Chapter 15
15
Ash
A sh sat on the couch in the living room. A movie played on the television. Daniel sat beside him, and on his other side, Wade and Brielle had squished together. Charlie was curled up on a chair in the corner with a book in her hands.
It was dark in the room, save for the one lamp that hovered over Charlie’s right shoulder. Her lashes fluttered just enough for her to glance in his direction, and he winked at her.
Two weeks later and he still couldn’t get enough of her. He couldn’t be happier than he was in that moment. He had everything he’d ever wanted.
Had their timelines been a little skewed in the beginning? Absolutely. But his patience had paid off, and sometimes he couldn’t believe any of it.
A smile curled Charlie’s lips, and she dropped her focus to the book once again before turning the page.
It had been incredibly difficult to hide their budding relationship. The constant worry that someone would walk in on him saying something they would deem inappropriate had his body constantly on edge. He still came for cooking classes, and every so often it would be just the two of them.
When it wasn’t, all he got was the brief touches of his finger grazing hers where they rested on the countertop.
He kept coming up with excuses to see her for additional lessons, but no one seemed to be any the wiser.
Ash rolled his lower lip out from between his teeth and glanced at her again, not surprised to see her looking over at him. He was going to have to ask her out for an official date. He’d just have to figure out a way to get her there without her brothers catching on.
They’d both agreed that it was for the best—keeping their relationship a secret.
Charlie placed her book to her side and got to her feet. Both Daniel and Ash glanced up when she stood. He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t look in his direction as she moved toward the kitchen.
Daniel glanced over his shoulder at her. “Can you get me a drink, Charlie?”
She rolled her eyes. “You can get it yourself.”
He pouted. “But I’m comfy.”
“I’ll get you something,” Ash said and stood.
“Thanks, man,” Daniel nodded. “A cola?”
Ash clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Sure thing.” He leaped over the back of the couch and followed Charlie into the kitchen. It was open to the entertaining room, and there would be no hiding anything if any of her family turned around to look at them.
Charlie was already at the cupboard where the cups were kept. She pulled down two and handed one to him. Ash accepted it, his fingers brushing against hers and lingering there before she released it.
“Thirsty?” she whispered.
“I’m craving something,” he whispered back.
The only light on in the kitchen came from beneath the microwave, but even in that dim lighting, he could see the blush that crept up her neck and into her face. She looked toward the living room, then back to him. “You’re positively shameless.”
He wagged his eyebrows and leaned closer to her. “You want to know what I’m thinking about?”
She arched a brow before she turned to the fridge and pulled out a two-liter bottle of cola. “I haven’t a clue.”
Ash moved closer to her. He lowered his mouth to her ear, then brushed the hair from the back of her neck. “I want to take you out.”
Goosebumps rose on her neck, and he smiled, so tempted to brush a kiss to it. She turned and pushed the bottle into his hands. “Do you think that would be wise?”
“I think that I’m going crazy without being able to kiss?—”
“Hey, Ash,” Daniel called.
Jolting back a step, Ash turned to see that his friend wasn’t even looking in his direction. “Yeah?”
“Maybe some chips, too. We got barbeque.”
“Coming right up.” Ash ducked his head with a nervous smile at Charlie. Then he whispered, “This conversation will be continued.”
She hid her smile behind her glass, then moved around him to pour herself a drink. Then she slipped back to her seat beneath the light. The book returned to her lap, and she only snuck one more look before she dove into her story.
Ash intertwined his fingers with Charlie’s as they walked down the street. Colorado Springs was the perfect location for them to be themselves without worrying about prying eyes. Charlie leaned into him. Out here, no one would judge them.
They fit together.
They’d already had dinner, and now he wanted to take her for some ice cream. But as they strolled past the bookstore, Charlie tugged him toward it. Her eyes were bright, and he knew there was no avoiding it.
Three books later, they were back on the sidewalk and heading for the self-serve frozen yogurt place. He piled his chocolate ice cream high with Oreos and chocolate syrup, while she put strawberries and graham crackers on her cheesecake-flavored dessert.
Moments later, they were seated on a bench outside in front of the shop.
Once again, she was leaning into him. “Tell me about what you were up to when you left town,” she asked between bites.
He tilted his head. “Like what?”
She shrugged. “Did you date a lot?”
He snorted. “ That’s what you want to know?”
“What?” She laughed. “I’m curious. I won’t be mad.”
Ash sobered. He could hear the ever-so-slight note of worry in her voice. Draping his arm around her shoulder, he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Honestly?”
“Honestly,” she whispered.
“I stopped going out on dates around the time I left town.”
She stiffened, craning her head around to look at him. “You’re joking.”
He shook his head, not a degree of amusement in his gaze. “I’m not. After…” He blew out a nervous breath. “After that night, I tried to forget about you—about how it felt to kiss you.” He shut his eyes tight, trying to clear his thoughts. “I shouldn’t have kissed you then. The guilt ate at me for years. Still does.”
Charlie continued to stare at him, and he fidgeted beneath it.
He cleared his throat and turned his head to choke out a cough. “I tried to forget because I thought—I knew it could never work between us. Our lives were like two shooting stars, never destined to line up.”