Painting Flowers // Ashton Irwin [au]

Twenty-two

Ashton's POV

Natalie's unforgettable honey scent clouds my senses as her arms squeeze tightly around my body. Her fingertips press into my back, her excitement burning my skin. My hands hover over her waist, so badly wanting to reciprocate her touch that sends me into a reminiscent decent that can only lead to insanity. However, catching Emilia's worrisome eyes only a few feet away pulls me from inevitable destruction and encourages me to lower my arms.

"You're actually here," Natalie says into my chest, her grip never loosening. "I honestly didn't think you'd go through with coming, especially after what I said when I called."

"You should know I always keep my word," I say, regretting my decision as we speak.

The glass sliding door on the patio rips open, and Natalie pulls away, her essence lingering on my skin as Luke storms out from the house with Jack. "I swear I didn't know she was coming," Luke says, the sincerity in his voice convincing.

I was bound to bump into her sooner or later and now that I have, I wish I hadn't. I was a fool to run away. I never got closure. And now that she's here in front of me, my sanity can easily slip. Natalie hasn't changed at all. Her hair still falls beautifully down her back. Her haunting eyes still catch my breath, and I have to force myself from looking at her thin lips that have touched mine so many times in the past.

Pressure builds on my knee, the toddler who ran to Nathan pushing against it to get to Natalie. Her small eyes catch my stare and my jaw clenches as I recognize her hazel iris. She looks so much like Natalie. The dark hair, the nose, the cheeks; they're all Natalie's. She has Nathan's dimples, though. I step back, giving the girl access to Natalie.

"Mama," she says, reaching her arms up. "Up."

In the time I've been gone, Natalie had a child and from the way Luke stares in bewilderment at the girl, I don't think he knew either. Just from a glance, I know this is the child from the picture in Dad's office, only older. He knew and never bothered to tell me.

Natalie denies the girl's request and kneels down. "Reina, Mama has to go bye-bye with Daddy," she says. "You're going to stay here with Uncle Jack, okay?"

Reina pouts, her dark curls bouncing as she waddles to Jack. Her arms wrap around his legs, and she glances back to Natalie as though to guilt-trip her, but when she receives no reaction, she buries her head in his legs. Jack picks her up and smiles apologetically to me—the guilt in his eyes evident—before taking her inside the house.

"Sorry," Natalie says. "We came over to drop her off before we go to the venue to settle some finances. I didn't think we'd be running into you."

"How old is she?" I ask, uncaring of her reasoning.

"She turned two in November," she says, rubbing her arm and glancing towards Nathan who comes to stand by her side.

"Oh. Congrats to you both. She's cute." My chest tightens as the words come out, my façade deteriorating by the second. I tear my gaze away from their awkward smiles in search for Emilia who has disappeared from our group of friends.

"So how's school going?" Nathan asks, plastering his hand on Natalie's waist. "You're close to graduating, right?"

"I switched majors," I say. "My graduation date has been pushed back by a year or so."

"Oh, that's right. Nat mentioned you switching to art or something." I hate the way he calls her Nat. "I assume you're coming back home after you graduate?"

I shrug. "I have dual citizenship. Unless I have a legit reason, I'm not coming back other than to visit. I plan to stay in America; it has grown on me, and I have a life there."