For the Love of Ash (29 page)

"Okay then. I'll try."

"Think I can get a little kiss?" He quirked his head to the side and squeezed my hands, pulling me over the center console to get me closer to him. No matter how hard I bit the inside of my lip, it wouldn't stop the full smile that broke through.
 

I nodded, and the next instant his lips were on mine. It was different than the heated kiss in the club, more sincere and not fueled by sweat and sexual dancing. His hand caressed my cheek, holding me so delicately, that it felt like love.

His soft lips danced with mine, both moving together in a tango that was so fiery I thought I might explode. I dragged my hands through his hair, the silky strands falling between my fingers.

But before my tongue could enter his mouth, he pulled back. I almost fell forward when he moved, but I caught myself. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, missing him being so close already.
 

"My phone is vibrating," he said with a chuckle. "Oh shit. Asher's practice starts now." He must have set an alarm.

"Let's head in," I said as I reached for the door. But Luke grabbed onto my elbow, making me stop. I turned, looking over my shoulder, when he leaned forward and kissed me on the lips again.

It was over before it even began.
 

"I didn't know if you'd let me kiss you again, so I had to take the chance."
 

"This isn't slow." I playfully glared at him over my shoulder.
 

"I'm sorry. Shit." He ran his hand through his tousled hair. "I fucked up, didn't I? I told you I'd go slowly, and then I kissed you."
 

I reached forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt, tugging him towards me with a quick pull. I planted my lips on his to shut him up and then let him go.
 

"It's fine. This is fine. Kissing can be slow, right?"

"Slow from now on," he said. "I promise."
 

As Luke and I walked back to the rink, his hand found mine. At first, I didn't want to let him intertwine our fingers. I looked down between us, looking at our joined hands with fear thumping in my chest. I was unsure about what people were going to think—if they'd know I was being selfish. But then I just decided I didn't care anymore.

Our arms swung between us, and I was suddenly transported back to what I expected a high school romance to be. I never experienced that, but looking back, I realized that it was something I missed out on that I regretted. My parents never showed me what a functioning relationship looked like, so I wasted my time with lame hookups, caring more about social status than love.

"You okay?" Luke asked as he stepped through the sliding doors that zoomed open with a swoosh.

"I'm fine." I nodded, reassuring myself.

"We can do this slow, you know." I nodded again. I glanced up at him, our eyes clashing, and smiled. He leaned down and kissed my cheek, my face instantly heating into what I was sure was tomato redness.

"Hi there, Maggie!" Janet waved from just inside the rink as she too was walking over to find her seat. We had been sitting next to each other at all of the games and practices, and I knew today she expected it to be no different.

"Hi," I said, my voice soft and shy. "This is my—"

"I'm her boyfriend, Luke. It's great to meet you." Luke leaned across me, never letting go of my hand and shook Janet's. She eyed me, her eyebrows raised and then nodded like she was impressed as she took Luke's hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Her eyes twinkled with questions, but I glared to shut her up. Of course, I wanted to talk to her since I trusted her advice, but it wasn't the time. Said boyfriend was right there.

Asher banged his fist against the glass, and it caught all of our attentions. He waved when we all looked at him and I waved back. When he was happy with his spectacle, he turned and skated back to where the rest of the boys were skating around the blue circles.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Luke

I wrapped my arm around Maggie's shoulder as we stood in the lobby and waited for Asher. He was better than I thought he would be to be honest. You could almost feel the passion rippling off of him as he skated around the ice with ease. He gave the practice one hundred percent of his effort the entire hour.
 

"You were great today!" Maggie yelled as she shrugged out of my hold. Asher bounded down the hallway, hunched over with the weight of his bag. I ran over and grabbed it, taking it off his back. I lifted it and threw it over my shoulder. Maggie looked over at me in awe.

"Thanks," Asher said before he hugged Maggie. He rested his head on her belly, but turned towards the arcade where he saw the other boys playing at one of those claw machines. "Can I play?" Asher asked Maggie with puppy dog eyes. Even I could see them from here.
 

"I don't think so. I have no cash," Maggie said. Asher's face immediately fell into a frown of disappointment.

"Here," I said as I fished my wallet out of my back pocket. I pulled out a five and handed it over to Asher.

"You don't have to—"

"It's fine, Maggie," I said before she could continue. I shot her a glare that told her to shut up and take the money. It was only a five. Surely she could see it wasn't a big deal. She needed to learn how to take help instead of pushing it away so much.

Asher ran off towards the machines, and I pulled Maggie towards my chest. She fit so perfectly within my arms that I felt it was fate telling me to take a hint already and man up. She looked worried that I was holding her in public, glancing over her shoulder, so I let her go.
 

She sat down on the blue plastic bench just outside of the arcade. I dropped Asher's bag on the padded floor and sat beside her. Across from us a large black clock was ticking away at just after six. Maggie was wiggling next to me, her leg bouncing off the wall.

"You okay?" I asked her as I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees. I looked back up at her as she bit the lower part of her lip, making it red and wet.

"Yeah." She nodded, but I didn't believe her. "Ash just needs to get home but he's with friends so I don't want to interrupt, you know? Does he have friends in class?"

I didn't know how to answer that. I blew out a breath before I spoke. "He's friendly. I think it's my fault he doesn't because I asked him to help me early on. Now he helps me all the time, and the other kids do their own thing. He's fine, though."

"Does he seem depressed to you?" she asked as she too leaned forward. She rested her head on my elbow. I traced the line of her jaw with my pointer, her skin as soft as velvet.

"Not at all, Maggie. He's perfectly fine. He's mature for his age."

"Hah! He sucks his thumb."

"I mean emotionally. Some kids in his class still blow spit bubbles. He cares about what he does—takes pride in himself. He's fine. I wouldn't lie to you."

She nodded and leaned onto me more. Asher yelled for Maggie, and she shot up straight, fixing her sweater. She shot me a glare that said 'be quiet' and then continued to pull at a frayed part of her shirt while Asher ran over. I looked past him and saw Janet and her son behind.

"Eric said we can trick or treat with them, so do you think we can go?" Asher's words came out fast and strained. His voice was whiney, one I had never heard before, and it made me realize just how young he really was.

"I really want him to come with me. My mom will be there," the other boy, I guessed Eric, said.

"Um, on Halloween?" Maggie asked. She was fidgeting, and she started to bounce her leg again. I placed my hand on the underside of her knee to let her know I was there for her while at the same time remaining incognito.
 

"Yes, they only live in Hamden. It's not even that far," Asher whined.

"Boys, go play at the claw. I'll talk to Ms. Larken about it," the woman said, grabbing the boys' shoulders and shooing them away. I sat back and put my arm behind Maggie along the top bar of the bench.

"Where are you in Norwalk?" Maggie asked Janet. I felt a bit like I was intruding on their conversation, but I didn't want to leave her alone.

"We live in a cul-de-sac over on Meadow Lane in South Norwalk."

"Oh!" Maggie said as recognition dawned. I knew the area well. SoNo had a great night life, and during my high school years, I'd go down near the beaches and hang out with friends. It was an affluent area, so I assumed this woman was well off.
 

"That's about twenty minutes from my apartment. Did you want to take Asher, or…" Maggie reached back towards me and took my hand in hers, her sentence trailing off. I could immediately tell that she didn't want Asher to go alone, but at the same time, she didn't want to invite herself. She was becoming transparent the more time I spent with her.

"Why don't you guys come too?" Janet said, pointing at both of us.
 

"Sure. I don't have any plans," I said, squeezing Maggie's hand.

"Are you sure?" she faced me and asked.

"Definitely."

"Okay… We're in." Maggie nodded at the woman and then smiled.
 

Asher was passed out along the entire back seat of the truck. I drove nice and slow, wanting to prolong my time with Maggie. I wasn't ready to part with her, but I didn't want to impose either. It was a school night, and I knew the second I started interfering with her schedule, she'd get freaked out.
 

All of a sudden my phone began to vibrate in the front pocket of my slacks. I reached in to get it, but I didn't want to answer when I was driving. I held it in between Maggie and me.

"Can you answer it and put it on speaker?" I asked her when she looked at me questioningly.

"Hello?" Maggie asked when she answered it.
 

"Oh, yeah this is she." I cut my eyes over to her with a frown. She stuck out her tongue and smiled. She shook her head, refusing to put it on speaker.

"Sure, I'll tell him. Yeah, I know." Maggie giggled and it was the most adorable thing I'd ever fucking heard.
 

"Talk to you later. Thanks, Lilly." Maggie hit the red END button and put the phone in the center cupholder. She reached over and cupped my hand in hers. She didn't say a fucking thing, but when she moved towards me and let her head rest on my shoulder, all my worries melted.
 

Her apartment building was blanketed in darkness. She didn't even have a front light near her door or anything. She was still lying on me, and I wasn't sure if she was asleep or not.

"Mag?" I asked as I caressed her cheekbone with my thumb. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head, hoping that she would wake up. She mumbled something that I didn't understand and then sat up.
 

"Are we home?"
We.
 

"Yeah, sweetie. Go inside, I'll get Asher."

"I can—" Her palms rubbed her eyes as she jumped to get awake, but I stopped her.

"Let me." She smiled, and I kissed her quickly before she left. She hopped out of the truck, and I did the same, grabbing my keys and shoving them in my back pocket.

When I opened the door to the back, I saw Asher completely wrapped up in the seatbelt. I chuckled as I started to untangle him without waking him up. I positioned him so his head was against my chest and his legs were dangling over my other elbow.