Steam (Homecoming Hearts #4)(67)

He wasn’t going to throw a relationship away. Not again.

Not with Ashby.





27





Ashby





It was fucking freezing outside. The wind had picked up something fierce, flinging snow in every direction.

Ashby didn’t care. He wanted to hurt.

How could Trent do this to him? He should have known there was more to his freak-out than being afraid of commitment. He was just another lying, cheating-

“Ashby!”

The voice carried over the storm, but Ashby didn’t turn around. But he realized too late he had automatically been heading toward Trent’s cabin. He didn’t want to go there. He didn’t want to go back into the resort and face that zoo. He just wanted to disappear.

He was only wearing jeans and a sweater. Not enough to keep the icy cold out as he sunk to his knees in the snow and covered his face with his hands, the screen of his phone pressing against his face. His fingers and ears were already burning. He let out a wail and sobbed. He was such a fool.

“Ashby!” Trent bellowed again. Within seconds, those strong arms that Ashby had come to adore threw themselves around his body. The scent of Trent’s leather jacket filled Ashby’s lungs.

He shoved him away.

“Fuck off, you liar!” Ashby screamed, hiccuping as he cried. “You bastard!”

But Trent came right back, kneeling in the snow with him. “None of it’s true, Ashby, I swear on my fucking life! There’s no baby. Elsie and I hooked up years ago, and there is absolutely no one now but you!” His hands fluttered uselessly like he wanted to grab Ashby’s shoulders or face but didn’t know if he should.

Ashby swallowed, not daring to trust him. “Why should I believe you?” He was shivering so violently he could barely talk.

Trent pushed his snow-dusted hair away from his face. He was so gorgeous it broke Ashby’s heart. “Did you leave your boyfriend behind in England and cheat on him with me?” Trent asked.

Ashby saw red. “No!” he yelled over the wind. “No, I fucking did not. He cheated on me. We’re done, over. I came here to get away from him!”

Trent took a shaky breath and held his arms open. “Please come here,” he begged. “That’s what Dez does. He lies and he hurts people and he says gross stuff about my mom so I’ll punch him and give him another scandal.”

Ashby licked his lips. He was so cold now he couldn’t think straight. There was so much snow whirling around them he struggled to make out anything aside from Trent. He looked so pained. Ashby wanted to believe him so badly.

“You swear,” he said, hating how pathetic he sounded. “You swear there isn’t a secret baby and a jilted girlfriend.”

“On my mother’s grave,” Trent said. Were there tears in his eyes too? Trent didn’t cry. But his chest shuddered and he rubbed his eyes. “On my mother’s grave, Ashby. I have never and will never lie to you.”

His mother’s grave? Fuck, Dez had said something about Trent’s mother’s memory, too. Ashby could feel the pieces falling into place. Trent’s mum was gone. That was the rift between him and his dad.

“Oh, Trent,” he said. It felt like his heart cracked for him. “I’m so sorry.” He was sorry for his mum. He was sorry for jumping to conclusions. Why would he believe Trent had a pregnant girlfriend when he knew the part about cheating on Gordon was a lie? He should have taken a breath and thought before losing his shit.

Trent shivered. “I’ll explain everything. Please, just let me take you inside.” Trent shook his head. “I’m fighting for you, Ashby,” Trent said through gritted teeth. “I’m not letting that asshole take you from me. I won’t let that other asshole take my home, either.”

“What?” Ashby asked, confused. He couldn’t stop shaking. The wet snow was seeping through his jeans.

Trent held his arms open again, and this time Ashby gave in and threw himself into them. “Come on,” Trent grunted, hauling him off the ground and walking them, tripping and fumbling, to his cabin. Ashby was still shivering and hiccuping. Trent rubbed his arms and hugged him to him tightly. “It’s okay,” he murmured over and over. “It’s okay, Ashby. I’ve got you.”

The second they were inside, Trent wrapped his arms around Ashby again and hugged him with his entire body. The cabin was only illuminated by a couple of lamps Trent had evidently left on when he’d left the place earlier. It was blissfully warm. Ashby trembled and cried.

“I’m so sorry,” he said.

“No,” Trent said firmly. He stood back and scowled at Ashby. For a second, he was scared. But then Trent shook his head and ground his teeth. “You should be mad. My life’s a fucking circus. I’m sorry.”

Ashby swiped angrily at the tears on his face. “I’m fucking done with arseholes controlling my life!” he shouted.

Trent broke into a smile. “Yes,” he said. “Fuck those bastards.”

Ashby was still quivering, but he was laughing as well now. The fury was still there, but he was through with being scared and letting other people make choices for him. He’d also had enough of crying already.

“I’ll have my family’s lawyers eat them alive,” he snarled. “I’m going back in there and giving that dickhead a piece of my mind.”