Page 31 of Losing Ansley

"I want her to be happy, and I want you to be happy. You two are the most important people in my life. We made a pact, but we were six, and that was twenty-six years ago. Growing up, she had a rough go of it, and I was too blind to see it. So, I want to make sure she's happy now." I stare up at him in shock.

This went a lot better than I expected. His eyes harden, and I wait to see what he's going to say.

"You better not hurt her. Then I'll have a problem." I chuckle and shake my head.

"I won't. I'll do everything I can to make sure she's happy." I promise him, and he nods.

"I'm holding you to that. Do I need to talk to Ansley?" He asks, and I shake my head.

"No. I need to work things out with her. I know I screwed up, but I'll fix it. Hopefully, she'll forgive me." I raise my hands and shrug, and he claps me on the shoulder.

"Ansley is stubborn as hell. So, good luck." I snort at his comment. He has no idea. Now that I've had this conversation with Dylan, I want to march over to her apartment and demand she talks to me. But she was unequivocal that today was a girl's day only. The girls and Bass are leaving early tomorrow to go home, and I'll have her all to myself for the remainder of the day. I'm not leaving until she talks to me.

"Can I make one request?" Dylan questions, and I glance up at him and motion for him to go ahead. "I need you and Ansley to talk to me. About that day, how things were different for you two growing up, and why you hid it from me." He pleads. I stare at him for a long time before nodding. This is not going to be easy.

THE FOLLOWING DAYwe all meet at a cafe to eat breakfast before Caroline, Bass, and Liv leave to return home. Ansley ignores me again, but I'm not allowing that today. I sit next to her at our table, and she immediately stiffens. I don't engage with her yet. I wait until everyone orders, and she begins to loosen up.

"What'd you girls do yesterday?" Dylan asks as he sips on the coffee that was brought to him. Ansley begins to tell about their trip to the aquarium. I watch her as she gets excited, talking about the otters. I place my arm on the back of her chair, and she doesn't seem to notice.

"They're so cute! I just wanted to hug one." She states, and she turns toward me with a smile. I grin at her, and for once, her smile doesn't disappear. She's gorgeous when she lets her guard down.

Her red hair is wavy today. She's wearing skinny jeans and a simple white t-shirt. When she turns back toward the table and everyone else, I take a piece of her hair between my fingers and begin playing with it. It takes her a moment to notice, but when she does, she goes completely still.

She moves her hands from the table to her lap, and I watch her body language closely. She rubs her hands up and down her thighs like she's trying to decide what to do. After a few seconds, she leans back in the chair, and I want to pump my fist in the air. It's a small victory, but she's not pulling away from my touch.

I move my hand to the nape of her neck to see her reaction. She sucks in a breath but doesn't move away. I want to touch her freely as Bass does with Caroline. I want to lean over and kiss her on the forehead. But I will have to take this slow with her, so I don't scare her off.

She's convinced I'm going to hurt her, and I will do everything within my power to show her I'll be here to protect her and treat her how she should have been treated every fucking day of her life. I watch her, not caring if other people see me staring.

Her hand moves from her thigh to my knee, and she digs her nails in. I chuckle darkly and grip the hair at the nape of her neck. I want to pull it but force myself not to make a scene.

Her breathing increases, and my cock swells. Fuck! What I wouldn't give to bend her over this table now and show everyone who she belongs to. Instead, I'm playing this game with her. Honestly, it's probably my favorite game. I lean over and put my lips next to her ear.

"Keep it up, sweetheart, and I'll have you screaming my name," I warn her huskily. Her nails dig into my leg harder, and I chuckle.

"I can't wait either, baby. You better eat up. You'll need your strength." She whimpers, and I lean back as the server brings our food to the table. Everyone digs in, and I focus on other people at the table because if I don't, I'll drag Ansley out of here like a caveman.

"What'd you guys do yesterday?" Liv asks as she digs into her pancakes. How such a tiny person eats so much, I'll never know. Dylan and I share a look, but it's Bass who speaks up.

"Not much. We did a brew bus tour, grabbed something to eat, and returned to Dylan's apartment." He tells her, and Caroline huffs.

"I can't wait until I can drink again. I miss wine." Everyone laughs, and Ansley leans forward.

"Liv and I get the honor of taking you out and getting you drunk once you have the little peanut." I watch on in amusement as Bass frowns. Caroline glances up at him and rolls her eyes.

"You'll have to fight him for it." She responds, and Ansley arches an eyebrow at Bass. He shakes his head and wraps his arm around Caroline, pulling her into his side. After everyone gets done eating, we walk out to the parking lot. Ansley gives Caroline and Liv a hug.

"I'll see you in a few weeks." She promises them, and they nod. This has been an adjustment for them, but I hate how sad Ansley looks. I'd like to know if she's made any friends here. Dylan hasn't said anything, but I'm determined to find out. After they leave, Ansley turns to Dylan and me, eyeing me warily.

"I have to go to work," Dylan states, and we both look at him in surprise.

"What?" You said you were off all weekend." Ansley whines, and Dylan shrugs.

"I was, but apparently, one of the scenes we filmed Friday didn't look right, so we have to film it again, so we'll be on track tomorrow." He explains, and Ansley huffs. But it causes anticipation to rise in my stomach.

We'll have uninterrupted alone time. Ansley glances at me and then away like she realizes this. I took tomorrow off, a rare occasion, and I plan on taking full advantage of it. I'm not leaving until tomorrow afternoon to go back home. Dylan tells us bye and leaves.

Ansley stands awkwardly next to my car. She rode over with Dylan thinking she might drink some mimosas, but she never did. I motion to my car.

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