Page 52 of Fractured Mind
The colors blend into the bright glow of the sun. The light saturates everything around us, so I close my eyes, welcoming the heat on my cheeks. When the surrounding warmth disappears, I glance to see that the blanket has pooled around our waists.
When Ashton lifts my chin, I see both vulnerability and pain in his eyes shine through. The world stops. He gently caresses my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much.” He moves his head to mine and places a chaste kiss on my lips. He inches back so we’re forehead to forehead. “Having you home has brought me back to life. You’re everything to me.”
He makes me feel like he can’t breathe without me. I soak in his tenderness, knowing that today is a moment that will be etched into my memory for eternity.
He pulls back. “I’m sorry if I scared you yesterday, but you hanging around another guy makes me see red.” His jaw twitches.
“There was nothing going on between me and Theo, but I appreciate the apology.”
“You’re mine and I don’t share,” he states with absolute conviction.
Giddiness flutters in my stomach.
Ashton stands. “Here,” he says with an outstretched hand. “We have to go. My mom’s waiting for us.”
My body stills. “We’re going to visit your mom?”
“Yes, and if I don’t take you, she might kick me out. She’s been pestering me since you arrived to bring you over to our home to see her.”
I place my hand in his, then he leans back, pulling me up.
Once in the car, I wonder if I’ll meet his father. He never talks about him, so maybe they’re separated.
“Did Ruby tell you about my conversation with my mom?”
“She did. We didn’t feel it was our place to tell you what happened.”
I nod in understanding. “At the time I was desperate to know, but I realize now that I needed to hear it from Mom.”
It isn’t long before we’re driving up the steep hill toward our homes.
“Why did you hit Theo?”
He doesn’t answer until we reach a large gate, which I presume is the entrance to his house. “You were withhim, and you hadhishoodie on. He was lucky... he got off easy.” He turns and presses numbers on the keypad.
“I really hate you fighting, and anyway, I was out running. He saw me and took me home because it was raining. If you’d spoken to me first, you would have known that.”
“No. He was using you to mess with me before our fight.”
I think back to when I saw Theo. “He looked shocked when he found out who my nana was, and he wasn’t too pleased when he thought you and I were together.”
His lips twitch. “Well, now he knows for sure.”
“Ruby said you can’t fight in the MC competition,” I happily point out.
He shrugs indifferently but keeps his eyes on the road.
“Maybe you can use your skills to do something else?”
He scoffs. “I can’t use my fighting skills in any other way than to compete legally in competitions. When I tried it, I hated it because of the rules.”
“Typical,” I deadpan. “Hmm... what about opening a gym?”
A slow, sexy smile crosses his face. Oh so dreamy. “That’s not a bad idea.”
As he parks out the front, I stare up at the three-story house. It’s a soft cream color, with floor-to-ceiling windows. A beautiful garden of white and red roses takes up the front yard. It feels homey and welcoming.