Page 82 of The Forever Rule

“Yes. We all look alike, including Kyler for that matter, but they’re the identical ones. Hudson has his hair different now, so at least it’s easier for Mother to tell them apart.”

We sat down, as I took the menu, my attention only on Aston. “What does that mean?”

“My mother’s not the most observant when it comes to her children. She refused to get a nanny when we were kids, even though there were seven of us, so we pretty much raised ourselves like the terrors we were. I could always tell the difference between the twins, so could all of my brothers. But Mom never could.”

“That’s…” I let my voice trail off, shaking my head. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

“There’s nothing to say. That’s just my mother.”

Thankfully we changed the subject, as I had never been to this restaurant, and wanted to know what I should have.

I ended up with a chicken dish that was so decadent I knew I wanted leftovers.

Of course, the portions were tiny, and there probably wouldn’t be any.

“I need to go wash my hands, I will be right back,” I said after dinner.

Aston just smiled at me. “No problem. Did you want dessert?”

“Yes, but I don’t know if I could really do a flourless chocolate cake again.”

“You’re right, I think they need a better pastry chef,”he whispered, his voice low, and I just smiled, before making my way to the restroom.

I washed my hands, and then checked my makeup, my heart fluttering a bit. Tonight was good. I felt like I was getting to know him more, and things just felt easy. And it always scared me when things were easy.

I turned to go back to the table, when a hand gripped my upper arm, and stopped me. I froze, confused, and looked over to see a blonde woman with bright red lips, and gorgeous eyes smiling down at me. But there was nothing nice in that smile.

“Excuse me?” I asked, looking down at her hand on my skin. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“You know this is just temporary right?” she whispered, and I paused.

“I think you have the wrong person. Please let me go.”

“He was mine. Aston Cage was mine and we’re just taking a break. So don’t get comfortable in that seat.”

I blinked at this other woman, and had to wonder if this was his ex-fiancée? Or one of the countless women that I had seen on his arm before. It shouldn’t matter to me, even though it did a little, but I just stared at her, and then at her hand on my skin.

“Don’t be like this. You aren’t that person.”

“What do you mean by that?” the other woman asked, her hand falling.

“Are you his ex-fiancée?” I asked, knowing that I just needed to get the facts right before I left. My heart raced, but she just stared at me, eyes widening.

“So he told you about me.”

I swallowed hard, realizing that yes, this beautiful woman was the ex-fiancée. And even though he had said she had broken it off, she didn’t seem over it. But I wasn’t that person. I wasn’t going to just stand here and take that. “I don’t know why you’re here, or why you’re talking to me, but Aston loved you.” Her eyes widened at my words, but I was going to tell the truth. “Meaning there has to be good in you. Don’t pit yourself against me. Don’t lower yourself to fighting me in a bathroom. We’re both above that.”

The other woman’s eyes widened again, before they narrowed into slits. “Then just don’t get in my way.”

I sighed, knowing I wasn’t going to get through to her in that moment. What I had said was true. And Aston had loved her, so there was some good about her. Because those were Aston’s choices. And I didn’t know what this woman wanted now.

“Just go. You’re not going to scare me out of whatever’s happening between us.”

The other woman just glared at me, before she walked out as if she didn’t have a care in the world, and I finally let my heartbeat slow down just a bit, the bile on my tongue fading away.

“Are you okay?” another woman asked, and I hadn’t even realized we had had an audience.

I smiled and nodded and was grateful that his ex-fiancée hadn’t squeezed too hard. I wouldn’t have a mark on my arm. “I’m fine. I just don’t exactly know what she wanted.”

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