Chapter 22

Sally

I find myself humming a tune softly to myself. “Well... I must admit, I have quite the fondness for ice cream, especially when there’s a whole year’s supply at stake,” I try to lighten the mood with a joke, but it falls flat even to my own ears. Ashton responds with a casual shrug, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Well then, it looks like we can’t afford to lose,” he remarks.

As I glance up at him, a wave of nervousness washes over me. It’s almost ridiculous how strongly it affects me. I mentally scold myself and wish I could physically smack some sense into myself, maybe with a baseball bat to the face. My heart really needs to calm down—Ashton is my ex, for crying out loud.

“Let’s go this way,” I say, taking the lead towards the pool.

Ashton snickers quietly behind me, likely because he’s been here countless times before. He doesn’t comment on that, though, and silently follows my lead. I can feel his gaze fixed on my back, and I wonder if he is trying t