Life After That (14 page)

"And you think we are?" Kirstin asked him seriously while looking at him carefully.

"Yes, don't you?" Ashley frowned.

"I don't know…"

"What do you mean you don't know? You just gave that whole speech about fate and you don't think we are suppose to be together?" Ashley was mad.

"Don't be mad at me Ashley. It has to do with things that happened to me before I even met you. You remember I joined our high-school when I was a junior, right?"

"Yes…" Ashley didn't know what she was getting at.

"Well, I didn't have a good life before that, when I was in this other high-school. I had to get away from that school. Bad things happened."

"What kind of things?"

"I really don't wanna talk about the details now. I don't think I'll even wanna talk about them…" she glanced down and Ashley could see that there were tears forming in her eyes. Kirstin didn't let them fall though. She took a deep breath and continued "Anyway, things that happened to me while I was there got me hurt pretty badly. I told you a little bit about it that day at the coffee shop." Ashley nodded. He wanted to help her but she wouldn't open up to him "It had to do with these 2 boyfriends I had and I never told anyone this, but when I broke up with Taylor, the last one, I promised myself that I would never let another boy hurt me that much. That's why I ran away after our first kiss. And that's why I never hooked up with the same guy more than once since I moved to New York. I built this wall around me and no man would ever climb it more than once. When you are with a person just one time, it's always fun, it doesn't have feelings involved."

"But 'til today, we had only kissed one time. Does that mean that you didn't have feelings for me back then?"

"No Ash. That was different. We were friends first. We had a history together before that kiss. I don't have a history with any of those "Thursday Guys"!"

"Thursday Guys?"

"I'll explain that some other time. But of course I had feelings for you Ash, that is why I ran away! I couldn't get hurt again. And I sweared that if in NY I'd find someone who I'd kiss once and felt something like I did for you, I'd run away too. But that never happened. No one ever felt like you." she bit her bottom lip. She had opened up too much. Ashley smiled after hearing that. She had just confessed she felt something strong for him.

"So, what does that all mean?" Ashley was about to ask her one question which the answer would change his life for better. He took her hands in his once again "Are you gonna be my girlfriend?"

It took a moment for Kirstin to answer.

"No, I'm not."

Kirstin's answer felt like a punch to Ashley's stomach.

"What? You come here, you kiss me, you say all those things about fate bringing us together and you are not gonna be my girlfriend?"

"Ashley, calm down. I wanna be with you. I really do. I just don't wanna be labeled as your girlfriend. Not just yet anyway."

"Why not? I don't get it!"

"I was never happy being someone's girlfriend."

Ashley was a bit lost now.

"But are we gonna be together?" that was all he wanted. He wanted to be able to feel Kirstin's lips again on his own.

"Yes. I just don't want label what we have. Maybe that way it will work for me. Not being your girlfriend, I mean… But yes, I wanna be with you."

"Are you sure? Is that what you really want?" Ashley wanted to be with her but he also needed her to wanna be with him.

"More than anything else in this world, I want to be with you Ashley Ward Parker Angel." she answered with a big smile on her face.

Ashley was so happy he felt like crying. But all he did was stand up, take Kirstin's hand to help her up so he could hold her in his arms. He just wanted to feel her wrapped in his arms, that way he would be certain she wasn't gonna escape from him again. That after all he went through, he got what he wanted. The girl he loved. They just stayed there, with their eyes shut. Kirstin had her head on his shoulder and Ashley had his hand in her hair. They just stayed there. And it felt right; for both of them.

It felt like hours had gone by when Kirstin spoke up:

"I don't know if this really feels right."

Ashley felt nervous. Was she backing off already?

"What? You think that you and me don't feel right?"

"Yeah… I don't know…"

"Kirstin, you can not be serious! Please don't do this, not now, not when everything is just perfect, please."

"Well, I don't know. I think I should be with someone a little bit…" – she looked at Ashley and noticed this nervous look on his face – "taller." She tried not to smile as her face formed a serious look.

"What?" Ashley didn't get she was messing with him.

"Well, this picture is messed up. The right thing is when a girl has her head on the guy's chest. But you are just too short for me. My head has to be on your shoulder. That's not comfortable at all. I should be with someone taller…" – she saw his nervous look give way to a beautiful big smile.

"Oh, you should, shouldn't you?" – he grabbed her and started to tickle her waist, where he knew she was most ticklish.

"Stop Ashley, please, stop it!" – she said through laughter and finally was able to get off of his arms and run around the pool.

"Oh, you come here K!" – he was running after her.

"No Ash, please don't!" – she begged when he was getting closer.

"Gotcha!" – he grabbed her from behind and started tickling her again. She was laughing really hard. Ashley was loving it. She fought back but it was not working. When she realized she couldn't get rid of him, she just started tickling him too, on his stomach, where he was most ticklish.

"If you can't beat them, join them! I know your spot too Ashley."

They were both laughing pretty hard. Kirstin lay on the floor, but Ashley didn't stop tickling her. He suddenly stopped tickling her, his breath catching in his throat. He just stared Kirstin's figure laying there, still giggling while trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard. She noticed his serious look staring at her. He brushed a lock of hair away from her face.

"What?" – Kirstin asked.

"Nothing." – he wouldn't stop staring at her so she asked again.

"What? Ashley! Stop it! You know how much I hate when people stare!"

"Yes, but I can't help it. You are just so beautiful."

"Oh, stop it!"

"But you are!" he ran his hand through her hair "Can I kiss you?"

"No…" Ashley frowned "'Cause I'm gonna kiss you first." – she placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to her. They lay there, kissing. She moaned when she felt Ashley's tongue on hers. Things were starting to heat up. Ashley made his way to her neck, kissing, licking and sucking it lightly. His right hand was rubbing her stomach. She was enjoying that, maybe too much, but she didn't wanna go too far, so she gently pushed him away.

"Hm, Ashley, you know what? I haven't seen your room yet."

Ashley got the hint. She didn't wanna go too fast. He smiled. He was cool with that. Now that he had her, he'd wait how ever long she wanted to. He smiled, got up, gave his hand out to her so she would get up too and said:

"You are gonna love it! Come on!"

He held her hand and running, lead her to his room. When they were at his bedroom's door, which was closed, he informed:

"Don't mind this sign here. You're with me so that's ok." – he smirked pointing to the sign on his door that read NO TRESPASSING – "You are about to enter the coolest room ever! You have never seen anything so cool in your entire life. So be prepared!"

Kirstin grinned and shook her head. She forgot how silly Ashley could be.

"Ok, give me one second to prepare." she joked taking a breath "Ok, ready. Let's do it!"

Ashley grinned too and opened the door. When Kirstin entered it, she couldn't believe her eyes. She was in this red and blue room, with a lot of Superman symbols all around the room. Looking around she said:

"Oh my God! It's exactly how you wanted your room to be! It's just like that drawing you did in my bedroom once."

"You remember that? That was a long, long time ago! We had just started being friends I guess."

"Yeah, I know that, but of course I remember it. I always thought it would be ridiculous to have a big, metal Superman symbol over your bed. I remember I thought you'd never find one, but I see that you have!"

"Yes! I got that custom made!"

"Oh, all the good things that come with fame!"

"Isn't that cool?"

"I stick to my former statement. It's ridiculous!"

"Shut up! It is not!" – Ashley was giggling.

"It is too!" – she was still looking around the room incredulous – "But I guess it fits you."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Well, it's been a dream of yours to have a room like this and…" – she wanted to say something, but was not sure if she should, 'cause she wasn't sure Ashley would remember it.

"And… what?"

"It fits you 'cause… You're my Superman." she smiled. He got closer to her, wrapped his arms around Kirstin's waist and said, inches away from her face:

"And you are my Princess." – he then leaned and gave her a passionate kiss.

Kirstin was relieved. Ashley remembered not only that she used to call him Superman but that he had called her Princess. "Maybe he's right. Maybe we are meant to be together," she thought while kissing him.