A Tall and Small Collection | S2

Unspoken Confession

Ashlynn hadn't had the apartment to herself in what felt like forever. She hated the feeling. She finished a long day of work and came back to a quiet, empty apartment.

Rey obviously was on the counter because all of his projects were put away nice and neat. The music wasn't playing, so Dorian was somewhere else. Most likely, he was at practice.

And who knew where Soren...

Soren...

Ashlynn laid back on her bed to stare at the ceiling. What was he doing? She closed her eyes and tried to picture him, which was easy to do...

She had been doing it a lot lately.

She imagined he would be cleaning up some mess Mayzie or Rey made in the kitchen. His sleeves would be rolled up on only one arm not because he liked it that way, but because he always scraped his sleeves down accidentally on his right-hand side.

His hair needed a trim, so it was probably hanging in his eyes slightly. She never tried to touch it before, but she imagined it was soft and fluffy by the way it fell when he tussled his hair, usually when he scratched his scalp.

Would he be humming Mayzie to sleep? Would he be awake for long?

Ashlynn sighed heavily. Why did she let her thoughts wander like this?

It had been so long since that first time she saw him on the floor of her kitchen. She didn't know him or even what he was, not that it mattered. One look and she knew he wasn't just a pest or something who lived in the walls – he was someone.

Absent mindedly, she reached up and touched the marks on her wrists, thumbing over the few lines that had long healed.

She remembered the drive home from the courthouse.

She could vividly recall every emotion raging war in her heart. It was a tough day, and finding a sick and broken person on her floor was the last thing she wanted to deal with.

But she was so glad she did.

Everything would've played out so differently if...

Ashlynn smiled to herself.

Every memory of Soren played in fast-forward in the blink of an eye. It made her heart flutter and nerves shiver. A million thoughts dared her to follow, but she stopped short.

Heaviness settled over her heart.

If only things were different...

Ashlynn would've stayed there, but her protesting insides demanded dinner. Regretfully, she pulled away from the fantasy in her mind and slipped into a comfortable shirt and short shorts, letting her hair tumble down her shoulders, while she walked to the kitchen.

She began rummaging through her pantry and freezer. It was a sad state of affairs. A grocery trip was inevitable at this point.

She took out some tilapia and rinsed some spinach to steam. It wasn't until she rinsed her riced and pushed the button with a satisfying click that she felt the familiar feeling of being watched.

Ashlynn's eyes flicked over to see Soren stepping out of the electric socket on the other side of the kitchen counter, Mayzie strapped happily to his back. Heart leaping into her throat, Ashlynn couldn't spit out the words faster than Soren.

"Hey, Ashlynn," he said with a thoughtful smile.

"Hey..." Ashlynn had to physically shake her head to snap out of her trance. "Sorry. I didn't think I'd have visitors tonight. It was quiet when I got back." Soren, now looking slightly embarrassed, took a half-step back.