Page 14 of Holly Ever After

Shut. Up.

“Oh,” I finally blurt. “Ashley. Of course it was Ashley.”

Why do I always forget about Ashley?

He’s almost glaring at me before he says, “Yeah, Ashley.”

“Anyone else?” It’s definitely a brain injury. I can’t stop talking.

“What is it with you and obsessing about my love life. You’ve been in love enough for all of us.”

If my mouth wasn’t hanging open and I could feel my feet, I might notice how he works his jaw back and forth as if trying to relieve the tension. “Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re in love with falling in love. How has that worked out for you?”

The air abandons my lungs and forgets to come back, the pounding under my breasts making it hard to breathe.

“First there was Brad, then there was Leo, then, oh what was the accountant guy?”

“Danny.”

“Right, him. And now Adam. Although he almost got you down the aisle, so he deserves some credit.”

He’s joking, right?

Something in my questioning has hit a nerve, but what the hell was it? Was it asking him if he was ever in love, or bringing Ashely into it?

I study him, really study him, but his eyes are laser-focused, his features carved from granite.

I try to inhale a steady breath, but it does nothing to alleviate the ache in my chest.

It’s true, I’ve always been a relationship kind of girl, but who the hell does Sean think he is?

For once, I was trying to be nice, and look where that got me. The air around us seems to crystallize with tension, a sharp contrast to the slow burn spreading through my veins. Every bit of warmth seems to have congregated around my heart, simmering and bubbling, threatening to overflow, and all because of a few, well-aimed words from Sean.

Swallowing hard, I force myself to move.

He obviously sees the hurt in my eyes because his face drops. “I was kidding, Squirt.”

“Sean, I swear if you call me that one more time, I’ll stick that hammer so far up your ass, you'll substitute for a candy apple. And next time, maybe refrain from commenting on things you know nothing about.” The burden of carrying what Adam did to me weighs on my chest, causing tears to sting my eyes.

Panicked, he takes a step forward but stalls, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck, Holl, I didn't mean... I'm sorry.”

I almost topple over. An apology from Sean? Unheard of.

Instead of letting it go, the words spill out. “You seem to be keeping pretty meticulous tabs on my love life. Bet that’s what you do hiding away in the mountains.”

He laughs, and I almost lunge for him. “What?”

“I’m just saying, it could be worse. I could build myself a cabin in the mountains and hide away.”

“Like me?” he guesses... correctly. I nod. “Fair assessment.”

But I’m seething now, and I can’t stop myself. “Well, maybe if you weren’t so busy messing around with other women behind Ashley’s back, you wouldn’t need to hide away.”

His laughter dies in his throat.

Our chests are heaving, eyes locked in a duel, each breath etching frost in the air between us. This is what it always comes down to with us. Pure animosity. It’s a slow buildup of little squabbles until one of us can't contain it anymore, and it boils over, resulting in this. A vacuum of hate.

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