Page 98 of Forgotten Prejudice

“A few weeks after he came back. Although, we fucked long before that. Remember that one Christmas he came to visit his mom? We fucked then, too.” Well, that was a blunt lie, as I didn’t even get to see Ash that time, but Soren didn’t know that, and from the horrified look on his face, it seemed like he bought it, too.

“That’s not true. Ashton would never cheat on me.”

Aww, look at that. Who knew this fucker was capable of showing emotions.

“Is that so? ’Cause I remember how loudly he moaned that night.” I grinned and crossed my arms over my puffed chest. I definitely was the one on top now. “I would have suggested you ask him yourself, but Ashy wouldn’t bother himself with talking to you.”

Breaking our stare, Soren stepped back, almost stumbling on his feet. It seemed I’d managed to shake him off his high horse, and the taste of victory was sweet.

“You know, Ash often tells me how glad he is that you guys broke up. Usually, after we fuck, he laughs about your weird ass.” Since Soren was the first to play dirty years ago, I couldn’t help but try and stab him where it hurt the most. “Like those photos on your walls.” I faked a laugh. “Seriously, man, what’s up with that?”

When Ash had just started dating Soren, he’d told Zoe about Soren’s OCD and his weird-as-fuck photo wall. Zoe mentioned it to me, and that was how I knew about it. Yet, Soren couldn’t know that, and right now, the look in his eyes was full of dread. I wasn’t one to laugh at someone’s mental health, especially with my past, but Soren wasn’t just someone. He was a piece of shit who deserved to suffer for the rest of his fucking life.

“I-I think I’ll leave,” he said, turning to walk back to his car.

“Oh, Soren,” I called after him, and the idiot turned to look at me. “I forgot to tell you… You look like shit.” I couldn’t erase the smile on my face even if I tried. And self-satisfied, I watched the bastard going back to the car with his tail between his legs.

Opening his car door, he lingered before getting in.

What’s he up to?

“I’m going to stay in LA for a while, so let Ashton know that in case he changes his mind about talking, I’ll be here.”

Yeah, right. As if I was about to tell Ash that. If Ash allowed Soren back into his life, he’d get hurt again, therefore, me keeping this whole thing away from Ash was for his own good. My decision had everything to do with what was best for Ash, not me. Fine, perhaps it was also to get back at Soren, the fucking asshole who thought he owned my best friend. Well, babe, karma’s a bitch, and it was about time he learned it.

“Hey, you’re back,” I said once Ash entered the kitchen, half my attention on the shrimp I was currently frying. “How did it go—”

My words cut off as Ash suddenly hugged me.

Surprised, I turned off the stove and wrapped my arms around him while he buried his face in my chest.

“Ashy, what’s going on?”

“I’m just so happy you’re here,” he admitted, his hands holding me closer.

Moved by his words, I rested my cheek on top of his head, my fingers running through his hair. “Is this some sort of an emotional breakdown because of Aiden?”

He pinched my nipple. “Don’t be an ass,” he pouted while I yelped and rubbed my hurt nipple. “And maybe it’s about that, but mostly, it’s because of this.” Taking a step back, he pulled an envelope out of his back pocket.

Confused, I frowned at him. “You hugged me because of an envelope?”

“It’s not the envelope but what’s inside,” he said, opening it and taking out a paper folded in two.

“A paper?”

He grunted, rolling his eyes. “A letter, Kai. Your letter.”

“I’m finding it hard to follow, and I’m scared you’ll pinch my other nipple—”

Ash chuckled and then handed me the letter. Reading the first line connected all the dots. It was the letter I’d written to him while I was in rehab years ago. It was nothing special, just a bunch of crap an idiotic kid wrote without giving too much thought into it, and yet, when I looked up from those meaningless words I’d written on a whim to meet Ash’s face, he was tearing up like some baby.

“H-Hey, why you crying, babe?”

“I never came,” Ash choked on a sob. “You were always so sweet and kind, and I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

Watching him sob over some letter I wrote years ago and had managed to forget about was adorable, so I tossed the letter aside before quickly pulling him into another hug.

“I’m so sorry.” He rubbed his face in my chest, his snot getting all over my shirt.