Good. That tone meant he was listening. Luke had always had that skill. Matt swallowed and hoped he didn’t sound bitter when he asked, “When you were in love with Caro and she didn’t know you were alive, you left. Did you ever intend to tell Caro how you felt?”
Lukecut off his engine. Matt hadn’t even heard that. He must be returning from a night shift but his brother hadn’t complained. “That’s a hard question. My wife and I were young when we met.”
“College isn’t that young.” Matt had gotten his first real adult roles then. And from what he understood his brother had spent years of his life without Caro noticing him, which was the exact oppositeof his own life, it seemed. Matt’s voice was tight as he asked, “Did you intend to find her and tell her?”
His brother coughed. Neither one of them had ever discussed personal questions like this but Matt needed to know. “No. I intended to stay far away from her. However, we met again at a bar—that was fate. We’d both changed and I made my move then.”
Right. So his brother had bumpedinto Caro again on accident. It was hugely different from his situation, where Ashley had come to LA just to meet him. He played with his blond hair that was starting to grow out. “Okay, thanks.”
“For what?” Luke asked.
Because despite how his insides jiggled and his heart pounded, he was clear. “For reminding me that love is about two people on the same page.”
“Oh. Good night,then.” Luke opened a car door. Matt imagined that his brother was home again.
“Bye, Luke.” They hung up. As he put his phone on a table near his side, he lightly banged the back of his head to the wall. Now he needed his heart to understand what had just happened.
Ashley couldn’t love him. It wasn’t true.
Chapter 15
Ashley was curled up with a book in Jennifer’s house, near her window across from the gas fireplace of the guest bedroom, Cosimo asleep in his nursery.
The story was better than she’d expected.
The night sky was fully dark and she couldn’t see many stars. The smog was like Miami in that way, not that she usually stayed up late to notice.
Despite thatMiami and LA were known for late night parties, that wasn’t ever Ashley Romero’s scene.
She normally preferred flats to heels, jeans to slacks, brown hair to blonde.
And the book she was reading… this seemed odd. Jennifer was never a sci fi/fantasy reader so why would she have this book about a girl who was out to save humanity from the evil government by forming a rebellion?
Anyone who knew Jennifer would know she preferred fashion articles to fantasy.
Ashley only half-skimmed as the baby slept.
The hospital had said Jennifer had been discharged but Jennifer wasn’t answering her phone and the house seemed dead quiet.
She got up and checked on the baby one more time.
Cosimo slept like an angel.
His expression was so serious, yetsoftened by swirls of dark hair and plump cheeks.
Ashley needed to buy him something to remember her by before she left here as Jennifer was sure to finally disown her.
Finally the front door opened.
Ashley snuck out of the nursery and rushed down the flight of carpeted red stairs in Jennifer’s homage to Scarlett O’Hara’s Tara, Beverly Hills style.
On the bottom step,Ashley stopped running and her sneakers squeaked on the marble as she saw her cousin hobble in and take off her Prada sunglasses, despite the late hour. Ashley tapped her hands to her sides and said, “Jennifer, I’m so glad that you’re home.”
Jennifer put her Versace handbag down, her face white and eyes bloodshot. “I’ve complained for days about these pains that come and go. Finally mydoctor figured it out.”
Clearly Jennifer was sick. Blurting out that Anthony had seen Cosimo would have to wait. Ashley walked over and wrapped her arm around her cousin’s side to help her though she hadn’t been asked. Jennifer let her. “How long do you need to rest for?”
“I’ll be fine.” Jennifer didn’t argue as they climbed the stairs to Jennifer’s room together. Her cousin allowedAshley to take some of her weight as they went up each step, slowly. “I called Brandon on my way home. I can’t do action or blocking for a few days, but I can read and voice my thoughts from a chair on what’s being prepared.”
