Loving A Romano (16 page)

“Did you tell him you were seeing Wade?”

She lowered her gaze from Torrie’s scrutiny and said nothing. What could she say?

“Ashley? You can’t possibly be considering getting back with him? He’s still an asshole.”

“No of course not,” she answered.

Torrie rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.

“It sure as hell took you long enough to answer.”

“Excuse me ladies. Ashley what would you like for me to tell Mr. Personality here?”

She was certain Bobbie would field the call if she asked him to but Torrie was right and she knew it.

“Put him through,” she said.

“Ashley Morgan.”

“Hey I didn’t think I was ever going to get through to you. You might want to have a word with your assistant. I was on hold for an eternity.”

David’s irritation came through in his tone catching Ashley off guard just a little. On previous calls he had gone out of his way to be nice. Today he almost sounded like the arrogant asshole he was hiding under that charismatic exterior.

“Bobbie knew I was in a meeting and was reluctant to interrupt. He was only doing his job. What can I do for you?”

She felt the weight of Torrie’s gaze but refused to look in her direction. Guilt already threatened to consume her. No matter how many times she told herself it was innocent it still felt like cheating.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m sure you’re very busy. I promise not to take you away from what you were doing for long. I wanted to let you know I’m back in Austin just for the day and wanted to invite you to a late lunch or maybe an early dinner. I’d really like to see you.”

The sincerity she’d heard on previous conversations didn’t come through. Annoyance still tinged his words.

“I’m sorry I can’t today.”

“Still in meetings with Torrie?”

Ashley hazarded a glance in Torrie’s direction and wished she hadn’t. The most disapproving look on Torrie’s face she’d ever seen was displayed.

“No that’s not it exactly.”

“Another big client?”

Tell him already. “Look David I’m seeing someone else. That’s why I can’t have lunch with you and that’s why we can’t start again.”

The long pause following her words was almost too much on her already frazzled nerves.

“Oh well that was kind of fast don’t you think? I mean we just broke up what not even two weeks ago.”

“It’s been three weeks.”

“We did break up so I guess you are free to see whomever you want. Does that kid know you’re seeing someone?” David asked with a harsh laugh.

“Yeah he knows.”

Torrie’s look had only changed slightly from disapproving to one of impatience. She tapped her watch to let her know it was time to end the call.

“I’d have given anything to be there to see the look on his face when you told him.”

“Hmmm,” she said.

“I still want to see you. As long as you and this guy don’t have anything exclusive then I’d like to put my name back in the running. Besides I think I have a bit of a head start on this joker. I’ve got seniority.”

Oh that’s what you think?  “Look David I really have to go. Sorry.”

Feeling miserable, she hung up without saying good-bye and put her head on the desk.

“What the hell was all of that about? Why did it take you so long to get him off the damn phone? Hell Ashley I would think you wanted him back if I didn’t know better.” Torrie bombarded her as soon as she put the receiver back on the hook.

Her head was still down. Why hadn’t she just told him about her and Wade? It would have ended the conversation two seconds in. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known what he wanted. He’d said the same thing each time. He missed her and wanted to see her. She’d made excuses for why she couldn't meet instead of just telling him she wasn’t interested.

“Torrie I’m confused I don’t know what to do.”

She felt a warm hand on her arm. Ashley lifted her head enough to see the concern on Torrie’s face. “Hon what is it? You can’t possibly be having doubts about Wade or how he feels about you. That boy has been in love with you for as long as I’ve known him and I dare say you’ve had feelings for him for about that length of time as well.”

A look of disbelief crossed Ashley’s face.

“How’d you know? How’d everyone seem to know but me?”

Her friend laughed and sat back in her chair again.

“Honey it wasn’t that you didn’t know. You didn’t want to believe it. I’m sure it was easier to go on thinking what Wade felt for you was the same brotherly love you were trying to convince yourself you were feeling for him. Anyone who saw you two together could feel the tension between you.”

“I’ve been running from this for so long. It’s hard to stop. I know how he feels about me. It’s in the way he looks at me now and I just melt inside. In that moment all the obstacles between us don’t matter. Nothing matters but us. Reality intrudes and all the same doubts I have come back. What if this doesn’t work out? What if it puts a strain on my relationship with Joey and Maura? Or Heather?”

Ashley eyes shimmering with unshed tears, as she finally allowed all the fears she’d been holding inside release.

“But worse yet what if it destroys my friendship with Wade?”  

The first tears slid down her cheeks and Torrie handed her some tissues.

“Oh honey you are in a pickle. You can’t keep on the way you’re going because if you do then you will be doing not only yourself a disservice but Wade as well. He adores the ground you walk on and he deserves your head to be fully in the game not somewhere on the sidelines thinking about all the what ifs. If you can’t give him that much then maybe you need to consider walking away before he gets hurt.”

Chapter Nineteen

Wade stepped into the cool interior of Ashley’s house from the muggy early evening heat. She’d made it clear before leaving this morning she wanted him here when she got home. He’d thought of little else while he’d been hanging with his friends at Jay’s. Even with the sometimes sullen mood he’d found himself in when his thoughts had turned to his uncertainty over their relationship there had still been plenty of time to think on how he wanted her to find him when she got home. He still hadn’t come to anything definite but he was pretty sure he’d be naked wherever he decided to wait for her.

He almost jumped out of his skin when the shrill ring of the phone suddenly interrupted his thoughts. Heading to the kitchen, he checked the caller id and didn’t recognize the number. Wade hunched his shoulders and decided to let the machine pick it up instead. Ashley’s voice came from the machine on the counter and he couldn't keep the smile off his face. Grabbing a drink from the fridge he turned to leave the kitchen when another voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Ashley this is David. Sorry I missed you at the office. I’m running about twenty minutes behind schedule. My meeting with my agent ran late. I thought you might have come home before heading to the restaurant. I guess I’ll try you on your cell again.”

The soda can almost fell from his fingers. He stood for long moments just staring at the phone on the wall as if it held all the answers to the questions swirling around in his brain. Why the hell was David calling? What the hell was he talking about? He was running late. The implications of the message refused to be ignored.

He dropped down into one of the chairs at the island. A tight band wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed. He couldn't breathe. Rising, he stumbled through the French doors in the family room and onto the deck. He braced himself against the rail and took several deep breaths of humid air. It didn’t make sense. David was meeting Ashley. Why? He began to pace as his mind worked through what this could mean. She had said she was okay with the breakup. If that was the case why were they seeing each other? What if Ashley wanted to give it another try? It was David Wright they were talking about after all. Despite his overall dislike for the man, Wade grudgingly admitted he was considered a catch. If being the quarterback for the Austin Blaze wasn’t enough, according to Ashley, he wasn’t just another dumb jock. Dammit.

This could not be happening
. He paused in his pacing to look up at the steadily darkening sky. He had waited so long for his chance with her. He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. If Ashley truly wanted to give David another chance where did that leave him? He glanced around at the deck. Hmph, apparently outside.

“Maybe I’m just overreacting,” he said into the still night. “Yeah that’s it. After all there’s no proof that says she wants to go back to him is there.”

Except the fact she’s having dinner with him right now. A dinner she didn’t bother telling him about. The facts could not be overlooked.

“So what if she’s having dinner with David Wright some big shot quarterback. I’m Wade Nicholas Romano and,” he said poking his chest.

And?

Some of the steam left him as those three little letters stared him square in the face. Never had his own identity been in question before. He was a Romano and that was all there was to it. His last name alone could guarantee him entry into some of the most exclusive places in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio
.

Heather’s words rang loud and clear in his ears.
“What can you possibly offer her?”

He found a chair and sat down in it before his legs gave out on him. Since the day she had confronted him about his true feelings for Ashley she had been telling him he needed to do something with his life. Telling him not to waste the opportunities he’d been given. All these years he had just assumed she’d been giving him a hard time because he’d opted to take the road less traveled in their family by living off of his trust fund.

As he sat on Ashley’s deck, the night air deathly still around him, Wade realized maybe she’d been trying to get him to see if he wanted Ashley he would have to do more than what he was doing.

“Oh God,” he said running a hand through his hair.

Hot tears burned at the back of his eyes and his throat clogged. He got up slowly from the chair and headed back in the house towards the foyer. His thoughts still swirled out of control. His emotions moved just as fast. He went from overwhelming pain to hurt and anger. Why hadn’t she just told him? Why had she done it behind his back? Never would he have thought her capable of inflicting the pain he was now suffering.

“Dammit,” he cursed when unwanted tears began to roll down his cheeks.

His fist hit the front door in frustration.

“Why Ashley?
Dammit why?”

He stayed like that for a while until he felt he had pulled it together enough to drive. Wade set the alarm for what he had to assume was the last time and left.

***

Ashley breathed a deep sigh of relief as she walked through the door of her home. After wrapping up her meeting with Torrie, she had called David and made plans to see him. Her talk with Torrie had made her understand it wasn’t so much her fear of what would happen between herself and Heather or even Joey and Maura. It was what would happen to her and Wade if things didn’t work between them. He’d been such a large part of her life for so many years she didn’t want to do anything to mess that up. But she’d finally realized she wasn’t doing either of them any favors by not giving her all to this new phase of their relationship. And as much as she hated to admit it that involved full closure with David.

Hearing her alarm beeping, she pushed herself away from the door. Why was the alarm still on? Wade was supposed to be here. Not seeing his car outside in the driveway she’d just assumed he’d pulled into the garage. Now she wasn’t so sure. The house was awfully quiet.

“Wade,” she called, walking into the kitchen, dumping her briefcase and pocket book down on the counter.

A smile lit her face and she headed towards the stairs. Her heart rate increased at the thought of him sprawled out across her bed naked. Her smile died as she walked into her dark room. He hadn’t gotten there yet. Stepping out of her shoes she grabbed the phone and called his cell. When voicemail came on she hung up. Where the hell was he? Then it hit her. He must be at Jake’s. She hadn’t known what time she would be getting home when she had left this morning so he was probably just hanging out over there waiting. After trying Wade’s cell and getting the voice mail again, she hung up and called Jake.

“Hey gorgeous,” Jake answered the phone.

Her smile immediately returned at the sound of Wade's best friend’s voice.

“Hey sexy. Is Wade there by chance?” she asked as casually as possible, not knowing how much or how little he’d divulged to Jake.

“Nope not here. He was at home when I spoke with him a few minutes ago. Anything I can do to fill in? I am a little closer than he is.”

What the hell? Why was he at home when he was supposed to be here? She’d been anticipating him being here all day. And after her dinner with David she’d really needed to see him.

“Hey Ashley you okay? You need me to come over or something?” Jake asked concern in his voice.

“No it’s nothing like that. I’m fine. I was just trying to get in touch with him. I’ll give him a try at home. Thanks,” she said and hung up the phone.