"That sounds like it could go either way for the dog," he said, smiling.
She laughed. "Jimmy loves it," she said.
They were quiet for a few seconds, and then Ash tilted his head forward like he was listening for something. "We missed the fireworks," he said quietly to her.
She smiled and squinted. "Did we, though?"
There was nothing he could do but kiss her again. He was trying to take things slow with her, but it was difficult. One minute, she was being adorable, and the next, his mouth was on hers again.
They were in that hallway for a few more minutes—up until they heard someone coming and had to break apart.
Chapter 15
Ash
Nearly a month later
~
Late January
It had been almost a month since Ash asked Audrey to be his girlfriend. It was January first when it happened, and now nearly a whole month had passed, and they had not told a soul about it. It was a secret relationship, and Ash never dreamed he'd go along with such a thing. He didn't love it. He agreed to it for Luna's sake, but he knew it was for Audrey as well. She was working through her fears, and she didn't want to rush into anything.
She had said that she wanted to be his girlfriend and that she would prefer it if he didn't date anyone else. Ash was overjoyed that she felt that way because he had no desire to be with anyone else. He didn't think he ever would. He had never felt this way about anyone before. And the beautiful thing was that he was falling in love with Lu, too. She had brought fun to his life. He had lived through some wild nights as a musician. He had lived through wild times, period. Ash had experienced fun by theworld's standards. But Luna brought true child-like fun to his life—the pure kind of fun that had no pretenses or consequences.
He hadn't gotten to know Lu as well as he wanted. Audrey still referred to Ash as her friend even though he hung out with them regularly now and had seen Lu at least a few times a week for the last month.
It was Saturday night, and Ash had been over at their house, hanging out with them. Lu just went to bed, and he waited in the kitchen while Audrey finished up with her. He knew he would leave soon. Audrey had been up since before dawn, making breakfast for all her customers.
But he didn't want to leave. Audrey came out of the hallway, walking toward him with a smile, and he wished this were his life. He wished he could stay the night tonight and every other night after that. He wanted to live there to protect Audrey and Lu. He hated leaving, and he dreaded it already.
Ash was standing in her kitchen with his back to the counter, and she walked right into his arms. He stooped a little and lifted her up, turning with her in his arms. He set her on the counter, and he positioned himself right in front of her.
"What are we doooiiing?" she asked, squealing quietly. Ash held and squeezed her tightly, placing his face near her neck and chest, and breathing in the clean smell of her. He could feel her shaking with laughter, but he didn't care. He felt hungry for Audrey, and he couldn't get close enough. She didn't push him away. She held onto him, and she was grinning at him when he pulled back to stare at her.
"I told Lu I was leaving for California soon, and that I wouldn't be able to hang out with you guys for a little while. She looked at me and shook her head and said, 'c'est la vie'." Ash shook his head and chuckled at the memory. "She was adorably serious when she said it. I think I'm going to write a song with that name."
Audrey snuggled in close to him. "That's sweet," she said.
"Come with me when I leave," he said.
"I can't. I have so much here. I can see you when you're done."
"Nooo," he said, messing with her in a whining tone.
She smiled and reached up to touch his hair. "I'm going to miss you," she said sweetly. She was so delicate, raw, and honest that he felt crushed by her words.
"Come see me out there," he said. "You and Lu."
"What? You're only there for a month, and you're going to be busy. I'll let you do your thing."
"I'm not that busy. It's not like our schedules are going to be completely consumed. Plus, your sister's there. Come see me for Valentine's Day. I know you're getting ready for Chicago, but I figured you could fit in a couple of days."
"I don't know."
"You don't have to answer now. But I do want you to answer something else. This is totally doable."
"What?"
