He frowns. “Like what?”
Do I drag him into this?
“Did you know that Mike cheated on Loren?”
Okay, so clearly I’m dragging him in.
“Liv, seriously? Do we really want to gossip about our friends?”
“So then, yes, you know.”
“Junior year of college. I don’t know all the specifics, just that there was…an incident.”
“Wow! I can’t believe I didn’t know this!”
“Loren seems like she enjoys the image of the two of them being this perfect couple. Honestly, I don’t know how Mike does it. I know he genuinely loves her, but…she’s a lot.”
“You’re preaching to the choir. Trust me. I know. She pretty much lost her damn mind today. She went off on Roxie and then me, and then Vanessa went at her…”
Falling back against the cushions with my arm draped over my eyes, I sigh.
“Why do you think Loren took off?”
“Because she’s a drama queen. I bet Mike finds her at that hotel she had lined up just in case you guys didn’t get invited on this trip.”
“Wait. What?”
So I tell him about that part of the story.
“You realize this could be your book, right?” he says with amusement. “I get that it’s not romantic suspense, but there is definitely a lot of drama here.”
I sit straight up. “That would be crazy!”
But I can tell he’s fully standing behind his statement. “Is it? Maybe in your book, one of the two women who disappears doesn’t do it of her own volition. Maybe there’s something else at work here. Maybe the heroine teams up with the quiet, nerdy guy who knows nothing about mystery or suspense, and they have to figure out what’s happened.” He’s grinning from ear to ear, and I’m seriously impressed with his creativity right now.
“Wait, so in your story, the heroine is the one who is going to rescue everyone? She’s the badass savior?”
He nods. “Seems pretty fitting. You’re definitely that kind of woman.”
The laugh is out before I can stop it. “Ash, stop! Be serious! I am not!”
Scooting closer, he nods again. “Yes, you are. You didn’t run away. You stood up for yourself and your friend today when it would have been easier to get up and leave, refusing to engage in what sounds like an awful argument.” Reaching out, he takes my hand in his, gently caressing my knuckles. “You went after a career that took you away from your friends and family. You aren’t afraid to put yourself out there, even when you don’t want to. You face challenge after challenge after challenge, and you keep going. You may not realize it, but you’re the badass heroine in your own story.”
This man.
This sweet, tender, wonderful man. What in the world have I done to deserve him? I honestly have no idea, but I am beyond thankful that he’s here with me. I have no idea what’s going to happen when his vacation is over, but this is one relationship I plan on fighting for.
I look over and he’s studying me. “Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”
Um…I’m just not sure I’m ready to admit that just yet.
12
ASH
“I’m thinking I may need to sit down with you to plot out this new book,” she tells me, but I know it’s a lie.
That wasn’t what she was thinking.
