with more meaning behind her words then Eden would ever know.

Ky grabbed Eden’s hand, and suddenly the loved-up couple appeared. Eden looked up at him with happiness radiating off of her, and Ky’s smile somehow got bigger. I could be kissing Ashlyn instead of witnessing this. Fucking hell.

“We have decided on a joint bachelor and bachelorette party. The west coast crew are coming over for Red Velvet New York’s birthday celebration, so we are going to have it then and combine them.”

What the actual fuck?

There was no way my only brother would be sharing his bachelor party. I’d been planning an epic celebration since he announced his engagement. It would seem that Ky had suddenly lost his balls.

“So, Savannah and Tanzi will be here?” Ashlyn asked excitedly.

“Yep, Tate and Jack are coming over too.”

Tate Connors was the owner of Red Velvet, and Savannah’s husband. I met him when I first met his twin, Tanzi Connors, who worked for Beautify Magazine in Los Angeles. Jack had been Tanzi’s fiancé for as long as I could remember. I spent plenty of nights at Red Velvet L.A. Ashlyn, Ky, and more recently, Eden, had become good friends with them over the years, and whenever any of us were in each other’s cities we would catch up.

“This calls for a shopping adventure. New dresses, shoes, lingerie, the whole shebang,” Ashlyn said excitedly.

All I focused on was lingerie. Christ, she had me by the balls.

“Let’s go grab coffee so we can make plans,” Eden said. “I’ll go and grab my things from Ky’s office and meet you downstairs.”

Ky and Eden left, and I closed the door behind them. Ashlyn grabbed her purse and put it over her shoulder, then pulled her sunglasses out and rested them on her head.

“I’m coming over tonight, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” I said.

I leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head suddenly and my lips landed on her cheek. It was a kick to the gut, but it was clear that her defenses were shooting up at a fast fucking rate.

“I’ll see you tonight,” she said softly, and dropped her gaze from mine. The urge to grab her, drag her back into my office, and sort this out right now was almost too hard to fight, but that would make her flee even faster.

In a thick silence, I watched her move slowly to the door. Her hand fell to the handle, and everything seemed to come to a screeching halt as she paused. Stay, please stay. When I looked over her shoulder, her eyes met mine, and I waited with baited breath.

“Right now, I feel like I’m falling,” she whispered.

There was absolutely no hesitation in my response. “Let me catch you, Ashy.”

HOW MANY TIMES DID I have to tell him?

I paced my apartment, fuming at the deluge of messages I’d received from Lachlan throughout the day. I refused to acknowledge them, and the more I ignored him, the more he persisted. But I refused to give in. He was pissing me off now. I wasn’t just frustrated, I was literally ready to find him and put him on a plane myself. Around three P.M., I finally turned my phone off and hid it deep inside my top drawer.

I sat on the couch, curled up with my kindle, and getting lost in perfect fantasy. My newest book boyfriend would distract me from my ridiculous ex-boyfriend. Once again, fictional presented itself as the better option. I was so engrossed in my book that I didn’t hear the front door open until I heard Josh speak.

“Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

Shit! I had gotten so lost in ignoring Lachlan that I didn’t even think of anyone else who might be trying to get in contact with me. Josh was standing just inside the front door, with two bags hanging from each hand. The smell of Thai food filled the air, and my stomach growled in happiness.

“You bought dinner?” I asked softly, stating the obvious.

“Yep, Thai from the new place on the corner. By the sound of your stomach, you haven’t eaten today?” He shot me a wink, and I couldn’t argue.

“You think you’re so smart. There better be Pad Thai in that bag.”

He scoffed. “Would I be a gentleman if I didn’t bring the fair maiden her favorite food? I’m insulted that you would ask that question.”

Josh disappeared into the kitchen and returned with plates, chop sticks, and two bottles of water. I watched him unload the food, and he even piled my plate high with Pad Thai that smelled unbelievable. Gentleman Josh was one of my favorite sides of him.

“So why have you got your phone turned off?” he asked, handing me a plate and chopsticks. “What would happen if I wanted a booty call?”

“And you just lost your gentleman title.” I laughed before taking my first taste of dinner. “And the title is back, because this Pad Thai is incredible.”

“So, how come?” he pushed.

“Lachlan has been texting and trying to call me all day. By three P.M. I got sick of it, so I turned my phone off and put it in my pantie drawer.”

Josh’s jaw ticked, and his eyes flashed in anger. “What was he saying?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” I murmured, and swallowed my words by lifting the bottle of water to my lips.

“Ashy, talk to me. It’s just you and me. Don’t keep that shit bottled up. What did fucker of the century say?”

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. Even when we were talking about the worst subject, Josh made me smile. “He said I deserved what happened. That I caused him to cheat because I didn’t give him enough of me, and then when I didn’t respond he started spitting all this hate at me. Really immature shit, like my boobs are too small, my thighs are too big, and that I am a crap lay. You know, all the things girls love to hear,” I said sarcastically.

“I, for one, can tell you that your boobs are fucking amazing, your legs are phenomenal, and you are the best lay I’ve had. And you know I don’t joke around when it comes to sex. Number one spot, Ashy.” His voice was casual, but his stare was penetrating, and it hit me right in the heart.

“I just want this whole thing done. How can I possibly move on when he won’t leave me alone? He was the one that stuck his cock in another chick, so why is he doing this? It was his choice.”

“You have moved on, Ashy. Look how much you have changed since he fucked up. You have your blog, your apartment looks incredible, and you’ve had some seriously amazing sex with incredible orgasms.” He shot me a wink, and the tension I felt over talking about Lachlan quickly disappeared.

“Yeah, my vibrator has been amazing lately. Battery-operated sex is the best kind. Best orgasms I’ve ever had.”

“I have to compete with book boyfriends and vibrators, Christ,” he said with a groan. “Tonight we eat Pad Thai, watch some ridiculous reality show, and then climb into bed where I’ll be falling asleep inside of you. You’ll be throwing out your vibrator once I’m done.”

“Promises, promises,” I whispered with a tease in my voice, even though the thought sent heat through me. “You better back it up, Crawford.”

“I am a man of my word, Hart.”

After gorging myself with Pad Thai and putting on my comfiest sweats, I sat on the couch, my head resting on his chest, and his arm around my shoulders. The elephant in the room was getting bigger by the minute. We both knew there was a conversation we needed to finish, but neither one initiated it. I didn’t know why I was holding back. While in his office I was so determined to find out everything, but now it was almost like I was afraid of what I might hear. Dinner had been perfect, cuddling on the couch was exactly what I needed, and I was getting lost in a world of fantasy.

This kind of life is what I wanted.

Uncomplicated, exciting, and spontaneous.

I shifted beside him, and looked up to find him engrossed in the travel show we had been watching. He huffed when he realized it was about London, but he soon got over it and made some inappropriate comment about the royal family, and then proceeded to start talking in the worst British accent I’d ever heard.

He looked down at me and smiled. “Hey.”

And just like that, with the sweetest of smiles and a simple word from him, the butterflies appeared. “I like this,” I whispered.

“Me too.” After tucking my hair behind my ear, he leaned down and brushed my lips so softly with his own, in the most sensual of ways.

I liked this a lot.

“Why didn’t we have this year’s ago? I’ve been trying to work out how I’m so different now than I was five years ago. You took my virginity, Josh, so if you had shown me any interest I would have been yours. I would have given you my heart without question.”

He shifted beside me so we were face to face, which allowed me to witness the emotion that my question caused to flash over his face. It was a look of complete shock and confusion. “You think this is new to me?”

“You had five years, Josh. You walked away. You made me feel like a one-night stand, and then suddenly I was friend-zoned. So tell me why. Please let me understand.”

There was no hesitation in my voice. I wanted the truth because I needed to understand in order to move forward with whatever was happening between us. There was so much holding me back from taking the next step . . . so many unanswered questions. I knew Josh wanted more. He didn’t hold back in the way he would possessively hold me, the claim of ownership I felt in his kiss, or his need to make sure I was okay before everything else.

“From the first moment I saw you in the library, you grabbed a tight hold of my attention, and you’ve never lost it.” The sincerity in his voice told me that he was getting ready to admit everything to me, and my nerves fluttered to life.

“That night at Rosie’s, I had every intention of approaching you, but you completely fucked with my head and made the first move. There’s no doubt in my mind that it was then that I knew you’d forever intrigue me. Having you in my bed, and being given the greatest gift I’d ever received, changed me. Without a doubt, you took my heart that night, and yes that confused me. When I woke up to an empty bed, I made the decision that I was going to find you, then ask you to have breakfast with me and spend the day together. One night with a beautiful blond changed everything, and I was ready to work my ass off to make you mine.

“But then I walked out of the bedroom and found Ky laughing and looking completely carefree, like the world had lifted from his shoulders. I’d been watching him destroy himself for months, and every morning I would wake up with the fear that his guilt over everything that happened with Eden had become too much and I would lose him forever. The thought that my brother, the one person I looked up to and wanted to be, had nothing to live for, terrified me.

“It was you, Ash. You were the first person to make him act like himself again. You brought him back to mom, dad, and me. How could I interfere with that? Ky needed you, so I knew that I had to sacrifice what I wanted in order to keep my brother alive. It was as severe as that. He was on a one-way path that he couldn’t get off of, and I truly believe that if it wasn’t for you, he would no longer be here.

“It was my biggest sacrifice, Ashlyn, but I didn’t know what else to do. Having you in my life was and will always be my number one priority. I wanted you to be mine. You climbed so far inside of me that night, but I had to settle with having you in my life as my sexy, sassy friend. I had to watch you start a relationship, knowing that maybe my decision had been the biggest mistake of my life. Then I had to watch you get your heart broken, and I had to live with the fact that I could have stopped that hurt from happening to you. Ashlyn, I had no idea what I could do. I had my brother destroying and slowly killing himself, and I had the girl I wanted a life with within reach.”

A deep sob echoed through the air, and it was only then that I realized I’d been holding my breath. Watching Josh open up and hearing him speak of Ky and his fears shredded my heart. I never knew it was that bad. The color in Josh’s face drained as he spoke of what I knew were dark days for the Crawford family.

His words hit me full force. A sledgehammer of promises that hinted at what I had secretly always wanted. Hearing him say that we could have had that five years ago caused my throat to close and my palms to sweat.

I sat back and moved to the other end of the couch. “I had no idea.” I whispered, trying my hardest to breathe and not succumb to shock. “I wish you didn’t have to go through that on your own. We could have helped him together. I could have been there for you, by your side, like I always wanted to be. That’s all I have ever wanted—to be with you, for you to be mine. You weren’t the only one who was changed by that night. It felt like you made me a woman, and I wanted to be yours. None of the past five years had to happen. Lachlan, Sadie, the women, the heartbreak. None of it. We could have been together.”

My words came out panicked, and I started to shake.

“Ashy, come here,” he said softly.

I shook my head as everything crashed within me, and I pulled away further.

“You and I could have had everything, and I could have given Ky just as much friendship as I did. I have lived the past five years thinking that I was a one-night stand; that the best night of my life was just a regular night to you. What you did for Ky is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. It’s making my tummy flutter, and makes me want to swoon and kiss you so hard. But I can’t help thinking about what we have lost, what we could have been.”

“We can be, Ashlyn. No one has ever compared to you, and no one ever will. You tempt me—not just with your body and mind, but with the possibilities of a life that involves you, me, a house, a puppy, and children. You tempt me with the thought of a happily-ever-after. Ashlyn, when have I ever thought of a happily-ever-after? You tempt me with a life of just you. You, Ashlyn, only you.”

Every thought I had, and every opinion that was mine was destroyed in that moment. It was like being told you were beautiful for the very first time. This was Josh at his most vulnerable.

“My heart has only ever been yours, Ashy.”

As he stared at me with eyes begging to give him what he wanted, I was transported into memories of the past five years. All I saw was us. Every time I pushed him away, he always came back, and through every heartbreak and soaring high in my life, he was there to pick up the pieces or congratulate me. Every man I met I compared to him, and every woman I saw him with, I was jealous of.

But we could have bypassed all of that. We could have had all this for five years. What had we lost? What would we never get back?

“I think I just need to be alone tonight,” I whispered, my emotions on the verge of exploding into shards of confusion.

“Don’t push me away, Ashlyn.”

“Please, Josh. I need to get my head around everything. This is huge. I’m trying to understand and process everything.”

I stood from the couch and collected the plates we used for dinner, then walked into kitchen. Some distance between Josh and I was the best thing that could happen right now. The likelihood that I’d get lost in all that he encompassed if I stayed close to him was sky high, and I needed time to work out everything I had learned.

“Ashy.”

I turned toward where his voice was coming from, but my feet suddenly felt like they were cemented to the floor, halting any possible escape plans. My hand felt his heat as he lifted it and wove our fingers together. The feeling of my hand being encased with his and his body so close to mine altered my ability to comprehend anything, and my breath at that moment chose to flee. My tentative gaze dropped to our hands, which fit so perfectly, and it felt like I was living in a world of slow motion when his thumb delicately ran over my skin.

“You’ve got to breathe, Ashy.” His voice spoke so low, and it caused my stomach to flutter. “Be mine today, tomorrow, and forever, because we both know that we are the only ones for one another. I’m going to give you the space you need tonight, but I won’t stay away for long.”

I stood frozen, letting his words penetrate my heart while taunting my mind, as he walked out of the kitchen, through the living room, and to the door. With one last look over his shoulder, he stepped through the door and disappeared, then I headed straight for my wine.

I paced my apartment with a glass of wine swinging in my hand as I got lost in a torrent of Josh Crawford. What did I want? Could I move past this? Tonight had been everything I wanted, but it was the shock of his admission that freaked me out. Now I was heading for a night in, with too much wine and an impending hangover.

He called me his girl.

I could have been his girl for five years. He could have been my guy for five years. Why didn’t I fight for him back then? Why didn’t I question him? Why didn’t I call him out? Because of my own damn insecurities, that’s why. I was a virgin who got laid by the hottest guy she’d ever seen. I was friend zoned and thought I was a one-night stand, and I dealt with it. I wanted him in my life however I could get him. And now, he was telling me everything I had always wanted to hear. Talk about a mind fuck of epic proportions.

There was no one else like Josh Crawford. Every time I pushed him away, he’d come back. He always opened his arms to me and pulled me against his chest, then played with my hair and found a way to make me laugh and forget everything. He woke me up and made me look at life in color instead of black and white. He was my rainbow on the gloomiest of days, but I had still asked him to leave? Seriously, what the hell was wrong with me?

I poured myself another glass of wine and stumbled toward the bathroom. Hopefully a bath would help pull me out of my pity party for one. After filling the bath with bubbles, I sunk into the hot water and my eyes fluttered shut. Every memory that flashed in my mind included Josh. All I could see and imagine was his soft touch, his intense gaze, his addictive warmth, and more than anything, his beautifully-crafted words of promise and second chances. I was in deep.

The thought alone made me take a big go at my wine.

I needed girl time.

I grabbed my phone, and somehow was able to tap in a message to Eden, asking her to come over. How I didn’t drop it in the bath was anyone’s guess.

As the warmth of the bath started to fade, I heard my front door open and soon Eden’s voice was floating through my apartment. “Ashlyn, where are you?”

“Bathroom,” I replied.

Seconds later, the bathroom door pushed open and Eden appeared. Her eyes shot wide as she took me in. I must have looked like a hot mess, because I was quickly on my way to drunkville, population one.

“Are you okay?” She placed her clutch on the sink, then put down the toilet seat lid and sat.

“I’m drowning my sorrows,” I mumbled and waved around my now-empty wine glass.

Worry flashed across her face. “What happened? Has Lachlan done something?”

I burst out laughing at her assumptions. Lachlan was always doing something. He was like an annoying wart that wouldn’t drop off, always making itself known at the worst possible time. But for once, it had nothing to do with him. I rose from the bath, not even caring that I was buck naked with bubbles barely covering my lady bits. With an unsteady foot, I stepped out onto the tiled floor. Eden stood and wrapped a towel around me, then helped me stand in one spot.

“I need to shower to get the bubbles off. Sit on the toilet. We need girl chats.” I pointed to the toilet and shrugged off the towel, allowing it to fall to the floor.

“How much have you had to drink?” Eden asked as I stepped into the shower quickly to wash off.

When I stepped back out, I roughly dried myself in Eden’s full view before she placed my fluffy gown over my shoulders, tightening it around my waist and making sure the girls and my lady bits were covered.

“Ash, how much have you had to drink?” she asked again.

“Wine.”

She chuckled as she followed me down the hall and into the kitchen. I spotted my empty bottle of wine on the bench. Geez, I thought I had some left.

“How about we have some water?” Eden suggested in a motherly tone. The kitchen counter became my leaning post, and I sighed a little too loudly as she opened the fridge, pulled out two bottles of water, and handed me one. “Now tell me what has brought on this sudden case of drowning your sorrows and exhibitionism. I might hate you a little now that I’ve had a glance of your body. Damn, your boobs are insane.”

“He likes my boobs.” I smirked as memories of Josh fondling and kissing my breasts hit me. “He even told me tonight.”

“Who are you talking about?” Eden asked quickly. She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the living room, and I collapsed onto the couch with a huff.

“I’ve never felt like this. So deep, Eden, so god damn deep. He has gotten right in there. I’m talking about my heart, not my va jay jay, because he already owns her. Tonight he told me everything, and I mean everything, and then I freaked out and said I needed to be on my own. He bought me Pad Thai and we cuddled, but then I sent him away. Yep, just sent him away like an idiot. It’s official. I’m going to end up with cats and a cupboard full of battery operated friends,” I said babbling, but I couldn’t stop myself.

Eden sat beside me, wide eyed and with her mouth hanging open as she watched me completely lose it.

“I need my phone. He will find this funny. I told him I’d either become a lesbian or own cats. Cats it is.” I pushed myself up from the couch and stumbled back into the kitchen in search of my phone. Hot on my heels was Eden, who seemed to refuse to allow me out of her sight. There was no sign of my phone, but I still wanted to call him. “Can I borrow your phone? I don’t know where mine is.”

Eden handed over her phone while casting a worried gaze over me. “Who are you calling?”

“Him.”

I somehow figured out how to tap in Josh’s number, and started pacing as I listened to his phone ringing in my ear.

Hi, you’ve reached Josh. Leave a message and I’ll call back when I’m free.

“It’s me. Ashlyn. Calling on Eden’s phone. I’m going to buy some cats, probably two or three because they need friends. You were really warm tonight, and you bought me Pad Thai, and now I’m a little drunk on wine, but Eden is making me drink water. Do you like cats?”

After ending the call, I handed the phone back to Eden and left the kitchen. My couch looked overly inviting and, by the time Eden joined me, I had wrapped myself in a blanket and felt myself falling deeper into a wine haze.

“Why did you just call Josh?” Eden asked softly, her eyes full of wonderment.

“How did you know?” I gasped. Was she a mind reader?

Her soft chuckle calmed me somewhat. “Seriously, how much wine have you had? His contact details were on the screen when you handed it back.”

“Oh.”

“Ashlyn, why did you just call Josh?”

Suddenly, it was like my body turned from drunk to sober. Opening up to someone about Josh was something I had wanted from day one, and here Eden was, giving me that option.

She grabbed my hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Whatever you say stays with us. Yes I am with Ky, and yes he is my world, but you are my best friend. Sisters before misters.”

I giggled at her use of sisters before misters.

“I think I’m falling in love with him,” I whispered, and the weight of the world seemed to lift from my shoulders. Saying it out loud made it feel even more real. “He called me his girl. I’ve never been anyone’s girl before.”

“Holy shit.” Eden looked at me with wide eyes, and I knew that this was the last thing she expected to hear. “We need wine for this. This isn’t a water conversation.”

After rushing to the kitchen and grabbing another bottle of wine, she sat back beside me and poured two glasses. I lifted mine to my lips, and she looked at me over her glass.

“From the beginning, Ash. Tell me it all.”

I took a massive gulp of my wine and went back to the beginning. I told her about first noticing Josh in the cafeteria at college and getting lost in the fact that he was the hottest guy on campus. I told her about our night at Rubies and how he took my virginity, then I told her about waking up and thinking that I wanted it to be more than just one night. She sat in silence, letting me talk about our history and allowing me to get lost in the amazing memories I had of him.

“So, when did this start again? I am assuming that you are with each other?”

“It was Josh I went to when I got back from Australia. I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was the one that I chose to help me heal. I could have called anyone—you, Ky, Austin . . . but I chose Josh. It was then that something switched on between us. He protects me. Eden, he comforts and encourages me. It was Josh who suggested the name Ashlyn’s Closet. When I moved in with him, we danced around temptation before we collided. Every time he touches me, I feel like I’m floating, and every time he looks at me, I feel like the most beautiful girl in the world.”

“So why are you here and not with him?”

“Because I’m an idiot.”

“Babe, what happened?”

“I’m so afraid of what I feel for Josh. It’s like nothing I’ve felt before. Obviously, I have been in relationships before, but these feelings have a finality to them, like this could be it. I have lived my life not being enough for people—my parents, Lachlan . . . and I thought I wasn’t enough for Josh, that I was just a one-night stand back in college. Tonight we spoke about what happened five years ago, and he told me everything. He wanted this. He has wanted us since that night.”

“So why haven’t you been together?”

“Because of Ky.”

Her face went still and her eyes shot wide. “

“No, nothing like that. Ky has only ever been in love with you. The morning after Josh and I were together is when I became friends with Ky. Josh saw Ky and I together, and he told me that it was the first time Ky had smiled since everything happened with you. Josh was scared that Ky was going to hurt himself, and that he was going to lose him forever, so Josh gave up a future with me because he was more concerned about Ky than with what he wanted.”

“Oh my god.” Eden gasped and lifted her hand to her mouth. Tears shimmered in her blue eyes as she looked at me in awe. “Thank you for saving him. If Ky had done anyth—”

“Babe, don’t think that. Don’t go there. It was all Josh. All I did was be Ky’s friend. It was Josh that sacrificed everything for him. Josh stayed away from me until you came back into Ky’s life and he knew Ky would be okay. But when that happened, I had started things back up with Lachlan, and . . . well, we know how that ended.”