Tyler

She hasn’t spoken to me for a year. I know she’s working as a private investigator in the city and is renting a two bedroom house in the suburbs.

The truck hit her, and she ended up in a coma. She was unconscious for three months. I visited her as often as I could. When she woke up, she didn’t want to see me. Her rehabilitation took six more months—that’s what I heard from my mom. Yeah, my mom was there for her all the time.

I called her, and she told me she wanted to focus on her kids. I didn’t blame her. They were so scared about her. I called her again, and she changed her phone number. I asked Nikko to hack her phone number. After he’d done it, I called her again, and she threatened me that she’d leave the country.

So I stopped calling her.

I lean against the windowsill.

Yet another Christmas Eve in Chaviva’s dining room. Cindy and Luka always close the hotel over the Christmas period—such a family tradition. The whole hotel belongs only to us every Christmas.

My heart flutters. Ashley is going to attend with her kids as well. She’s refused once, but my dad went to her, and apparently, he was very convincing.

I drop into the armchair as the door of the dining room swings open and Ashley walks in. She looks like I remember her—a cute platinum blonde bob, beautiful blue eyes. As intensely blue as the sky above our desert. A dark green dress hugs her delicious body and she has knee-high boots on. She’s holding a crutch in her right hand though. Pain squeezes my heart.

My family surrounds her, and I lose sight of her. Her kids move closer to me. I rise to my feet as Ren extends his arm and we shake hands.

“Hi, Tyler,” Rose says.

“Hi,” I say. “Nice to have you both here.” I toss my hair back. “Let’s say hello to your mom.”

We move towards the door and finally it’s my turn to greet Ashley. Her eyes sweep over me—as cold as winter, her face devoid of emotion. It pisses me off. Wakes an animal in me.

She was supposed to be my wife. She was supposed to sleep in my bed. She was supposed to lie naked beneath me every night and scream my name when she was coming.

“Hello, Ashley.”

“Hello, Tyler.” She averts her eyes.

I don’t know what has come over me, but I grasp her waist, lean in and kiss her lips. She yelps into my mouth as her crutch clatters against the floor. Somebody laughs behind me. Somebody murmurs behind me. To my left is somebody who starts clapping their hands.

My family love all sorts of circus, so that’s nothing new for them.

I tear my mouth off Ashley’s, but I don’t release my grip on her waist. Ren picks up the crutch and passes it to her. He flashes me a grin.

“Missed me?” I ask.

“Don’t embarrass me, Tyler,” Ashley hisses quietly.

“My family doesn’t mind.”

“I do.”

I kiss her forehead. “You look good.”

“Get off me. My kids are watching us.”

“Your kids want to be with their family more regularly.” I look over my shoulder and see Rose and Ren nod at me.

Good. They’re my allies.

“I’m taking you to the aqua park next Tuesday,” I say.

Ren and Rose bob their heads at me as excitement pervades their gazes. My glance travels to Ashley’s. She shoots knives with her eyes towards me.

I realise all the family have moved towards the dining table. “Can we talk?”

“No.”

“Ashley, half an hour.”

“No.”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Talk to him, Mom,” Rose says.

“Yeah, talk to him,” Ren says. “You’re rude.”

“Fifteen minutes,” Ashley hisses.

I tear the crutch away from her hand. “You won’t need it.” I turn around and pass it to Ren. “Keep it safe for me, soldier.”

Ren salutes me like a little soldier, and I like this delicate thread of understanding between us.

Ashley sighs as I scoop her up into my arms. Her kids giggle behind me.

I turn to them. “Grandpa Blaze has got a lot of sweets for you. And other stuff you’re gonna love.”

Ren and Rose shoot towards the sofa that stands at the farther end of the room opposite the marble fireplace.

I draw Ashley even closer to me and walk out into the quiet corridor.

“We could have stayed in the dining room,” Ashley says as she rolls her eyes.

“We need privacy.”

“Really?”

“How’s your hip, Ashley?”

“Fine. I won’t need my crutch in a couple of months.”

Good. My bike is ready for her to sit on it.

I stop in front of my room for tonight and raise my leg. With my foot against the wall, I move Ashley onto my thigh and plunge my free hand into the pocket of my jeans. My fingers close around the key card. I open the door and walk in.

I lay Ashley on the bed, removing her boots, and she shakes her head. “Not gonna happen. Forget it.” She sits up with one knee bent.

“What?” I shake off my boots and jump onto the bed. I sit in front of her, cross-legged. “We’re going to talk, that’s all.”

Her cheeks turn bright red and her hands shake. She seems to be angry.

Good. Her anger means that she still cares for me.