The Last Strike의 모든 챕터: 챕터 21 - 챕터 30

Elizabeth’s POV:Since I knew Ashton wouldn’t be playing today, I didn’t bother asking for a preferred seat. I chose to join the executives in their suite instead and found myself engrossed in a discussion about Ashton with Charles Stanton.He said, “Liz, please tell me you have a plan for addressing the photos of you and Ashton that are all over social media right now.”While I didn’t want to share all the details with him, I did feel comfortable assuring him that I had it under control. “No worries, Charles. I have a way of turning all of it into good publicity for Ashton. The fans want to see Ashton clean up his act, and their thinking is that he has started a devoted relationship with a woman, which will assist with that.”What he asked next caught me completely off guard. “Won’t it feel awkward pretending to be in a loving relationship with your ex-boyfriend?”Blink. Blink. Blink. “Wa- Wa- Wait, you know that Ashton and I used to be together? How?”Charles gently patted my should

Elizabeth’s POV:I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating frantically, and I thought it might actually jump off the nightstand. What could be happening that would have my phone going wild? Whatever it is, I probably don’t want to know about it.Reluctantly, I grabbed it and braced myself for whatever I was about to see. I wasn’t actually shocked to see that photos of myself and Ashton had been captured last night and were now plastered across social media.They had now figured out my name and found information linking me to my father and the Grizzlies, but thanks to my connections, they had not obtained my actual profession. I appeared to be associated with the team and had no further details.The pictures show us entering the restaurant with Ashton’s hand on the small of my back, guiding me through the crowd. They also managed to capture a few photos of us during our meal, as we were seated close together. To any onlooker, we appeared to be intimate with one another.One headline

Ashton’s POV:As soon as Malcolm and I were alone, he began bombarding me with questions about Elizabeth and the incident at the restaurant involving Jackie Sesna.“Bro, did you honestly not hook up with Jackie Sesna that night? Her reputation of being a crazy diva is clearly accurate.”I couldn’t believe I was having this kind of conversation with him in a hotel elevator. My mind was still reeling from this morning’s drama, and all I wanted now was to focus on this afternoon’s game.“My agent had set our date up. He swore that it’d be great publicity, but it was dreadful. She acted like a spoiled brat the entire evening, and then couldn’t understand why I didn’t have any interest in getting her into my bed. Plus, her movie was lousy, and her acting sucked. Liz was right about her needing a new acting coach.”Malcolm let out a loud laugh and said, “Liz was amazing at handling the situation this morning. She has got some claws on her! People are sure to believe you two are a couple now

Elizabeth’s POV:Our flight back to Chicago had gone smoothly. I even managed to take an hour-long nap during the flight, using Ashton’s body as my pillow. Surprisingly, his proximity did not make me uncomfortable. If anything, it felt natural even after so many years spent hating one another. He had teased me that I had been moaning his name in my sleep. At least, I hope he was teasing about that.When we exited the airport, Ashton already had a car waiting. I had offered to catch an Uber on my own, but then I noticed many photographers lingering, hoping to get shots of us. I knew that it might look odd if we left separately. So I agreed to share the ride with him.He went as far as to hold the door open for me and place a soft kiss on my cheek as I entered the car. I’m sure the paparazzi managed to capture the moment. I had to admit that he was really getting good at playing the part of an adoring boyfriend.As he slid into the back seat next to me, Ashton loudly asked, “My place or

Elizabeth’s POV:I don’t know how Ashton and I ended up having such an open and honest conversation last night, but I woke up feeling as if an enormous burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt emotionally lighter having finally dealt with our past.When I told him that I no longer hated him, I meant it. I’m not dumb enough to believe that every last bit of residual anger and hurt has completely vanished, but it’s at least buried for now. I can live with that.But what do I do with these other awkward feelings that have emerged? The memory of our shared kiss from the other day has been popping into my head on an almost constant loop.You know those moments when your mind goes blank, and then something completely random will pop up. Yep, that’s what’s happening with the memory of our kiss. I stopped focusing for a heartbeat, and WHAM, the memory appeared in my mind.I have managed perfectly well over the past few years, avoiding any and all sexual/romantic interactions with a ma