september 2015
houston tx
The next morning, Ashley is more than happy that she's waking up in Awsten's arms.
All she's wearing is his tshirt and some underwear, and she can't help but blush as she recalls the events of the night before.
Awsten is still sound asleep, and she finds herself watching him.
She reaches over to her nightstand to grab her phone, slipping out of Awsten's secure hold as she does so.
Ashley notices him frown, mindlessly feeling around for her body; he seems restless for a moment, and she feels a little guilty that she might've woken him up, but Awsten's concerned expression soon irons out, when his hand finds her figure, and he lays his arm over her waist again.
In a state of sleep, his fingertips trace patters on Ashley's side, and it makes her feel warm all over.
She unlocks her phone, and checks the time, flicking through her reminders and notifications.
"Fuck," Ashley mutters, quietly to herself, when she realises that it's nearing nine thirty, and she has plans for breakfast with Gracie at ten o' clock.
Slowly, she sits up and slides out of bed, earning the same reaction from Awsten as before; in an attempt to disperse his frown, she moves her pillow from the head of the bed, to replace where she was previously laid.
Awsten pulls the pillow close to him, breathing in Ashley's scent that lingers on it, and she can't help the giddy smile that creeps onto her face.
When she leaves her bedroom, she closes the door behind her quietly, before heading down the hall to shower.
Ashley tip toes back into her room again to get some clothes, but she finishes getting ready elsewhere, to avoid waking Awsten.
She's surprised at how long he's sleeping for, but he seems exhausted, and so peaceful when he's asleep, so she doesn't want to wake him up; it's as if nothing can bother him while he's asleep— the thoughts that usually trouble him are far away, and his brain is finally shut off.
It's not long before there's a knock at her front door, and Ashley grimaces, hoping that it wasn't too loud, as she hurries to open it.
"Happy birthday!" Gracie cheers, engulfing Ashley in a tight hug.
"Thank you," she replies, fairly quietly, with a small laugh. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah!" Gracie grins, excitedly. "I didn't think you'd be ready yet, so I got here a little early," she adds, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Oh, uh, I was just awake fairly early," Ashley tells her. "Shit, uh— I just need to grab my bag," she sighs, "I'll be back in a second."
"I'll come with—"
"No, it's fine, I'll be just a second," Ashley insists, motioning for Gracie to stay where she is.
She sneaks back into her bedroom, thankful that Gracie didn't follow her— she really doesn't want to deal with the fallout of Gracie finding her brother, shirtless, in her best friend's bed.
Awsten is still fast asleep, and Ashley considers waking him up to let him know that she's leaving, but she'd rather let him rest than feel guilty about interrupting his peaceful state for the rest of the day.
She reminds herself to text him once she's left, to let him know where she's gone.
She grabs her handbag, and turns to walk away, but pivots back briefly to place a gentle kiss on Awsten's forehead, before hurrying out of the room again.
