I sighed as I listened to Rochelle and Chloe go on and on about how Aston seemed so much happier with me around. I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind about how much he must have been hurting when I left for LA.
“I’m just going to run upstairs for a second,” I said after taking a big gulp of wine. “Be right back,” I added with as much of a smile as I could muster.
Quickly I ran up the back stairs and then went in my room, shutting the door behind me and falling onto my bed. For the last five minutes I could feel tears coming on and I couldn’t help but let them out.
I just felt guilty about everything. About leaving and moving to LA for a silly job. About breaking it off with Aston because it was, what I thought at the time, the right thing to do. About not telling him I was in love with him all those years ago. About dropping that card on the train platform in Peterborough. About trying my hardest to move on, when it was so obvious that neither of us wanted anyone else.
Sure I’d been on a few dates with other people, had a few drunken hook ups here and there over the last three years, but there hadn’t been anyone else that had stolen my heart like Aston had. I couldn’t get Rochelle and Chloe’s words out of my head, I just didn’t deserve that boy!
After a few minutes I heard a gentle knock on my door, but I didn’t look up. I didn’t want whoever it was to see the tears streaking down my face.
“Babe,” whispered a soft velvety voice as the bed dipped down, and I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and a head lean against my shoulder. “Tell me why you’re upset.”
“I’m fine…” I choked out.
“You aren’t. Rochelle and Chloe said that you seemed upset, what’s going on?”
I took a deep breath and then turned around in his arms, looking up to see his big brown eyes staring down at me, full of concern. “I just feel guilty,” I whispered.
“About what?” he asked, taken aback.
“Everything…” I said before a new round of tears started falling down my face. “I shouldn’t have left for LA. I shouldn’t have ended it…”
“Hey hey hey…” said Aston, cutting me off. “That’s what this is about?”
“Ast, we lost three years!” I cried, burying my head into his chest.
“Babe look at me,” he whispered grasping my chin in his hand and tilting my head up. “What’s happened has happened. There is no use in dwelling on it now, we’re here now and we’ve got each other. Let’s be thankful for the opportunities that we’ve had and look towards a bright future ok? I’m absolutely and utterly in love with you and I will grow old with you babe, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
I just stared at him as he said these words. I thought I’d loved him before, but whatever I was feeling was no match to how I felt at this moment. All my love for him coursed through me and without warning I pressed my lips against his in a deep, passionate kiss. No kiss in our history was like this; it was on a whole new level as our lips moved in sync with each other, our tongues battling away.
Eventually we both pulled away out of breath. “Wow,” sighed Aston contently.
“Love you too babe,” I whispered. He just lay there, beaming away and playing with my fingers with his own.
“Come downstairs ok?” he asked as he sat up slowly. “I’ve ordered a couple pizzas, they should be here soon.”
“Ok, let me go freshen up,” I smiled sitting up as well. Gingerly I slid off the bed and skipped off to the bathroom, Aston standing in the doorway waiting for me. As soon as I washed off the makeup that was streaking all over my face and reapplied some mascara, I walked back out and grabbed his hand, ready to go downstairs.
“One quick question,” I said, stopping in the middle of the hall.
“Was there really no one else these last three years? Only Chloe and Rochelle said…”
But I was cut off by Aston’s lips against my own. “There is only one girl in the world for me,” he whispered against them as he pulled away, “And she’s right here with me.”
“Good answer buddy,” I smiled, kissing him again and then allowing him to lead me downstairs.
I went back into the kitchen to see Chloe and Rochelle had cracked into the second bottle of wine. “Saved you some babe,” smiled Rochelle as she passed me my glass, “You ok? We didn’t mean to make you upset.”
“No I’m fine,” I smiled sincerely, “Sorry about before. Just got a lot of things to sort out mentally still…”
“Well let us know if you want to talk, we’d be more than willing to help,” smiled Chloe.
We sat and chatted about random things in the kitchen for a while, and then were joined by the boys once the game had ended. Shortly after, the pizza arrived and we sat around joking and chatting late into the night. I could see how well this group of people got on, and I was so thankful to be let into their little circle so warmly.
As it pushed midnight people started to leave and eventually it was just Aston and I left in the kitchen.
“Ready for bed babe?” he asked as I let out a yawn. Slowly I let him lead me up the stairs where he dropped me off in front of my room with a soft peck on the lips.
I smiled at him and then wandered into my room, going into my en suite to brush my teeth and take my makeup off. As I walked back into my bedroom I was startled to see Aston stood in the soft glow of my bedside lamp, striping down to just his boxers.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked him, staring at his body.
“Cuddle?” he asked simply with a cute grin, pulling up the duvet on the far side of my bed and slipping in without an answer.
Quickly I changed into some pajamas and then climbed in next to him, reaching to switch out the light as his arms wound their way around my waist, pulling me close to him.
“Bit of an eventful evening,” he said quietly as he placed kisses down my neck onto my shoulder.
“I’ll say,” I murmured. What he was doing to me had me entirely too distracted to think up anything better to say.
“Off to sleep then babe. Love you,” he whispered.
“Love you too,” was all I managed to get out before I dropped off into dream world wrapped up in the arms of my lovely boyfriend.
