With pursed lips, she puts her cigarette out before saying, “She’s out back.”
With that, I race around the house.
Ash sits on the grass, leaning back on her hands and looking out over the lake. When I get close, she turns her head.
Her gray eyes are a little bluer and swollen from crying, and she has a pink petal from the magnolia tree stuck in her hair.
After shooting me a dirty look, she gives me the cold shoulder. “Go away.”
I sit next to her. “I fucked up.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t care.” She picks a piece of grass and spins it in her fingers. “I thought you liked me, but don’t worry. I’m all clear now.”
I wince.
She needs to know I meant every second of that kiss—that it was the bullshit I spewed after that was a lie.
“Ash, I’m sorry. I regret it so fucking much. I wish I could take it back.”
She scoffs. “Wow, that’s every girl’s dream. To know a man regrets kissing them.”
“No, not the kiss. Fuck! Everything else. I just panicked.”
She wipes her face.“I feel stupid for liking someone who’d humiliate me like that in front of all of those people.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m an asshole, and I shouldn’t have done that.” I reach for her, but she pulls away before standing, brushing her hands off on her pink sundress.
When she heads for the house, she says, “I don’t care.”
Scrambling to my feet, I follow after her. “Ash, please don’t leave.”
She stops but doesn’t turn around. Her voice is thick when she says, “I have to. I hate this town.”
There isn’t a lick of venom in her words.
“No, you don’t.” I take a step toward her. “You hate me… Or you’re trying to, at least.” Reaching for her arm, I say, “The problem is, you can’t.”
When she finally faces me, she asks, “Oh, yeah? Why is that?”
“Because deep down you know I didn’t mean it.” My fingers brush her arms and she tilts her face up to me. “And you know how I feel about you. Even without me saying it.”
She swallows hard, blinking away the emotion in her eyes.
My arm snakes around her waist. “AndIknow how you feel aboutme.”
She doesn’t move away, so I pull her to me. Her breath hitches. I can’t keep my distance. If Ash is in Ravens Ridge, then I’m with Ash. That’s how this works. There’s an invisible force dragging me toward her.
Placing a hand on her face, I brush away a tear as it falls from her eye. I kiss her softer this time, and she lets me. Her lip gloss tastes like strawberries, just like last night. After a second, she reaches up to wrap her arms around my neck. When I lift her, she locks her legs around my waist.
Barely taking my lips from hers, I say, “I’m so fucking sorry, Ash.”
She shakes her head. “Please don’t hurt me like that again,” she whispers against my mouth.
“I won’t.” After inhaling her one more time, I lower her to the ground. “Come over tonight.”
I want to stay here with her forever, but I have to get back to the shop. She nods, and I grab her hand, leading her back to the house.
“I knew you liked me,” she says under her breath.
