Chapter 77

Verdict: she wasn’t. I gave her a sheepish smile, cheeks burning like I’d swallowed a radiator. I thought I’d been subtle. Apparently not. Octavia laughed, a silvery sound. ‘You thought Ash and I were a thing, didn’t you?’ I groaned. ‘Yeah… I might’ve read that whole situation completely wrong. Sorry, that was just me being dumb.’ She grinned. ‘Don’t worry, you’re not the first woman to assume that. But trust me—he’s all yours. Ash and I are related.’ ‘You are?’ I tried to recollect if I’d detected any resemblance in their features, but came up empty; after all, didn’t all beautiful people sort of look alike? ‘I’m a distant cousin on his mum’s side. We weren’t close growing up, only started reconnecting a few years ago.’ So Dominic Everett had been chatting shit? Or maybe I’d messed up the name? Was there another actress he’d been gossiping about? Before I could untangle that mess, Octavia continued, ‘It’s obvious he really likes you. I’m happy for him, honestly. Took him long enough t