Page 206 of Ashley & the A-Listers

“Why doyoufeel guilty?” he mumbled.

Ashley cleared her throat. “There’s a lot to talk about. A lot to process, and we can do that later. For now, you have a scene to shoot. You’ve been through it so many times, you can do it in your sleep. Don’t make me look bad,” she said, teasing, distracting.

He chuckled quietly and breathed in her scent. The ginger woke him up a little, and he grabbed her hand and put it on his shoulder. Without asking, she squeezed, and her fingers tightening around the bite made him shiver.

Not exactly arousal, not through the shirt he was wearing, but something almost similar. Awareness.

“Thank you,” he said softly, and Ashley tilted his head up to peck him on the lips.

“I don’t want to irritate Rebecca,” she said when he frowned at her for such a short kiss. “Feel better?”

He nodded reluctantly, because it meant he’d have to go back out there and face everyone after fucking up.

It was nothing compared to how he’d fucked up with River.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has off days. You can kick all their asses just like Axel is supposed to.”

She was right. Everyone did make mistakes. Even River, pushed by his own frustration and Cam’s ignorance.

Cam was still angry, and he couldn’t look past it. The paparazzi had no boundaries, only looking for the next headline, not caring that the people they sold photos of hadlives. For River to stoop so low…

He must have beenreallyhurting.

Ugh! Anger and forgiveness were at war, and his heart was the battlefield.

And there wasn’t going to be a winner today, because Cam had to get back out there and do his job, even with a broken heart. Even with the subject of said broken heart watching on from the sidelines.

He sucked in a slow breath heavy with his alpha’s intoxicating scent, and tried to ignore the empty space in his heart right beside where she resided.

“Alright. Let’s do this,” he said.

47. PACK ALPHA

ASHLEY

The apartment was quiet.

Too quiet.

With Cameron asleep in the nest, Ashley padded to the living room and found Dylan on the couch, the television muted as he read from another book.

“What’s this one about?” Ashley asked quietly, sinking into the cushions next to him.

Dylan sighed, closing it and opening an arm for her to curl under. “Wish I could tell you. I feel like I haven’t absorbed a single word.”

It was quiet for a beat, one where Ashley wondered if they were having the same thought.

“I miss him,” Ashley said at the same time Dylan said, “It’s weird without?—“

“River,” they said together.

The days were passing quickly. Cameron was slowly finding his footing on set again while dodging River at every turn. He didn’t even want to talk about him.

“Cameron’s still really upset,” Ashley murmured, and plucked at a loose thread on her comfy pants. “I don’t know if he’s mad at River or himself.”

Dylan hummed. Their connection sparked with curiosity.

“He’s been closing the bond down,” Ashley admitted. “I guess to reflect on his own feelings without them getting all jumbled up with mine.”

---