“You’re beautiful, honey bear.” I kiss her again. “Take a seat. I’ll be back in a minute.” I grab her bag and take it into my bedroom. Stepping out of my jeans, I reach for a pair of sweatpants to match hers.
When I get back to the table, Ashlie eyes me with suspicion. “…We’re matching…”
“Weare?” I tease. “What a coincidence…”
“You hate when couples do the matchy-matchy thing.”
“Yeah, well, maybe things change.” I grin and reach across the table to squeeze her hand. “And maybe it’s easy when I’ve metmy match…”
Ashlie tilts her head to the side, biting the smile creeping across her lips. “You keep talking like that, and we’ll have matching love bites by the end of the night.”
“So my plan is working then?”
“Yes, my love. I think all your plans have worked out so far…”
The way my heart still pounds when she calls me her love solidifies my motivation to do whatever it takes to keep her in my life. I’ll do anything—everything—if it means she’ll always call me hers.
After dinner and a sensual, kiss-filled dessert, we sit snuggled up on the couch in our matching sweats. “What’s that?” Ashlie points to the leather-bound photo album on my coffee table.
“It’s the scrapbook my mom gave me at Christmas. Which reminds me, I need to text her back.” Despite things with my mom still being strained, the paper-thin lines of communication are open. I’m making more of an effort, but our issues run deeper than her abandonment. She still has a long way to go in addressing her own prejudices. Trust isn’t easily built, so I’m giving all I can right now. My therapist says that’s enough.
“Can I see?” Ashlie smiles with an excitement in her eyes so pure, it lights me up inside.
“Of course.” I walk over to my phone on the counter. This is another new development. When we’re together, which is every day lately, we make a point of putting our phones away. I can honestly say I don’t even miss it when my focus is on our quality time.
I reply to Mom’s text about me chaperoning Artemis on a trip to Sweden this summer, and slide my phone back onto the counter.
“Aww! You were so cute!”
“Naw, don’t lie. I’m still cute.” I slip a kiss on her cheek as I slide back on the couch and throw my arm around her shoulder, snuggling her against me.
“Yeah, and that humility…whew!” she teases back. “I think I have a picture with this same haircut when I was little. Hang on.”
Ashlie jumps up to grab her phone, and the sent message tone chimes across the living room. She props her elbows up on the counter, doing a cute little dance while she waits. Just watching her be herself is enough to get me going. I can’t imagine life without her.
My phone dings, and I stifle a laugh at her furtive glance. She knows she can see my phone at any time. I have nothing to hide. “Can you check that, honey bear?”
She clears her throat before flicking her eyes to mine with a smile. “Your mom says she can’t wait.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
ASHLIE
“So…” I turn to Hunter, flashing my teeth in a nervous grin. He pauses the movie I chose for his “month-i-versary” surprise tonight, then adjusts on his sofa. “I got called for an interview.”
“Fuck yeah, baby! I knew you’d get it. When is it?”
“This week, at the Jensen Center. It’s two parts. Monday, I’ll be in the rec center offices, and if that goes well, I’ll do a swimming interview at McMahon on Saturday.”
Pulling me closer, he nuzzles into my neck. “I’m proud of you, honey bear.”
I smile as he kisses my temple. “Yeah, thanks. Me too. How was your day?”
“Oh, I forgot. Guess who I bumped into at the flower shop?” Hunter rubs his hand up and down my thigh. “Awe-vuh,” he says in a pretentious voice.
I snort. “Was she wearing green?”
“No idea. I got out of there as fast as I could.” He laughs and presses a kiss to my shoulder, which I return with a kiss to his lips.
