I feel a pang strike through me. Are they together? Is that why he couldn’t bolt away from me fast enough the last time we met?
But what about that night in the city? The fact he kissed me, touched me.
Left me crying out in pleasure…
He looks up suddenly and catches my eye across the busy diner. The smile drains from his face, and suddenly, he looks almost nervous.
I’ll bet he does.
A surge of anger flashes through me. If he’s been running around, cheating on some poor unsuspecting girlfriend, then I’m not going to just let him get away with it.
I march over and stand right in front of the table. “Hi Ash,” I say loudly.
They all fall silent, and look at me with interest.
“Hi,” he answers evenly.
I narrow my eyes. “So what are you doing here?” I ask. “You left so fast when I saw you last week, you didn’t tell me what brought you out of the city.”
Ash clears his throat. “Family business.”
Another short answer. He clearly doesn’t want to talk to me right now, but that only makes my annoyance grow. We spent the most incredible night together, sharing our deepest secrets, and now he can barely look at me?
“Well, that’s just great,” I reply icily.
The rest of his table are openly staring at me, curious. “How’s it going?” The dark-haired girl beside Ash speaks up, looking delighted. “I’m Tegan, and this is my fiancé, Ryland, and Dex and Alicia.” She points around the booth in turn.
Her fiancé. I relax, just a little. At least now, Ash is just being a rude asshole, and not a cheating rude asshole.
“Hi, I’m Noelle Olsen,” I introduce myself to them, smiling.
“Olsen?” Tegan brightens. “You mean like here?” She holds up the menu, Mrs. Olsen’s Diner written on the front in the old vintage design.
“One and the same.”
“That’s so cool,” she exclaims. “Isn’t that cool, Ash?” she nudges him hard.
He doesn’t reply.
I fume. He’s acting like I’m a complete stranger, someone he can just kiss and run.
“So how do you know my brother?” Tegan asks.Brother. Of course. They both share the same dark hair and blue eyes—although right now, his are wary, while Tegan’s are smiling.
“We met in New York a couple of weeks ago,” I say. “Ash?” I add, trying to keep my voice even. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
He looks like he wants to disappear right into the back of the booth, but Tegan shoves him. “Go on, God, what’s wrong with you? You’re acting so weird.”
Ash gets to his feet. They all scoot over to let him out.
I head to a quiet corner, trying to control my anger—and rejection. I’d be fine if he’d explained that our night together was just that, a one-time thing, but we’ve never talked about it. I left him my number, and he never called. Now, all I have is a random, heart-stopping kiss to figure out what he wants from me.
“Well?” I turn on him, out of earshot of the diner. “Do you want to explain what all of that was about?”
Ash looks uncomfortable. “All of what?”
“That!” I try to keep my voice down. “You’re acting like we’ve never met before. What’s wrong with you? I don’t understand.”
My hurt slices through the anger. I thought what we’d shared was special, an amazing memory, but clearly he thinks differently.
“I’m sorry,” Ash says finally, his expression still unreadable. “For the way I acted at the bar, and being impolite now. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, and with my family around… If I was curt, then I’m sorry.”
There’s silence.
I blink. “That’s it?”
He looks confused. “What more do you want?”
How about an explanation, or some affection, or for him to kiss me like it’s the end of the world, and all he wants is to consume me, completely?
But it’s clear, kissing is the last thing on Ash’s mind. He’s standing there awkwardly with none of the easy charm and flirtation I knew, keeping a safe few feet away from me, like he couldn’t even bear for us to accidentally touch.
My heart slowly sinks.
“It was a mistake, what happened between us,” he adds, regret flashing in his eyes. “A lapse in judgment. It won’t happen again.”
Rejection hits hard, but I fight to keep my voice even. “Fine. If you can refrain from kissing me, I’ll try to do the same.”
He blinks at my sarcasm, and for a moment, he almost looks amused. Then the cool smile returns. “Thank you. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to my family about…what happened. I prefer to keep my personal life private. I’m sure you understand.”
I understand alright. The Ash I met that night at the party—the funny, charming, spontaneous man who made me feel so alive—is nowhere to be seen. Instead, it’s like a stranger staring back at me. No fun in those dark eyes; no hint of adventure or wild pleasure in his gaze.
I guess I didn’t know him, after all.
“Whatever you want,” I tell him, stony. “I’ll let you get back to your dinner.”
Ash pauses. For a split second, I think I see something in his gaze. Some kind of warmth, maybe, a glimpse of the man I thought he was. “I heard your grandmother passed,” he says softly. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I know she meant the world to you.”