Page 377 of Now and Forever

Ashton’s presence remained in my life, unwavering from his promise that he and I would be joined as a husband and wife when I turned eighteen. It wasn’t a grand master plan, yet it had been already spoken of between our families upon our persistence that it was what we had wanted when we were around fourteen years old. Ashton, even if he loved me to the ends of the earth, as much as I hated to admit it, wouldn’t be enough to make me happy. Though, for the past decade, I had deceived myself into believing it was possible.

“Ashton …” I knew well enough there was no subtle way of handling the talk of divorce when it sprung out of nowhere, shocking your husband as if I had shot him. Seeing how I had practically ruined both of our lives, there was still hope for us to find our own fated paths. This—he and I—had truly come and gone. “You have to admit that these past couple of years haven’t been filled with happiness or laughter. We don’t even communicate as much as we used to. There’s this massive gap between us. It has continually divided us until we no longer spoke of anything with relevance.” Images of my old life with him in New York played through my mind, sealing my belief that this route was for the best.

“Fuck, Ava, you can’t just bloody well drop this bombshell over the phone! You’re simply being illogical about everything.” He released a long breath, as if he was stressed out about this conundrum. “I’m flying out to London; expect me very soon. You and I need to go over this, and I trust that you will not leave anything out, Ava.”

After quick goodbyes, I sat back on the couch, gripping the lapels of my robe as I thought of a good structure of retelling my story without sounding too eager or desperate to be with another man that wasn’t my husband. Ashton, like most males, despised it when “their woman” was attracted to someone else, especially someone they felt was inferior to them.

Even though I had been open to him about what had occurred with Reiss back then, he definitely hadn’t liked it much when I would randomly referenced him out of the blue. At times, though these instances were few and far between, he would give me that cutting look that made me shut my mouth. He had admitted at one point that he was jealous of my relentless dedication in keeping my ex-lover’s memory alive.

Deflated, I somehow found myself at the mini bar, taking out a chilled water bottle and hoping the crisp taste on my tongue would help jolt me back from this unsettling feeling that had uncurled in my stomach the second Reiss/Craig had walked out the door.

What happens tomorrow, what might and might not it bring?I implored whoever was listening up there that the hurdles awaiting me were something I could endure and survive.

I had found what I had mourned for a decade, believing he had been long gone, and he had fabricated a web of lies to cover his tracks and identity.

No matter, I wasn’t done with either of them, Reiss or Craig. I had scores to settle, and I was going to see them through, one way or the other.

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