Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
The thing was, I had two choices: I could go out that door with self-respect and my head held high, or I could stay in the house, have my groceries delivered from now on, and never go out in public again. Would that really be so bad? I had everything I could want here… No! I shook my head. What was wrong with me? I’d never run from anything in my life, and I didn’t plan to start now. Nothing? Really?
Nope, I was filing that Nothing? Really? away with other shit I ignored.
So I shot off a text that was answered almost immediately, and now I had a plan.
It didn’t take long to get dressed—jeans and a blue-gray tee with three buttons at the top. The shirt was similar in color to my eyes and tight against the muscles in my arms. A few minutes later, I was out the door, climbing into my BMW and making my way down Cherry Blossom Lane.
See? This wasn’t so hard.
You failed, Ash… Everyone’s going to look at you and think you failed.
Why were personal demons so damn hard to lose? I’d made something of myself. I’d spent eight years playing professional football, plus another two before that in college, but there would always be that annoying voice nagging me and making me feel like a failure.
Trying to distract myself, I took in the lush, green scenery as I drove.
Wyatt lived in a brick house in an affluent community in Fever Falls. I’d just stepped out of my BMW when the door opened and Holly’s blonde hair stuck around the corner. “Oh my God! It’s Ashton Carmichael!” she playfully shrieked, making me laugh.
She jogged down the porch stairs and launched herself at me. I caught her, and she held on to my neck. “It’s so good to see you!” she told me.
Holly and Wyatt had started dating not long after high school. They’d gone to the University of North Carolina together, moved back to Fever Falls together, and started their family.
The three of us had stayed in contact over the years. Holly was in real estate and helped keep an eye on the house for me. They even flew out to some of my games a few times. It felt good to hold her, but slightly awkward too. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking of me…of the articles and headlines that were all a mixture of truth and lies.
“It’s good to see you too,” I replied when we parted. Maybe it didn’t make sense, but I was nervous. I knew how to be the Ashton Carmichael who flew friends out for his football games. I didn’t know how to be Ashton Carmichael with my childhood friends, back in my hometown. It was as if I forgot who that person was.
“You two planning on hanging out here all day, or what?” Wyatt asked from the doorway, and my stomach immediately clenched. Wyatt was…a good man, a close friend…but also honest, sometimes to a fault, and starstruck of the life I’d lived since leaving home. “You’re lucky I’m not a jealous man. I might be worried you’d try and have an orgy with my wife.”
Because obviously he had to lead with that. I mean, forget that I’d probably have done the same thing, but it took everything in me not to slink away with my tail between my legs.
“Wyatt!” Holly swatted his arm.
“What? It’s Ash. He knows I’m giving him shit.” He turned to me. “Hey, buddy. How’s it going?” We gave each other a sort of half-bro-hug thing.
“Not too bad. I can’t stay long, though. I have a threesome scheduled in an hour.” The joke just sort of jumped out of my mouth because it was easier to go along with it than not to.
Wyatt laughed, and Holly rolled her eyes at us.
“I’m going to be in trouble having the two of you together again, aren’t I?” she asked.
“Obviously,” Wyatt replied.
When we headed into the house, Holly asked, “Seriously, though. Do you want to stay for dinner?”
“I can’t,” I lied. “I really do have something to take care of tonight.”
Continuing to hide out…or hell, maybe a private island was starting to sound like the best course of action.
CHAPTER FOUR
Beau
Sometimes I think Beau’s sadder than he seems. ~ Love, Kenny
“Christ on a cracker. I’ve died and gone to gay heaven. Who is that?”
I rolled my eyes at my best friend, Lincoln, before popping a tater tot into my mouth. Linc had a radar for pretty boys, and while there were times it had come in handy, I wasn’t in the mood at the moment. “Who cares? Can’t we just eat and not worry about sex for once?” Not that I typically minded thinking about sex. Hell, I quite enjoyed sex and thought about it often, but right then, I just wanted to eat and chat with my friend and relax.