Page 74 of Restorations

I give her a knowing nod because they’ve been waiting for her life to feel in control. “I didn’t mean to cause more turmoil.”

“He’s ready to face that, I think, but he’s going to act out at first.”

“I’m strong enough to handle it.”

She smiles, standing from her chair and squeezing my shoulder. “I know you are. I think he is too. I can’t believe Colt was capable of being exactly like our father, but you’re right. Resentment and pressure can do horrible things to a person.”

Like making them cheat on their girlfriends with a girl he barely knew.

“I love Asher. I just want to see him heal.”

“I know, Viv. I know.” She smiles again, releasing my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. Colt may have done some bad things, but he was good inside. He would want to see everyone happy.”

“Do you think he’ll talk to Penelope?”

She’s thinking it over, and then she shrugs. “I don’t know, but I'm not sure the answers will help all that much. You’ve already started to heal him, Viv. You know that.”

“He’s healed me.”

She smiled. “And that’s love, isn’t it? Fixing what’s broken inside a person by merely being there?”

Baz and Hayden come back into the kitchen, Baz ready for the day. I see Asher behind them, still glaring. Always the broody asshole.

But the man I love all in the same.

38

ASHER

How the fuck can she say that about Colt? She didn’t even fucking know him. I mean, other than the one time they had sex.

I run my hand through my hair, sitting out by the pool. All I could think about all day was Viv and what she said, seething with rage all day long. Even the cute kindergartners couldn’t snap me out of my bad mood today.

We were doing well. Weren’t we? I mean, yeah . . . I can’t exactly tell her how I feel. And I'm sure that’s frustrating. But saying that about Colt?

The best man I ever knew. My brother who I miss every single day of my life. Who is gone. She saidhewould have turned out like my dad, the man I despise more than anyone.

“What are you doing out here?” I look up at Linc, who I didn’t even hear approaching.

“I’m staying here. What are you doing at Lola’s? You have your own house.”

He nods his head, grinning as he takes a seat next to me. Clearly, he isn’t going anywhere. “Lola told me about what Vivienne said.”

What the fuck? Everyone has already talked about this? Is nothing private now?

I turn to look over my shoulder toward the house. I didn’t eat here tonight. I needed space and stayed in my classroom for hours after school let out. Then I went and grabbed something to go before I sat in my car and ate it.

I face Linc, a cold bitterness in my tone. “She’s fucking wrong.”

“Is she?” I stare at him even more pissed-off.

“Yes. He was the best one, and you fucking know it.”

He scratches his chin, approaching me with caution, which annoys me. “He was. He will always be, but Ash, he did some fucked-up shit there at the end.”

“Like none of us have ever fucked up?” I stand from the chair, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides as I whirl around to face Linc again. “We all have fucked up multiple times. There’s no way he would have been anything like dad and for her to suggest that . . .”

I can barely breathe as he stands, calmly walking over to me. “I don’t think he would ever have been exactly like our father, and Viv doesn’t either.”

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