Page 180 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Dust had accumulated from all the time she’d been spending away, so Ashley put on music and got to work.

How did it go wrong so fast?

Twenty-four hours ago, Ashley had everything she wanted: a pack. A mate. A job, a future.

What if she never got to go back to work at the gym?

What if today was her last time?

The thought was too depressing, so she shoved it down and finished vacuuming the outdated carpets, eying the immaculate dining room, still fresh and beautiful after she and River had painted it.

Around two in the afternoon, Dylan and Cam and River were all still on set, filming, and Ashley was knee-deep in the kitchen, scrubbing the linoleum with a hard-bristled brush.

It was satisfying watching the dirt flake away. She didn’t remember the floors being so white!

It was an adequate distraction from her life taking a nosedive so suddenly.

A knock at the door interrupted her, and from the force of the knock, she figured it wasn’t the first time they’d attempted it.

Ashley popped her head up over the counter and eyed the door. What were the chances of the press finding her fucking home address? Was that even legal?

Ashley growled at the thought, and tore off her cleaning gloves and stalked toward the door. Because she had a brain, she glanced through the peephole, and?—

Ripped open the door to River standing on her doorstep. He looked solemn, holding a bag of sweet treats and a container of matching caramel macchiatos and, yep, that was a bag from her favorite diner. The checkered bag matched the paper in the baskets.

Tears welledinstantly,and as River said, “We all decided someone needed to keep you company,” they fell down her cheeks.

“Aw, babe,” River said, stepping inside and pulling her into a hug. His warmth and scent, light as it tended to be, was comforting in this moment, and she clung to him.

She tucked her face into his neck and sighed, trying to swallow the sobs that wanted to crawl up her throat. He walked them away from the door with her koala’d around him, and shut it softly.

“You’ve been stress cleaning,” River reported as he sat all the treats down on the dining room table to the right of the frontdoor. She was sweaty and gross and crying and smelled like bleach, but he hugged her tightly.

Ashley nodded and finally released him, wiping at her eyes.

“I’m taking a leave from the gym,” she said, and after he led her to the couch to get comfy and ply her with treats, she told him the whole story

“Oh, Ashley,” River said, and leaned into her. “I’m so sorry.”

Ashley let her head fall onto the back of the couch. “I’m just sad about it.”

“You love the gym,” River said, and she heard the click of his throat as he swallowed.

“I know.” Every time Ashley thought about it, the vise around her chest squeezed tight, like she couldn’t take a breath. “Everyone says it’ll blow over. I just need to keep telling myself that.”

He plucked at the threads of a tear in his jeans, the frown on his face severe. “What are you going to do in the meantime?”

“Nic is still paying me—I’m using up my PTO. So I don’t… know. Clean? Continue remodeling?” she asked, and waved a hand at the brush abandoned on the kitchen floor.

His silence was loud.

“I know it’s depressing,” Ashley muttered. “I don’t have anything else to do. Might as well.”

“Anything to keep from thinking about it, right?” River guessed, a sad smile on his lips.

“Exactly,” Ashley agreed.

“You never said what you were remodeling for,” he murmured, and Ashley blinked.

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