When There Is Nothing Left But Love (Ashton And Scarlett)

“Are you saying that you’ve never tried to find out what happened to Macy back then?” I asked. My heart ached for Macy. If Jared really cared about her, why didn’t he even try?

The obvious answer was that he didn’t care. Otherwise, Jared wouldn’t have given up just like that. Not only had he never tried to look for Macy, he never even asked after her.

It made me even more fearful of handing Summer over to Jared.

He remained silent, biting his lip.

I’d calmed down. Looking at Jared’s troubled face, I vowed, “No matter what the Crests have planned for Summer, I will never give her up to you.”

I then stalked the rest of the way back to the table.

Ashton had been engaged in casual chit-chat with Joe. When he said me, he reached out in concern and asked, “What took you so long?”

“It’s nothing. Have you finished eating already?” We’d all gathered here today under the pretext of having dinner, but nobody had taken more than a few bites.

Ashton continued looking at me. “You’re not hungry?”

I shook my head vigorously. “Nope.”

Upon hearing this, Ashton pushed back his chair and stood up. Politely, he said to Joe, “It’s getting late. We’ll get going then.”

Obvious displeasure was written all over Joe’s face. He demanded, “Didn’t we agree to this get-together? Are you leaving before we’ve even gotten to say anything?”

repeated firmly, hauling me along with him. Jared was smoking

throbbed as we got into the car. “Ashton, do you think it’s right for me to

started the car. In a mellow voice, he asked, “Did Jared say

just feel that whatever I do for her won’t be good

considered if I should tell Summer everything, all those times that Jared had visited her at the villa. But what would I tell

everyone else was right. Summer would leave someday, eventually. But

other, but she continues to stay with us. They can

bigger family and more love

stalled for a while before replying uncertainly, “Can

agreement. “Of course!”

came running and flew into his arms. At her age, she was already rather adept at turning

Summer announced, putting on an

laughter, Ashton asked,

out a sweet from her pocket, hiding it in the palm of her hand. It was all very obvious to us, but she was

“Give me your

nodded and obediently did so. A sweet encased in a

myself. Children often derived joy from the most curious

to the sofa. Patiently, he asked, “Why did you suddenly want to

isn’t any old sweet! My friend Dottie from school said that her uncle gave it to her aunt when they got married. It’s a lucky sweet! If you eat it, you can marry Mommy. Then I’ll have a Daddy

at her last sentence and halted immediately,

made a