Chapter 458
Chapter 458:
She flopped down onto the bench beside me and let out a long sigh. “I should’ve stayed home. Lunch with Declan turned into a bloody disaster p>
“Spill p>
“We were getting along fine. He’s laid-back, didn’t ask anything weird, mostly joked about how forced the whole thing was. Then Cassian showed up p>
“Seriously? I’d have thought he’d backed off after seeing how close Yvaine was with Cade on the Elmridge trip p>
“He was sitting two tables away. He overheard my name, wandered over uninvited, then started mouthing off at Declan p>
“What’d he say p>
“That Declan’s useless, doesn’t have a job, lives off Ashton’s leftovers, has no direction in life, and isn’t good enough for a Carlisle. He said it all right to his face. Loudly p>
“Bloody hell p>
“I told him, ‘He might be reckless, but at least he’s not cheating on anyone behind their back p>
“That’s a solid line.” I could just picture Cassian’s face turning beet red.
“Guess who walked in just then? Cade p>
“Oh no p>
“He saw us, lost it. He thought I’d gone there to meet Cassian. He was two seconds away from decking him. I had to physically shove them apart p>
“What did you tell him p>
“Didn’t get the chance. He was shouting in front of everyone. Accused me of stringing him along. Said I never really wanted anything serious. Then he stormed off. Didn’t even look back p>
She exhaled through her nose, her eyes focused on the floor. “I should’ve stayed home and eaten bloody instant noodles p>
“Are you going to break up with him p>
gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․com is where your journey begins
She didn’t answer right away.
Her shoulders hunched slightly, as if she’d been carrying too many bags for too long.
“I don’t know. Ever since Elmridge, he’s had this thing in his head about me and Cassian. I’ve explained it a hundred times, but it stuck. He doesn’t trust me. Today just tipped him over p>
Yvaine sighed again, louder this time. “I’m such a mess right now. I have no clue what I’m doing. I look at you and Ashton, and it just seems so easy. You two are wrapped up in each other without all this drama p>
I didn’t respond.
Because all she saw was the polished surface.
Ashton and I weren’t simple, not even close.
There was still that woman—the one who came before me—still lingering in his past, like a smudge I couldn’t scrub off.
I needed answers. Tonight, if I could actually get a moment alone with him.
But for the next few days, he was buried in work, barely sleeping.
Every night, I went to bed alone.
Every morning, I woke up to an empty house.