Page 182 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Which felt silly.

The door opened within seconds, Dylan standing at the threshold, and behind him was a barely-held-back Cameron.

Dylan engulfed her in a hug, and Ashley was still too raw from all the sad emotions. The tiniest bit of comfort managed to crumble her walls, and she sank into him.

The bond opened back up, and Dylan squeezed her tighter.

“Hey,” he said, voice utterly soft, and the affection in his tone made a lump grow in her throat.

She tried to swallow past it, and couldn’t. Instead she buried her face in his chest and inhaled his scent and let it wash over her. The knot in her stomach eased just from being around her pack.

Ashley dashed the beginnings of tears into Dylan’s shirt and cleared her throat. “Hey,” she said, and pulled back, Cameron’s worry souring his scent.

She reached for him as he released River from his own deep hug, and came to her, wrapping his arms around her. He huggedher tightly, and Ashley embraced him, drawing in his scent, the tension easing from her shoulders as he surrounded her.

“You smell weird,” Cam muttered into her shoulder.

“It’s the cleaning,” she said, and caught Dylan’s eye from the kitchen.

He shrugged, but his nonchalance was just an act. Through the bond she felt a wave of… well, love. Her throat went tight.

“Missed you today,” Cam shared.

Ashley sighed, rubbing his cheek with her own, scent sharing. It felt right. This is what she’d been missing today, alone in her house before River joined her.

Her pack.

“I missed you, too,” she said, and meant every word.

“Welcome home,” he said, and the word struck Ashley as incredibly… true.

This was home. These people, at least.

River smiled softly at her as he leaned against the bar.

“What happened?” Dylan asked.

She glanced up with her head over Cam’s shoulder.

“I’m taking a leave from the gym,” she said.

Nope. Still hurt.

“What? Why?” Cameron asked.

“The paparazzi were swarming. It was a problem for the other clients, soIdecided it was probably best if I wasn’t there to draw them.”

The silence was so tangible she wanted to reach out and strangle it.

“So Nic didn’t fire you?” Dylan asked, voice low.

Ashley wanted to scoff but couldn’t quite find the energy. “No, he wouldn’t. I have so much PTO saved up. It’ll buy me some time.” She had the feeling that even if she hadn’t had PTO, Nic would have figured something out. “It was my decision.”

“Just because it was your decision doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt,” Cameron said, eyes round and wide. “I’m sorry.”

Ashley sighed, reaching up to cup his face before combing his hair back. He nuzzled into her touch. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s not your fault,” she told him.

Cameron whined, the smallest sound slipping out. Ashley pulled him into her, a purr vibrating her chest that comforted herself as much as it did Cameron.

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