Page 15 of Ashley & the A-Listers

“Yeah, I guess,” she said. “Mom will probably want me home early since it’s a school night.”

It wasn’t that long ago that Dylan would come stay with her, since his mom didn’t care. But that was… God, she guessed months ago at this point. When had that happened?

Would it be weird if she invited him?

Something kept her from voicing the option.

“Cool,” he said. “I can get home and check on Gemma.”

Gemma was the oldest, the first to fly the coop. She was also an omega, so Dylan was nervous for her first college semester.

Ashley liked to think Gemma was a strong, independent young lady—like herself—and could take care of herself just fine.

Then again, Ashley wasn’t an omega.

Dylan turned the music on, successfully distracting Ashley from all thoughts as they sang along terribly to the rock band. It felt like it always did, like Dylan was the only person she could be herself around.

Once they arrived at her house, Ashley gathered her things, opened the door and turned to look at him. “Text me when you get home, idiot,” she teased.

“Will do, jerk,” he said.

Feeling like everything was once again right in the world, she got out of the car and let herself in the house as his headlights finally splashed across the drive.

“Honey, is that you?” her mom called out.

“It’s me!” she said, and took her stuff to her room before appearing back downstairs.

“How was your day?” her mom asked.

“Oh, you know,” she mused in that teenager-y way.

Her mom smiled softly, closing the book she was reading and patting the couch. “Wanna hear about a dickhead at work?”

Ashley chuckled. “Did you put him in his place?”

“Sure did.”

“Do tell,” Ashley said.

Despite her weird feelings, looming graduation, and finals, Ashley sat and reveled in the story of her mom, a beta, putting some alpha idiot in his place.

Maybe if Ashley turned out like her, being a beta wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Fucking Dylan.

She wasstillreeling.

“Wow,” Jordan said, and leaned back into the wicker couch, her alpha scent bitter with surprise. “After ten years, he just… shows up?”

“I guess!” Ashley said with a sigh, throwing her hands up. “I haven’t seen him since I was eighteen. Or heard?—“

“A single word,” Kenzie finished, shaking her head. They’d listened to the story so many times at this point. “The audacity of that alpha.”

Jordan’s brow furrowed. “Whywashe at the gym?”

“Oh,” Ashley said, waving a hand and joining them on the cushions. She felt warm, more so from being flustered than the evening temperature. “He’s the bodyguard of a new client in the gym.”

Both of her friends looked disappointed, and she rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t like he came there just forme—he did have a reason to be in the gym.”

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