Take My Hand - Lashton

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

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Realising it was inevitable that Ashton was going to be late home, Stella had got off the sofa where she had her once a decade rest and entered the kitchen. Ashton had told her what he was going to cook them, excited and proud. She would start it off, and maybe finish it as well. She wouldn't be angry at him for being late. All sorts of crazy things got thrown in peoples faces, and you can't help what direction your day goes in. That's why she never made promises. Chance forbids promises from remaining promises. You can't control the rigidity of it.

The front door clicked shut the chain rattling as it was slammed. "Train delayed?" she called out, knowing that was the most probable reason for his lateness. Following close behind would be unexpected paperwork for the ongoing court case he would have to testify in. She found it thrilling that her fiance's job was so attached to the law, that he got to help make decisions that really mattered.

Watching her fiance enter the room, she saw an all too familiar look displayed on his face. He was good at hiding his feelings, but this one couldn't be disguised. It lay prominent and daunting. Fear, confusion and love all painfully mixed together. She had taken to calling it the Luke look.

Grabbing a bottle of red wine she cracked it open and poured it into a glass she had waiting to reward him with. Ashton took off as many items of clothing as was acceptable to wear in a kitchen with windows that revealed them to the whole street. Turning down the oven, to allow for some time to digest Ashton's emotions, she sat down at table perpendicular to her fiance like she had done just little over a week ago.

"You saw Luke?" she asked knowingly.

Ashton's eyes shot up, alert. Stella saw a sudden hesitancy cross his face. She hadn't seen that before. He usually enjoying talking about his blonde friend, no matter how dark the discussion got.

"How did you know?" he asked awkwardly. Trying to smell the air around him in case Luke's scent had mingled with his clothes. The kitchen had been embraced with the rosemary that coated the chicken in the oven. A meal he was supposed to cook. The food suddenly bringing him to his senses he quickly apologised, "I'm sorry. I was ready to come home but he was just sat there in the waiting room having a panic attack. I couldn't just leave him!"

"Of course not," she reassured him, with a small smile. She placed her hand against his forearm, her skin a rich umber against the artificially white fabric. She let her thumb caress his arm. She could feel the sweat through the fabric. And he was becoming more flustered by the minute. He was nervous, and Stella had never seen him like this before. "What happened? Is he okay?"

Ashton shrugged and took her hand from his arm, holding it tightly in his own. "He wants to be hurt! He can't understand what Aaron's doing to him!" Ashton wanted to cry, but he didn't want to betray his emotion to Stella. He didn't want to betray his feelings for her. He loved her dearly, but there was a new passion burning for Luke. He could still fill Luke's lips against his own. A dirty kiss that he wanted to be purified by her own loving plump lips.

"Sometimes people want to be hurt and you can't save them until they no longer want it. Maybe he needs to see real love to realise it," she suggested, almost prompting Ashton to admit his feelings. She craved to hear him confess his adoration for the younger male that had entered their lives. She wanted him to tell her that he still loved her. And they could talk about what would happen next. She just wanted clarity for her life, before anything started.

Ashton didn't seem to understand her prompts. "How can he find true love when he's trapped, Stella? He's not allowed to see other people, he doesn't have other friends!"

"He sees you, Ashton. And did you not love each other before?"

Ashton laughed and let go of her hand, instead holding his head in confusion. "It wasn't proper love. We were young. We hurt each other too." He looked up at her, tired and overcome with emotions. "I love you, you know that right?"

Stella nodded confidently. "I know you do. And I do too." She wanted to push him further. Tell him it was possible to love more than one person. Instead, she stood up and kissed his forehead. "Why don't you shower and I'll finish off dinner. Have a nice cry under the steamy water. You need it!"

-

Laying beside Ashton - naked -Stella stared up at the ceiling. Her heart and breath were finally steadying. As was her mind. She was beginning to think clearly. Think about anything but pleasure and desire.

She rolled over and rested her head against Ashton's chest. He was still awake. He brought his hand to her thick, tangled hair and gently ran his fingers through it. The process calmed them both. It calmed her as much as she could be calmed. Because she knew that Ashton was too overcome by lust, lust for her and remaining lust for someone else, to remember to reach into the bedside table and pull out a condom.

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This took me so long to edit and it's not even 1000 words, my brain is literally dying on me!

Really happy with this though, I feel like I've finally got into the swing of writing this now.

Also got some really exciting journalism things to right. I landed my first book review which is so exciting, but it does mean I have to read a 400-page book and write a review in a month, alongside a million essays which I didn't consider!

How is everyone doing? I was thinking about this the other day, and wondering where you are all from? I'm from the UK and I alternate between living in Bath and London. 

Thank you so much for reading!