Chapter 13
“Cupcake, what”s bothering you?”
“What? Nothing, why?”
“You”ve checked your phone ten times in the last hour. You seem nervous.” Okay, Ash, you have to tell him. There”s no way out of this.
“Truth is I need to tell you something but I don”t know how.”
“Hmm, let me guess. It”s about Rock.” I look up at him in silence. “I may be old, cupcake, but I figured out the night of your competition.”
What? How? “For real?” I manage to say.
“The look he gave you that night when he was hugging you said it all.” He bites into the pancakes as if we were having a small talk.
“Are you mad at me?”
“For what, cupcake?”
“For being with him.” I admit it and my heart seems lighter.
Dad burst out laughing. “I want you to be happy. If he”s the one, I”ll just wear the pissed mask in front of him because he doesn”t need to know I like them no matter how many illegal things they may do.”
“I… I moved in with him yesterday.” One, two, three…
“You did what?” he snaps and my heart stops beating. “At the neighborhood?” I nod. “Holy moly, cupcake. I didn”t know your relationship was that serious.”
“It is, Dad.” My heart has chosen him and I’m that insane to think about our forever.
“That means you left your house?”
“For now,” I reply, feeling guilty because that was mom and dad”s gift for me. “I moved in with him temporarily.”
He cocks a brow. “Is that a new thing you guys call it?”
“I have something more to share with you. One of the biggest news ever.”
“Go ahead,” he stares at me.
“Next year, I”m going to…”
“Wait.” He cuts me off.
“What, Dad?”
“For God’s sake, Ashley. We never properly talked about sex, and I know I was supposed to, but I”m not ready to see you as a mom already.” My mouth drops open before starting to laugh. Oh my goodness, that should have been caught on a camera because I”ll never forget this moment.
“Dad, I”m not pregnant.” I try to stop laughing but can’t.
“You”re not?”
“No Dad, I was trying to say that next year I”ll be at the Olympics in St. Moritz.”
“Oh, cupcake, I”m so proud of you.” He squeezes me in a tight hug. “My baby girl at the Olympics. I knew one day you”d get there. Jill would have been so proud of you.”
“I know, Dad.”
“But wait, hold on, what does the move have to do with this; I missed that part?”
“For the next nine months I”ll be focused on my training and that way we can spend some time together, even if it”s only a few hours.”
“Now I get it. And why is he not here? Too scared to face me, huh?” He smirks while leaning against his backseat.
“I think he is.”
“That”s good then,” he puffs his chest.
“I wanted to be just us to talk about it.”
“I”m over the moon for this news.” He pulls me in a hug again, and kisses the top of my head. “Call him. I guess he”s freaking out already.”
I nod while butterflies explode in my heart. “Most definitely.”
There”s nothing in the world that pisses me off more than knowing The Vipers are in Newtok. I can sense in the air something is about to change and I don”t like it at all. Even though The Black Panthers are patrolling 24h and they haven’t noticed anything at all I feel like someone is watching me and I don’t fucking like it.
I drive to a warehouse zone. I don”t think it”s wise, being alone puts a target on my back, but since I”m near that area, I can’t stop myself. When the phone rings I pick up:
“Hey Princess.”
“Hi, Rock, can you come over?” Her voice sounds a bit off.
“Sure, is everything okay?”
“I… I told dad about us.” Is she sobbing? Fuck!
“I”m on my way, baby.” I cut off a car. The traffic is insane and after forty minutes I get to Harrison’s house.
Ashley comes to hug me, and I kiss her forehead.
“Are you okay, Princess?”
She nods. “Yeah, I missed you, boo.”
“Rock,” Harrison greets me.
“Sir,” I extend my hand and he shakes it.
“I”m going to grab my cell phone,” says Ashley, leaving us alone.
I can feel Harrison’s eyes on me.
“Break her heart and you”ll regret being born, Rock.” His stern voice can’t be missed.
“She”s everything that”s worth living for,” I confess, not taking my eyes off him. He”s trying to intimidate me but it”s not going to happen. I fear no one and definitely not him. It took me ages to step out of my grieving and guilt for not being able to protect Caroline. But with Ashley, everything switched right away.
“Will you respect her?”
“For the rest of my life, Sir.”
“Good to know, Rock.” He pats on my shoulder. “How”s everything?”
I sigh, peering around to make sure she’s not nearby. “We need to talk.”
“That bad?” he asks and I nod, seeing Ashley playing with a dog.
“Same place tomorrow morning?”
“Sure,” I agree as Ashley comes back to us.
“Hey, what are you two talking about?”
“Weather,” we say in unison.
“That means men talk, okay, I get it.” She clings to my arm. “Come in, lunch is almost ready.”
“You sure? I thought you wanted me to pick you up.”
“I told her to call you,” Harrison’s voice makes me look at him. “Sunday is for family and since you’re part of it you couldn’t miss it.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Kevin,” he states. “I think we can leave the formalities out of the equation.”
Man, I’m so out of this dating loop.
Harrison laughs. “I know the feeling. It’s new to me too.”
“What’s new?”
“Meeting my little one’s boyfriend.” He pats my shoulder. “Let’s move inside.” Is he kidding me? Hasn’t he met the douchebag? Now that’s even more interesting. I can’t help but feel my heart race in my chest.
While we”re sitting on the porch, sipping our drinks, Ashley starts sharing some anecdotes from her childhood. She tells me about the time when she was little and saw a Harley Davidson parked in front of a diner. Her eyes lit up as she got closer, caressing the sleek metal and admiring the powerful machine.
“I was what, twelve?” She looks toward Harrison for confirmation, and he nods. “I knew right then and there,” she proudly declares, “that one day, I would own a bike of my own.” I can’t help but chuckle at her determination and stubbornness. She has always been a force to be reckoned with, and her zest for life is infectious. The more time I spend with Ashley and her dad, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have a child of my own. The thought enters my mind fleetingly, but I quickly push it away feeling a pang of guilt. How could I even think about having a child with her? I can”t risk derailing her future, the brilliant one that lies ahead of her. She deserves a life full of opportunities, not one burdened by the responsibilities of parenthood. Not now.
I take a moment to observe Ashley and her father laughing together, their bond evident in the way they share stories and exchange playful banter. They have something special, a connection that goes beyond blood. It”s a reminder of the kind of family I never had, but always longed for. I will do everything in my power to ensure that Ashley”s dreams come true. I”ll support her ambitions, encourage her to chase after her passions, and be her rock when life gets tough. She deserves the world.
I can sense Harrison’s nervousness but in front of Ash, he’s wearing his poker face. Isn’t that what I do too?