After Us (Next Generation #6) - J.M. Walker Page 0,67

you. I want to move on with you. I want to spend my life with you. But I also want this shit to end and I’m going to kick Ashton’s ass.” I huffed. “I really am.”

Jaron smirked. “There she is. The little firecracker I fell in love with.”

I stared at him. Really looked at him. His beard had grown in some more. His light brown hair was longer on top, giving it a shaggy look. He was ruggedly handsome in a way I had never been attracted to before.

My core clenched, aching to be filled by him. Even though we weren’t at home, it was like my body didn’t care. I wanted him to fuck me. Didn’t matter where we were.

He tilted his head, probably wondering why the hell I was staring at him for so long.

When I took a step toward him, a knock sounded on the door. I jumped, our little moment ruined.

Jaron came up to me and leaned down to my ear. “Until later, Piper. I want to know where your thoughts went just now.”

“You, Jaron,” I whispered. “My thoughts were about you.”

He kissed the side of my head before heading to the door.

“Some of us have to take a piss,” Ashton grumbled from the other side of the door, banging it again.

“You say the word and I can make him disappear.” Jaron opened the door, pushing Ashton back. “Problem?”

Ashton shoved Jaron into me.

“Hey.” I stumbled back a step.

Jaron caught my hand, steadying me. “You can hit me, fight me, whatever the hell you want, but you sure as fuck better be careful when it comes to my girl.”

Ashton shoved past us. “Sorry, Piper,” he mumbled.

“It’s fine.” I closed the door, giving him some privacy. “Maybe we should go,” I told Jaron.

“You go outside.” Jaron smacked a hard peck on my lips. “I’m ending this.”

“But…” I looked between the door and him. “Now? Really?”

“I didn’t end this last time.” Jaron pinched my chin. “I’m ending this now. You and I have enough shit to deal with on our own. We don’t need Ashton’s jealousy or whatever it is that he’s dealing with, added to it.” He released me and leaned against the wall, waiting for Ashton to come out of the bathroom.

“Fine…just…”

Jaron’s hard gaze met mine. “What?”

I waited for Ashton to come back out into the hall, standing my ground. This shit needed to end.

“Piper.”

“I got this,” I told Jaron.

The door opened, revealing Ashton. “Problem?”

“I never came to see you all because I was upset. I missed Jaron and had to raise his baby on my own. Not that I need to explain anything to you. But you could have called, Ashton. You could have even shown up and checked up on me. But you never did. So this isn’t just my fault.” I stabbed a finger into his chest. “So stop being a dick.” Not waiting for him to respond, I spun on my heel and headed down the hall. “Don’t kill him. Whatever you do,” I called out and left Jaron to deal with the guy I had once considered a friend, but now, I wasn’t so sure.

***

(Jaron)

Ashton watched Piper head down the hall.

I cleared my throat.

He slowly looked my way. “We doing this now, fucker?”

Stepping toe-to-toe with him, I grabbed hold of his shirt and shoved him back into the bathroom. Kicking the door closed, I spun him, and pushed him up against it. “What the fuck is your deal?”

His brows narrowed, a tinge of red hitting his cheeks. “You broke her heart. You left and she ignored all of us. People who love her. Her family. I hardly know your fucking kid because of this shit.”

“I didn’t leave because I wanted to, Ashton.” I got in his face, our noses mere inches apart. I was so damn close, I could see the gray specks in his blue eyes. “You know I didn’t.”

“That’s the thing, Jaron,” he spat. “I don’t know shit. Sure, we’ve had our issues but…”

“What?”

“I thought we were friends,” he muttered.

I laughed, pushing away from him and moving to the other side of the bathroom. “Have we ever been friends? I wanted Piper. I wanted her this whole time and yet, you and your brother were always in the way. It was like you knew.”

Ashton crossed his arms under his broad chest. “I saw the way you watched her. I used to tell Aiden that we had to make our move before you did. And even though we did make our