Page 313 of Not Over You

I gasp at how accurate the accusation is. I’ve never asked if it’s true. But why would I? Mimi has been… feeding my anger. This is why everyone is mad at me. Ashleigh was innocent all along. But I didn’t know that because Mimi acted like a wounded, heartbroken sister with me. Feeding me information about where Krystal would be to fed her own revenge at her sister for dating her ex.

“But she’s manipulated me, too!”

“You?” She laughs, but it’s hollow. “Maybe you should stop worrying about yourself and think about what your wife’s best friend has done to your daughter for the last eight years.”

“Ash—”

“No!” She slashes her hand through the air. “I don’t care! You had one chance. I warned you there would not be another. You blew it in less than twelve hours. And in answer to your question, no, I won’t be handling our divorce myself. That way, after I’ve signed the papers, I’ll never have to think about you again.”

CHAPTER 19

SEAN

I need to talk to Ashleigh, but I can’t get her alone.

I don’t know how she managed it, but she floated around my sister’s wedding reception like she was on a cloud, smiling and laughing, as though her world was perfect. But I feel like mine has been shattered by Mimi’s betrayal.

I tried to get Ashleigh alone at the reception, but she was never alone long enough. I know she’s angry with me, and she has every right to be. I didn’t ask. Why would I? She ignored my very existence for three months and during that time Mimi was my partner in commiseration. The wounded and heartbroken sister who had to see her ex-fiancé and twin gallivanting around town rubbing how much they were in love in her face.

Why would I believe anything else was going on? Why would I think that her sister was playing the part of both twins? And where the hell has Ashleigh been if Mimi is in LA?

Unable to talk to Ashleigh last night, I’d tried again this morning only to discover she’s already gone. And no one will tell me where she’s gone. Worse? She’s deleted her social media accounts, so I can’t track her down either.

I should have asked. I was too quick to believe that Ashleigh would run off with someone else. I didn’t trust her. How could I? She’d left me before, and my wife cheated on me. Only I didn’t realize I had these issues until I fucked up my life and lost the best thing— with the exception of my daughter—to ever happen to me.

Sick and twisted revenge games. That’s what Ashleigh had accused her sister of. And then she delivered that ominous warning about the damage she’s done to Stephi as though there’s more that I need to know.

I glance over at Stephi. She’s sitting on the sofa in the suite’s sitting room, playing with her cheerleader pendant. She doesn’t look happy about the idea of leaving Las Vegas.

“You sure you’ve got everything Stephi?” I ask.

She stands, sluggishly crossing the room. “Yes, I’ve been ready to go for ages.”

I take in the young woman my daughter is growing into. She’s wearing an elegant summer dress with the sweetheart neckline and an A-line skirt. Gone are the little girl rosy cheeks, the bright expectant silver eyes, and her juice-stained lips. They’ve been replaced with an elegant touch of lip gloss, a hint of blush, and just enough mascara and eyeliner to notice.

When did that happen? When did she grow up?

There are curves, legs, heels, and the urge to tell her to wash that crap off her face and to put some proper clothes on. But the dress is perfectly fine for any other woman in the world. God, this is going to be hard. Being a dad to a teenage girl is hard.

Stephi turns her silvery gray eyes up to me. They tell me that she still expects me to fix the problems of the entire world. She still sees me as her hero. And I guess, that will have to do. “Dad, what's wrong?”

“Nothing,” I grumble. The glare I receive in reply is a warning that the bridges we’ve built are still weak and can easily fall. “You need to stop growing up, that’s all.” I sigh. “You're making me feel old.”

The beautiful toothpaste advertisement worthy smile she returns makes my heart burst. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and we follow the porter out of their suite. “What are we going to do, Stephi? About you, and school, and moving to LA.”

“And Ashleigh?” She asks hopefully. “You’re going to get her back, right Dad?”

I don’t understand what happened. I went to bed with no idea how I was going to get the two women in my life on the same team, and the next time I saw either of them, they were almost friends again. Of course, by then Mimi was inside my head and I didn’t want Stephi to like Ashleigh.

I swallow against the cocktail of emotions rushing through me. What am I going to do about Ashleigh? I’ll think about it when Stephi goes back to her mom’s place in a couple of weeks.

“Forget her for now,” I whisper to Stephi. “I’m talking about you and your future. Do you really want to come and live with me in LA?”

“I've been thinking about what you said,” Stephi replies softly. She takes my hand as we walk toward the elevator. “Yeah, I do want to come to LA. I want to study at Jordan Academy. And... I think I should spend more time with Ashleigh and get to know her.”

I stop and turn Stephi to look at me. I study her face. Her mouth is saying one thing, but her eyes are telling me something else. “Kiddo, we’re not going to see Ashleigh much. It’s over between us.”

“No!” She cries out and her lower lip trembles. “Dad, you can’t give up. She loves you and I know you love her, and you’re married to her!”

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