Page 114 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Where was suave red carpet Cameron when he needed him?

You’re not an actor for nothing!

He swallowed his impulsive confession and lowered his arms, holding them up in an awkward—hopefully charming—surrender, as if to clear the air.

“It won’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry—that was overstepping, and and rude. If anything,I’mthe distracted one, clearly. You’re honestly the best trainer I’ve ever worked with, and I don’t want to lose that. Don’t make me start over with a stranger when we’re so close to filming,” he begged, heart racing.

God, if he’d fucked this up so quickly…

She was a brick fucking wall for the next longest ten seconds of his life, before finally nodding once. “Alright, then. Let’s finish up today’s session,” she said.

He could’ve collapsed with relief, but instead stepped up to face her as they began another sparring session.

He needed tofocus.No more thoughts of Ashley and Dylan being mated and what that would mean for their dynamic and why that mattered, because she was histrainer.

There were only a few short weeks left, and then they would likely part ways. Cam hated the thought of it.

But for now, he’d have to enjoy the time he did have, and keep his emotions on lockdown.

Easy, right?

Cameron groaned as he dropped face-first into the nest. It was comfortable, but not giving him the comfort he was looking for.

River hummed a sympathetic noise, and Cam felt the bed dip as his boyfriend took a seat.

“You okay?” he asked.

Cam rolled his head to the side. He wasn’t on the mat, wasn’t training, didn’t have to focus, so now was an appropriate time to whine. “They bonded,” he mumbled.

Cam’s eyesight was boring into the side of River’s thigh, but he felt the beta pause, hesitant, before his palm came to rest on Cam’s shoulder. “That was… quick.”

“That’s what I thought,” Cam muttered. “But she seems…” He thought of the way she’d sought the touch of the bond mark during their conversation. “...Happy.”

“I thought Dylan’s good mood was just because he got laid,” River said. “This makes much more sense.”

“The way theylookat each other,” Cam grumbled, and hid his face into the mattress. The eyes they’d made at one another after the session made Cam’s chest seize. As if parting ways, Dylan leaving, was going to ruin both of their days.

“What about it?” River asked.

“It reminds me of us,” Cam admitted. “God dammit.”

“Jealous?”

“Yessss,” Cam hissed, burying his head again. “And a few other things.”

“Like?” River asked, and fuck, it was soRiverto want to talk shit like this out. Cam kind of just wanted to wallow and whine.

But River’s touchwascomforting, and Cam propped his head on his hands so he could speak clearly.

“Happy they’re happy,” Cam began. “Afraid I missed my chance. Yes, jealous. I want her attention. Also excited, I guess. Maybe we’ll get to see more of her.”

Since Dylan was stuck to Cam’s side all the time, it only made sense that Ashley would be hanging out with them more.

“Bummed,” Cam finished, and let his head knock into River’s thigh. “We’ve only got a few weeks left. Then what? I just move on, like a rational person?”

He heard the twitch to River’s lips, and his touch solidified, fingers digging into his shoulder in a mimicry of a massage.

“That is what people usually do, yes.”

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