Read Online Blurred Lines (Behind Closed Doors Book 2) by Erin Cawood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erin Cawood
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time he sees her. He also taken to teasing her, saying she only did it so she wouldn't have to endure the humiliation of returning to New York after Sean chose his wife and family over her. I don't correct him. Ash doesn't talk about it which is only making him more antagonistic.
“Well, this has been fun,” Ashleigh sings after Wayne mentions Sean's name. “But I really must go.”
“I thought we were going for coffee.”
“Sorry, Jules, I just remembered I've something to do for Mom.”
“One quick question, Ash.” Wayne seems to be enjoying himself by winding her up. “Do your ears burn a lot? Because I hear Mimi has made friends with Sean's wife.”
“I'm sorry, who?” she replies.
“Your best friend's wife and your sister are friends and they really only have one thing in common. You.”
Her eyes darken, her lips form a grim line and she hisses, “He is not my anything anymore. In fact, he's nothing to me and neither is she.” She swings open her car door as she continues, “They're dead to me.”
I don't know what happened. Didn't she end the friendship? I was there when she did it. What did she expect him to do? Go after her? Change his mind? Surely she knows him better than that. He was never going to choose her. He's governed by what he thinks is the right thing to do.
“Mind how you drive, Ash.” Wayne laughs. “Wouldn't want you to get a ticket.”
I slap his shoulder. “Leave her be!” She drives away. “I don't know, Wayne, you want me to go out, so I attempt to go out for coffee with Ash and you chase her away. What's wrong with you?”
He wraps his arms around my waist and draws me near. “I'm sorry, precious. Why don't we go for a walk instead? I'll buy you an ice cream from that place you love to make it up to you.”
“Fine.” I sigh. Life's too short to be mad at him over this, and it's far too short to be piggy in the middle between him and Ash. I pray that one day they'll forget this childish one-up-manship and be civilized to one another, but until then I'm going to try and stay out of it. “Just, no car alright?”
I follow him into the apartment and stand by the window. I'm not really looking at anything because my mind is spinning all of a sudden. Life's too short. I almost died and while I stay here, locked up in our apartment where I think I'm safe, I'm not living my life. The crazy man who attacked me is winning anyway.
“You ready, precious?” Wayne's voice is soft again. I hate the way he speaks to me sometimes. It's like he thinks I'm going to break.
I turn and walk away from the window and the surprise in his expression surges my confidence. “I've changed my mind.” He frowns. “Let's go to city hall.”
“What?”
“Let's get married.”
“I'm sorry, did you just say—”
“Yes.”
“But what about—”
“I don't need the flashy dress, the hundreds of guests, the posh car or the seven tier cake. All we really need to get that piece of parchment is right here.” I wave my hand between us.
Wayne swallows and then nods. “But our families are going to be pissed if we don't tell them when and where.”
Whatever. Again, I try not to roll my eyes because I know how much that annoys Wayne, but honestly! I really don't care what our families want. It's my wedding.
Chapter Nine
March 2006
A few months after Wayne and I married I was invited to meet with Angela Valentina's assistant Liv at the Valentina's home in Malibu. Liv's been with Angela ever since Ashleigh's parents divorced twenty-five years ago. Liv used to coordinate the schedules for Roberto, Angela and the twins at one point. That sounds far too stressful to me. Ashleigh made her childhood sound like one made for TV role after the other, with martial arts tournaments, dance recitals and musicals in between.
Anyway, the attention Ashleigh is causing at the moment is unprecedented for the Valentina's and Liv needs someone to help her out. She says
“Well, this has been fun,” Ashleigh sings after Wayne mentions Sean's name. “But I really must go.”
“I thought we were going for coffee.”
“Sorry, Jules, I just remembered I've something to do for Mom.”
“One quick question, Ash.” Wayne seems to be enjoying himself by winding her up. “Do your ears burn a lot? Because I hear Mimi has made friends with Sean's wife.”
“I'm sorry, who?” she replies.
“Your best friend's wife and your sister are friends and they really only have one thing in common. You.”
Her eyes darken, her lips form a grim line and she hisses, “He is not my anything anymore. In fact, he's nothing to me and neither is she.” She swings open her car door as she continues, “They're dead to me.”
I don't know what happened. Didn't she end the friendship? I was there when she did it. What did she expect him to do? Go after her? Change his mind? Surely she knows him better than that. He was never going to choose her. He's governed by what he thinks is the right thing to do.
“Mind how you drive, Ash.” Wayne laughs. “Wouldn't want you to get a ticket.”
I slap his shoulder. “Leave her be!” She drives away. “I don't know, Wayne, you want me to go out, so I attempt to go out for coffee with Ash and you chase her away. What's wrong with you?”
He wraps his arms around my waist and draws me near. “I'm sorry, precious. Why don't we go for a walk instead? I'll buy you an ice cream from that place you love to make it up to you.”
“Fine.” I sigh. Life's too short to be mad at him over this, and it's far too short to be piggy in the middle between him and Ash. I pray that one day they'll forget this childish one-up-manship and be civilized to one another, but until then I'm going to try and stay out of it. “Just, no car alright?”
I follow him into the apartment and stand by the window. I'm not really looking at anything because my mind is spinning all of a sudden. Life's too short. I almost died and while I stay here, locked up in our apartment where I think I'm safe, I'm not living my life. The crazy man who attacked me is winning anyway.
“You ready, precious?” Wayne's voice is soft again. I hate the way he speaks to me sometimes. It's like he thinks I'm going to break.
I turn and walk away from the window and the surprise in his expression surges my confidence. “I've changed my mind.” He frowns. “Let's go to city hall.”
“What?”
“Let's get married.”
“I'm sorry, did you just say—”
“Yes.”
“But what about—”
“I don't need the flashy dress, the hundreds of guests, the posh car or the seven tier cake. All we really need to get that piece of parchment is right here.” I wave my hand between us.
Wayne swallows and then nods. “But our families are going to be pissed if we don't tell them when and where.”
Whatever. Again, I try not to roll my eyes because I know how much that annoys Wayne, but honestly! I really don't care what our families want. It's my wedding.
Chapter Nine
March 2006
A few months after Wayne and I married I was invited to meet with Angela Valentina's assistant Liv at the Valentina's home in Malibu. Liv's been with Angela ever since Ashleigh's parents divorced twenty-five years ago. Liv used to coordinate the schedules for Roberto, Angela and the twins at one point. That sounds far too stressful to me. Ashleigh made her childhood sound like one made for TV role after the other, with martial arts tournaments, dance recitals and musicals in between.
Anyway, the attention Ashleigh is causing at the moment is unprecedented for the Valentina's and Liv needs someone to help her out. She says
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