Page 8 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Dylan tried not to take offense at the fact that his contact in Cameron’s phone was apparently “Knothead.”

His own device, tucked in his pocket, vibrated with the notification.

When Dylan didn’t say anything, mostly because he was reeling from the lengths this utterly stubborn omega would goto for some gossip, Cam continued. “And… I’ll even try to stop sneaking out.”

“You’ll let me know before you plan to go anywhere?” Dylan asked suspiciously. It seemed too good to be true.

“Yep, as long as you tell me what happened.”

“Alright,” Dylan agreed, not wanting to miss this opportunity. “We were best friends growing up.” Cameron’s eyes practicallyglowed. “Then I presented as an alpha, and she didn’t, and it got weird.”

Cameron’s expression melted into disappointment. “But sheisan alpha. What are you leaving out? I want the whole story.”

Dylan groaned, dragging his hands down his face. “It was a decade ago—I don’t see why it has any merit right now.”

“Because I’m going to be training here for the next two months, that’s why. I do not need to be around all that negative energy,” Cameron said. “It’ll ruin the process.”

“The process, huh?” Dylan mused as a different kind of bell chimed, and he turned toward the door to find Ashley back at the desk, eying the door before she did something behind the desk to open it.

He appreciated the security, and relaxed, shifting his attention back to the omega.

Cameron’s eyes drifted up and down his body. “You wouldn’t understand,” he said.

“Oh, look, your trainer’s here,” Dylan drawled, taking the chance to escape the conversation while he could.

Cameron glared before turning his back on Dylan to greet the trainer, officially dismissing him.

Dylan tilted his head back, begging for patience.

He was going to need it.

When Cameron predictably slipped through Dylan’s fingers the next morning, he pulled up his tracking app, and found the newly shared pin at a coffee shop right next to the gym.

Relief filled him. Then annoyance.

He knew he should track Cameron down to escort him from the coffee shop to the gym. It was what Dylan wassupposedto do. The last thing he wanted on his first job after… after the previous one, was to fuck everything up.

But this was a different situation. An easier charge, lower stakes. Wes Pike trusted him, and Dylan wouldn’t let him down.

However, giving Cameron ten minutes to himself wouldn’t be the end of the world.

And selfishly, he realized this gave himself the perfect opportunity to clear some things up with Ashley without a nosey audience.

Maybe if he set things right, it wouldn’t be weird, and wouldn’t pique Cameron’s annoying curiosity.

It was as good a reason as any, so Dylan set off.

Would she even look at him? She hadn’t been inclined to the day before. What was he even going to say?

Sorry I completely changed the nature of our relationship in one stupid moment and then bailed? Sorry I left without a single word and then was too scared to contact you?

He’d been over this hypothetical situation—facing Ashley—in therapy a hundred times. But then the reflective windows came into view, and he forgot all of it.

He still couldn’t believe that of all the gyms,thishappened to be the one she managed. It had to be fate, right? Hell of a coincidence.

He couldn’t see through the film on the glass, but he imagined she rolled her eyes when she saw him.

Was it hot? Was he sweating?

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