Page 148 of Forgotten Prejudice

“I-Is there someone in there?” I wasn’t even sure why the idea he was with someone bothered me as much as it did.

“Yeah,” he answered flatly, causing my stomach to flop. “So, as you can tell, I’m rather busy, so it would be helpful if you’d go home.”

My mouth fell open, and I had to swallow before I was able to form a sentence. “W-Why are you acting this way?” I asked, confused. It was a complete one-eighty from when I last came here. He was so warm that day, accepting me with open arms, while now? Now, he was the ice-cold man who’d ended our relationship over steak.

“What did you expect to happen when you came here?” he questioned, his voice like a blizzard. “You thought I’d deny what Kai told you? Or did you hope I’d fall on my knees and grovel for your forgiveness? And quite frankly, I don’t even understand why you’re here to begin with after you so clearly announced you don’t want to deal with anything that’s personal.”

I shook my head. “I-I came to get answers.”

“And you got them, just not the way you wanted.” He then checked his watch before looking back at me through eyes that seemed to be thousands of miles away. “I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m not interested in your drama, Ashton. And I’m afraid that’s what you’re searching for. I don’t know why, and honestly, I do not care. Now, if you don’t mind, and since I gave you the answers you needed so badly, I’m going to go.”

Soren didn’t even wait for me to respond before he went back inside his house, closing the door behind him.

What the actual fuck just happened? And why was I more hurt than angry? I’d just learned everything Kai told me was the truth, among other things, such as Soren moving us away out of jealousy. And yet, my mind was more bothered by the cold shoulder he gave me and the fact that he was inside that house with someone who wasn’t me.

Soren

My hands trembled after I closed the door, and feeling like I was about to be sick, I had to take a deep breath.

One, two, three, four, five—I counted the seconds passing on my wristwatch until a minute passed, and once composed, I brushed my hand along my shirt to straighten it and fixed the few stray hairs that fell over my brows.

“Was that Ash?” Eiv asked, popping his head into the hall with a spoon in his mouth and a bucket of ice cream in hand.

“Yes, it was.”

“And you kicked him out?” He frowned.

“Were you eavesdropping?”

“You bet.” He grinned, pulling the spoon out of his mouth and licking its back.

“Be sure to take this shit with you when you leave.” I pointed at the industrial-sized sugar he’d brought with him.

Ignoring me, he took another bite. “Anyway, why did you do that?”

I really didn’t have the energy to handle him right now. He came here unannounced this afternoon and had refused to evacuate ever since.

“When are you planning on leaving?”

“Not before you answer my question. Why were you such a jerk to him? I thought you were head over heels for your dear Ashton.”

Oh, for heaven’s sake, I needed a glass of wine in order to handle this nonsense.

“Well, once I lose this case, which seems to be inevitable at this stage, he’ll hate me either way. So it’s better to make it happen sooner rather than later.”

I was in my kitchen, already filling a glass with my favorite wine, when Eiv huffed so loud it could awaken the dead.

“What was that about?” I snarled, annoyed with his permanent eye-rolling.

Stealing the glass from my finger, he brought it to his lips and took a sip. “Nothing. I just never knew you were such a lousy loser.”

I grimaced. “Excuse me?”

“You’re excused.” He took another gulp, then cleared his throat. “But seriously, self-pity doesn’t look good on you. I’d even say it ages you.”

“Could you please go home and leave me be?”

“See?” He waved his hand at me. “Right now, you look about forty-five.”