Page 68 of Wild Oblivion

Anything I said, she was going to say the opposite.

Off my look, she said, "Don't start. He's a really great guy.”

I raised my hands innocently. "I'm sure."

"You don't like him.”

"I think you could do better."

She lifted a sassy eyebrow. “Like who? You?”

“You’re not my type.”

She scoffed.

“Smart, sexy, brave…” I shook my head. “I like ‘em dumb and ugly.”

She gave me a skeptical look. "You just haven't gotten to know him like I know him. Sure, he can come off a little possessive and arrogant. But he's really sweet and caring at heart.”

"Hey, you don't have to sell me. I'm not the one signing on for life."

"You make it sound like a death sentence."

"For some people, it is. Choose wisely."

"What's that supposed to mean?”

"Just make sure he's everything you think he is."

"Nobody's perfect. Everybody wears a mask.”

I couldn't disagree with that.

"It takes time to see the real person,” she continued. “We all put on our best face.”

"So, you think you’ve seen beyond his mask?"

She nodded. "I think so.”

I smirked. She had no idea. "What would you do if you caught him cheating?"

Her brow wrinkled. "Ashton wouldn't cheat. It's not in his nature.”

I could barely contain my reaction.

“We talked about it. Honesty and trust are paramount in our relationship. I don't think you can have a successful relationship without trust.”

"Trust is a fundamental component of any relationship.”

My phone buzzed with a call, interrupting the moment. I pulled the device from my pocket. Cell service had obviously been restored to the area. I swiped the screen and held the phone to my ear.

"You still alive?" the sheriff asked.

"I'm not quite sure how, but we survived. How about you?”

"The area was mostly clear during the blast. There were a couple of bystanders who got hit with some debris. But no fatalities. Not yet, at least. Hopefully, no one else was in that building. What about your person?”

"We are going to need a body bag.”