Page 41 of Stay for Forever

“Nevertheless. You pointed out what a bitch I was being to Cole.”

I rear back. “Are you saying I’m a bitch?”

“She might not be, but I will,” Ashlyn mutters, and I elbow her causing her wine to spill down her shirt.

“Hey! Watch it. This is the only clean shirt I have left.”

“Not anymore it isn’t.”

“Children!” Ellery shouts.

“Whoa! Mama Ellery is in the house,” Ashlyn grumbles.

Ellery glares at her for a moment before her gaze returns to me. “I’m not saying you’re being a bitch. Not exactly, at least. But you aren’t being very nice to Maverick.”

“Did you forget about him kissing another woman in front of the entire world while he was with me?”

“I did some research on this,” Lilac says.

My nose wrinkles, “Research on what? Kissing? Cheating?”

“On publicity stunts in Hollywood. It isn’t unusual for stars to pretend to be in amorous relationships to boost the sales of a movie.”

I rub a hand over my chest. “But why didn’t he tell me it was a stunt?”

“Maybe he would have if you had picked up one of the gazillion times he phoned you,” Ashlyn suggests.

Dang it. Is she right?

“What’s to say he won’t do it again?”

“Honestly?” Ashlyn asks, and I motion for her to continue. “I think it will happen again.” I gasp. “Hold on before you get your panties in a bunch.” I snap my teeth at her. “But you two can discuss it before it happens again, can’t you? You don’t go all jealous girlfriend on him when he kisses another woman in a movie, do you?”

“Of course, not. He’s acting in a movie. I’m not an idiot.”

“Think of this as the same thing. It’s an act. Plain and simple.” Ashlyn stands and downs the rest of her wine. “My work here is done.”

Ellery clasps my hand. “Ashlyn may be crazy, but she’s not wrong.” When Ashlyn does a victory dance, she adds, “This time.”

Everyone starts to leave.

“By the way,” Aspen stops at the door. “When you see Maverick, can you tell him Lyric wasn’t messing around?”

My brow wrinkles. “What are you talking about now?”

“Lyric caught Maverick driving his fancy schmancy car in town and pulled him over. Apparently, Maverick thought it was a joke,” she explains.

“There’s really no need to drive in Winter Falls,” Lilac says. “He can use a golf cart. Or, better yet, he can bike.”

“I’ll tell him,” I promise before shutting the door on my sisters and slumping against it.

I knew they’d invade after word of my date with Mav got around. I expected them to push me for details of our relationship, but what they did was worse. Way worse. They made me reconsider everything.

Am I being a bitch? Do I need to let the kissing incident go? And, if I do, how do I learn to trust Mav again and not get my heart broken once more.

---