“I already told you—I’m coming with you,” he said bluntly, like the matter had already been decided and I was just being slow to accept it. “Do you want me to pick you up, or should I just meet you there?”
I stared at him, my thoughts whirling. His sudden interest—no, his sudden fierce protectiveness—when it came to Ashley had my internal alarms going off. It didn’t feel random. It felt intentional. Like maybe… maybe he knew something. Maybe he already knew the truth.
My heart thudded uneasily in my chest.
“You don’t have to come,” I said quickly, trying to brush it off. “I can handle it, just—”
“I’m not doing this for you,” he hissed. “Like I said, Ashley is an innocent girl. I’ve grown close to her, and I care. That’s why I want to help.” He paused, eyes narrowing as he studied my f
