Page 80 of Ashley & the A-Listers

It always had been, but never to this degree.

He just didn’t know what to do with this information.

Or what it meant.

18. HISTORY

ASHLEY

Ashley once again checked her pack to make sure she had everything.

Water, electrolytes, sunglasses, sunscreen.

She hadn’t chosen a long or very difficult hike, but… Cameron was going to be there. Her hindbrain was irritatingly active, obsessed with protecting the omega, even from the sun’s rays.

A knock sounded at the door and she startled.

“Okay,” she whispered to herself. “It’s fine. Just spending my birthday together. No big deal.”

A heady mix of nerves and excitement swirled through her, a fluttering in her stomach that she couldn’t tamp down. Mixed with it all was a sense of dread. The last time she’d spent her birthday with Dylan, everything had gone all wrong. A piece of her couldn’t help but hold onto that anxiety even now.

With a sharp inhale, she collected herself and pulled the door open.

“Happy birthday,” were Dylan’s first words that morning to her, and he greeted her with a smile.

“Thanks, hi,” she said, and was taken back an entire decade, rushing down the stairs to meet him for the concert, and everything that followed.

“All packed?” he asked, and motioned to the car.

From the sunroof of their car, Cam waved wildly before disappearing, making room for River to do the exact same thing.

She chuckled, shaking her head as something sweet and warm curled up in her chest at their antics. Affection.

“I think I’ve got everything,” she said, and lifted her bag by the handle. “Snacks, drinks, sunscreen. What am I missing?”

“Are we swimming at the waterfall? Do you need a towel?”

Ashley snapped her fingers in anaha!moment. “Yes. That’s it! Hold on,” she told him, and let him take the bag while she ran back upstairs.

After grabbing one from the linen closet, she leaned around the banister and called out, “Do I need to grab extras for you guys?”

“No, I packed them one!”

Her lips quirked as she imagined Dylan readying the bags for Cam and River. Were his alpha instincts on overdrive, too?

When she made her way back down, she grinned at him.

“I thought you were a bodyguard, not a caretaker,” she teased.

Dylan rolled his eyes. “River was a big help. Cam was less so.”

That didn’t surprise her, and somehow endeared both of them to her even more. “Alright, I think I have everything,” she said, and carefully folded the towel before slotting it amongst the other items in her backpack.

“Ready?” Dylan asked, meeting her gaze.

If she wanted to, she could linger in that moment, the déjà vu so strong she felt dizzy.

“Yeah, ready,” she said, softer. “I sent you the pin on the map. Do you know where to go?”

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