Page 39 of Hate Me

“There’s concern from those you left behind, Cal.”

I stepped up to him, lowering my voice. “Did you report back about Ash, my connection with him?”

He nodded.

Fuck. Cas wouldn’t like that.

Given his replacement reference, I’d figured he’d at least heard about Ash and me, but it could’ve been conjecture, not definitive. So much for that.

“There were concerns from all sides about you and Ash connecting. It’s why you leaving now has come at a good time. You both need time apart. And Ash needs to settle back into his relationship with Jonah, Aurora, and Killian. You need to start considering your return to King and finally facing what you’ve been avoiding for two long years now.”

I ground my teeth, glaring at him. “Unsolicited advice not needed.” My eyes flashed. “Or received well.”

Of course, being the former soldier of the Infidels that he was and now one of Ash’s biggest supporters and strongest allies, he didn’t balk under my tone or the aggression now rolling off me and coming right at him.

Instead, he doubled down, telling me, “Your intense reaction to the mention of King lends a lot of weight to your need to follow my advice.”

“Hey!” Jonah’s voice came from the front door.

Aaron winked at me, then stepped away, walking down the porch steps and waiting a few feet away, as I turned to see Jonah walking out onto the porch closely followed by Asher.

My gut twisted.

I hated this part.

Hated goodbyes.

I was a loner by nature, so me connecting with people at all was a big deal, let alone deeply like I had with Ash and even Jonah recently.

So, goodbyes with all that in play were harder than they’d be for most others.

But it was how it needed to be.

That interfering shit, Aaron, was actually right.

And Caspian needed me.

All three of the loved ones I’d left behind did.

I swallowed it down and rose to my charismatic and lighthearted persona, telling Jonah, the first to reach me, “It’s been an absolute pleasure.”

He caught my innuendo right away, grinning from ear to ear.

“No doubt there.”

He held out his hand.

That was too formal for me, so as I took it, I pulled him against me, then wrapped my arm around him in a tight hug. “Take care of yourself and look after Ash for me,” I spoke quietly at his ear.

“Always,” he vowed as we pulled apart.

I sucked in a breath, then faced the most difficult part of all of this, taking in Ash who was now leaning against the porch railing. “You need me down the road, I’ll be there,” I told him.

He came to us, standing between Jonah and me. “Call on me any time,” he offered. Then he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in tightly. “Thank you. For everything, Cal.”

Emotion threatened to get the best of me at his closeness and the actual heartfelt words coming off him, staggering for somebody normally as stoic as him. It actually reminded me of Caspian and his courageous ability to always show how he felt to those in his inner circle, one of the most endearing things about him.

I had to ease away, trying to soften it with a light slap to his back, which he returned.

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