Chapter 15 – Gentry #2
“What happened? I thought I heard you whistle, but I couldn’t find you until I saw a break in the crowd just as you punched some guy,” Brooks said.
“The guy manhandled Ainsleigh. I saw it from the crowd and rushed over here.”
“I’m going to tell the owner so he can blacklist him. Did you get a good look at him?”
“Wasn’t really paying attention to what he looked like. Your sister was more important,” I told them as Ainsleigh shivered in my arms.
“You want to head out, butterfly?” I leaned down and whispered in her ear so she could hear me over the music.
She nodded against my chest.
“We’ll come back with you. I’m not really in the mood to stay out anymore. Are you okay, Ainsleigh?” Aspen asked.
She pulled away from me, and I wanted to pull her back. She fit just as perfectly now in my arms as she did back then.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Ainsleigh said as she rubbed the arm the man had grabbed.
“Dylan, you mind driving? I don’t think Ainsleigh should drive since she’s still shaken up,” I asked.
I fully expected her to argue or tell me to mind my own business, but instead, she grabbed her keys from her bag and tossed them toward Dylan.
He caught them, and we said our goodbyes to Ainsleigh’s brothers, each of them hugging her goodbye and whispering words that I was sure were questioning if she was okay based on how she nodded to each of them before finishing off at Holden.
Holden and I did our handshake and as we pulled each other in for a hug, he told me to make sure I texted him when they got home and to let him know how Ainsleigh was doing. I agreed, and we headed off toward the Jeep.
Ainsleigh shocked me when she fell back to walk beside me.
She shocked me even more when she wrapped her arm around my waist and nudged my arm. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and she nestled her head against my chest just the same way she’d done moments before.
I wasn’t going to read too much into it.
She just needed comfort, and I was here.
The embrace meant nothing.
But it meant everything.
She felt just right in my arms. Even though I would likely regret it come morning, I held her as we walked back to her vehicle.
We got to the Jeep and the moment was broken once we got inside.
Ainsleigh stayed on her side, and I stayed on mine.
Dylan plugged his phone into the charger and put in the ranch’s address and put the Jeep in reverse.
I didn’t take my eyes off her the whole way back to the ranch. Her head remained against the window, her body so still I thought she’d fallen asleep.
We pulled into the driveway, and she surprised me when she sat up as soon as the vehicle was in park.
The song softly playing from the speakers just happened to be our song. The universe was against me. I tried not to tense or show any emotion. She didn’t need me to bring it up now.
“Don’t shut the Jeep off, Dylan. Can you turn it up?” Ainsleigh softly asked, her head turned toward mine. Our eyes met, and my heart rate accelerated.
I watched her hand shake as she fumbled with the door handle, but a few seconds later she pulled the latch and climbed out.
Dylan and Aspen and I all followed suit.
They both hugged Ainsleigh and she told them goodnight as they reluctantly left us to go inside.
I didn’t know if I should walk away as well. As much as I hated it, I didn’t know the Ainsleigh who stood in front of me right now. She’d been so closed off since her return, when she was so carefree before both our hearts were shattered.
I should turn and walk toward my room above the barn, but my feet seemed to have a mind of their own because instead of walking away, I walked toward her.
She looked up at the sky, and I’d give anything to know what her thoughts were.
“The stars are beautiful tonight,” she whispered as she continued staring above.
“Yeah, they are,” I agreed, but I wasn’t looking at the stars. I couldn’t look away from her.
“Dance with me,” she whispered so low I almost didn’t hear her.
Her gaze slowly moved from looking at the stars to over at me.
Her expression lit by the moonlight showed vulnerability.
I wanted to ask if she was okay, but words failed me.
I couldn’t resist having her back in my arms, so against my better judgment, because when it came to her I didn’t have any, I pulled her into my arms.
We swayed to the remainder of our song as the singer sang about how he must be doing something right. Nothing had felt right since she left until this moment with her. I'd hold onto her being in my arms, for however brief it might last, long after she decided to leave.
And I swear I heard her sigh the moment in the song the singer mentioned the woman letting out the perfect sigh. Only he was referring to something else entirely.
I pulled her in closer to me and rested my head on top of hers, relishing how perfect she felt in my arms. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself I couldn’t have her, my heart didn’t want to listen. My heart pounded in my chest so hard I was sure she could feel it.
The song came to an end, and she stiffened in my hold.
She was about to shatter the hope filled in my chest, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
All I could do was ride out the heartbreak I’d become accustomed to and let her go when she decided to leave.
She kept her hands on my back as she pulled away slightly.
I masked my expression as I peered down at her, waiting with bated breath for what she was about to say.
Looking into her tear-filled eyes, I wanted to be the one to comfort her. But I remained silent and perfectly still. Too afraid to move or speak. My breathing stopped as I waited for her to do something. Say something to break this perfect moment.
She lifted on her toes and brushed her nose ever so slightly across mine, and I mimicked her motion just like I used to. Kissing her without touching my lips to hers.
I was so caught up in the moment of reminiscing in the way things felt just like before she left that I didn’t feel her move until her lips gently brushed across mine.
Once then twice her soft lips touched my own.
Just as she was about to pull way after the second kiss, I snapped out of the memories and pulled her body flush to mine.
Looking down at her, I cupped her cheek with my palm and ran my thumb along her bottom lip, my eyes searching for further permission to kiss her back. She blinked up at me unmoving as I continued to rub my thumb across her lip.
With no objection in sight, I moved my face slowly down to hers, gently capturing her lips with my own.
Home.
My lips on hers felt like home.
She gasped into my mouth when my tongue slipped out to trace her lip, and I took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss.
Her hands gripped my shirt as my tongue explored her mouth.
I could instantly get lost in her again, but reality sunk in, and I did the only thing I could, even if everything inside me didn’t want to.
I pulled away and leaned my forehead against hers.
Both of our chests were heaving.
We stared into each other’s eyes, neither of us breaking the silence.
I opened my mouth several times only to shut it.
I had no words.
I couldn’t think about anything else except for how right she felt in my arms. How I didn’t want her to leave knowing she wouldn’t stay.
“Can I sleep in your room tonight?” she whispered, finally breaking the silence.
I couldn’t say no. Not with her looking at me like she was. Not with how right she felt in my arms.
Instead of doing what I should have done, which was tell her no. I did the opposite of the right thing for me.
“Yes, you can, beautiful,” I whispered back, lightly brushing my nose across hers and kissing her forehead before I pulled away from her embrace.
She shut off her Jeep, closed and locked her doors.
We walked hand and hand in the direction of the barn.
It was going to hurt so bad when she left, but as much as I should steer clear of her, I just couldn’t.