Page 100 of Play It Sinful

Iyank my hair back and watch Ashley peel out of the driveaway. My heart is hammering inside my chest, making guilt and desire churn faster. All these years I was able to suppress my feelings for Ashley. But tonight, my self-restraint wasn’t enough. My shield broke, and I did the unthinkable. I kissed Ashley, and it was like we were never apart. All my emotions erupted to the surface with a vengeance.

Fuck. I drove Ashley away from her own home while it’s snowing heavily and it’s dark. I run down the sidewalk to where I parked my car. I have to make sure Ashley is okay, wherever she’s going.

There isn’t any traffic on the street, so I follow the fresh tire tracks on the road. Ashely had a head start, but she’s driving slowly, so I catch up with her after a minute. But once she leaves her neighborhood, her speed increases. Maybe she noticed I’m behind her.

“Shit. Slow down, Ash,” I mutter.

She misses the turn that would take her back to campus and keeps going. If she doesn’t change course, we’ll end up on the rural road that leads to the state park where she twisted her ankle three years ago. That was a pivotal point in ourrelationship. Reliving those memories makes my chest hurt. I force them back into a dark corner in my mind. Remembering those happy days is pointless, and it makes me feel even guiltier.

I keep up with her speed because I don’t want to lose her, but I maintain a safe distance from her car. All I can see now are tiny red dots ahead of me. Suddenly, they become brighter as she presses on the brakes sharply. Her car swerves off the road, followed by the godawful noise of glass shattering and metal bending.

“What the fuck!”

I have no idea what she hit first, but it’s the frontal collision with a tree that has me panicking. I park behind her and fly out of the driver’s seat faster than a bullet train.

“Ash!” I run to her side of the vehicle and see the deer that went through her windshield, its mangled body halfway inside. “No!

I try to open her door, but it’s locked. It’s so dark out, and with all the snow, I can barely make out her shape inside the car. “Ash, talk to me!” I shout.

Another vehicle approaches, but I pay it no heed. With shaking hands, I try to find my phone in my pockets and come up empty. God damnit. I must have left it in the car.

“Son, are you all right?” a man asks.

“I’m fine. It’s my sister. She’s hurt and she’s not moving. Call nine-one-one, please.”

“On it.”

I try the door again, but it won’t budge. I want to bang on the window, but I’m afraid to break it and hit Ashley with more shards of glass.

I’m unaware of how long it takes to hear the sirens in the distance. When the cops, firefighters, and paramedics finally arrive at the scene, they have to drag me away from Ashley’s car. Someone tosses a blanket around my shoulders, only it doeslittle to help me. I’m too numb to feel the bite of the cold. I curl my hands into tight fists, digging my nails into my palms. All the noises around me are much too loud. I don’t know what I’ll do if Ashley doesn’t make it. Despite the ugly truth that keeps us apart, she’s my everything.

CHAPTER 45

SEAN

Iwait for news about Ashley’s surgery alone. My father and Marnie are currently trying to get back from their vacation in Italy, and Kenzie will have to wait until morning to drive from New York due to poor weather conditions. She wanted to come right away, but I couldn’t risk her getting into a car wreck too. She might be able to catch an early morning flight. I haven’t called any of Ashley’s friends yet. I know I should, and it’d be better to wait for news with company, but I suppose I’m punishing myself.

When I hear Kenzie call my name, it’s a shock. I turn around and see her striding toward me. She has snow in her hair and on her clothes, which means the weather hasn’t improved. I jump out of my seat. “How are you here?”

She hugs me tight. “I was already on the road with my band. We had a gig two hours from here. You would know if you had listened to me.”

I’m mad she risked it, but also so fucking relieved she came. I pull back. “It’s still two hours of driving at night during a snowstorm.”

“Stop giving me shit. How’s Ash?”

“She’s still in surgery but…” A lump forms in my throat. “She was in bad shape, Kenzie.”

Kenzie’s eyes fill with tears, mirroring my own. “She’s a fighter. She’ll pull through.” She looks around. “Where are all her friends and your teammates?”

I step away from Kenzie and rub my face. “I haven’t called anyone yet. It’s my fault she was driving during a snowstorm. I fucked up.”

“What did you do?”

I glance at Kenzie. “I kissed her.”

Kenzie furrows her brows. “And that made her run away from you?”

“Not the kiss… the regretting part.”

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