Page 137 of Fall Into Me

This woman I would never take for granted ever again. The truth of it settled into my bones, growing more absolute with every step that carried me home.

39

Fane

After

I just rounded the bend of the street, the house almost in view, when I did a double take at the person sitting in the car right across from me.

I’d never seen the car before, but that didn’t mean much. What got me was the plume of cigarette smoke that poured out of the open driver’s side window.

“Should I be worried about why you’re out here watching the house?”

A smug grin curled his lips, his eyes a silvery shade in the moonlight. “She refused to go inside and fell asleep on the porch. I figured I’d keep an eye on her until you got home. Lest we forget the events of last night.”

The mention of it sent a pang of nausea rolling through me. It made my body lock up tight, like at any moment I was prepared to bolt right back to the woman apparently asleep on the porch.

I didn’t say anything, but it didn’t stop him from continuing to talk.

“We couldn’t find you. For four hours, I couldn’t fucking find you.” He took a long drag of his cigarette, the glow briefly illuminating the sharp edge of his jaw. “And then I got the news that you’d killed someone in Artington on Thursday. And that Beverly hauled you in without so much as calling it in properly.” His voice had dipped, almost murderous.

“Who the fuck’s Beverly?”

“Detective Dozen.” Ash said his name like he thought the guy was as ridiculous as I did.

“I figured it was a little off when the lawyer I was promised didn’t show up.”

“The detectives have already been dealt with.” His voice carried an edge that made me glance at him.

“What did you do?” My words came slow, deliberate.

Ashton’s eyes sliced to me, sharp as the moonlight catching on glass. He didn’t need to say more. I already knew.

“I told her we couldn’t find you.”

My stomach dropped. I pushed off the car. “What? Why—”

“Because she was waiting for you to come back,” he cut me off. “She wasn’t sure that you would, and still, she sat on that porch and watched for you.” He stepped out of the car, grinding his cigarette under his boot. “Figured it’d be better for her to know your absence wasn’t by choice than let her think you’d pulled the pin again.”

“I never pulled the pin.” I crossed my arms and frowned at him.

“I know that, and you know that.” He gave me a little shove, but his voice softened. “She didn’t.”

He wasn’t wrong. The fact that she thought I might not come back to her after what had happened fucking killed me, and for that I knew there was no one to blame but myself. That it wouldtake more than a few months together to make her believe I wasn’t going anywhere. To convince her to love me like she used to.

“Jared found your truck.” He gestured to where it was parked a few cars back from his.

I nodded and then frowned at my boots, taking a beat before I spoke again. “Declan took photos of Cali.” I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “Photos of the two of us together.”

Ash’s eyebrows shot up at the rolled manila folder I pulled from the back pocket of my jeans.

“I took the physicals they printed, but…”

“Consider them dealt with.” His voice left no room for doubt.

“Thanks.” I nodded at him, keeping my eyes locked on his. “For keeping her safe.” He knew I meant more than just now, but just like Cali, it was never hard for him to understand what I was trying to say.

“Yep.” He nodded, and then he pulled me in for a hug that I didn’t expect. Ash wasn’t a hugger. He was probably the opposite of a hugger, but the way he gripped onto me spoke volumes, coming from this man who hated to be touched.

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