A Coffee Shop Romance

Chapter 12

"Shayne make me and her coffee please. Juliet, we aren't speaking here. We will discuss this upstairs in your apartment and we are locking the door. Shayne make sure you get everything cleaned up and lock the shop. This is going to take a while." Ashlyn said in demand and fury at everyone around her.

I knew I have done fucked up their is no denying it that I have caused Ashlyn pain. Once we received our coffee from Shayne, I took Ashlyn with me upstairs to my apartment and locked the door. She made a seat at the dining room table, so much for being comfortable on the couch. I took the seat across from her and waited with baited breath for her to speak.

"Shayne explained what Rachel did and you know about Tia. What can we do to make this right for the both of us? What can I do to make you stay in my life and make you happy? I know you are scared of being in love, I got it but I don't want you to keep running away because of your past. I need to know everything and not through Shayne. You need to talk to me, Juliet, ME! Not anyone else and keeping yourself buried in thoughts." Ashlyn said as she took a deep breath and regained her composure.

I took a sip of my wonderful tasted coffee but then I realized Shayne gave me Ashlyn's and that meant Ashlyn had my order. It tasted really good that I had no words. I wanted to tell Ashlyn that this tasted amazing but I knew I had to be serious, I am the one who screwed up because of being a wreck over Rachel.

"I am not sure how to make this right. I do realize that I have seriously ruined my chances with you. I don't deserve you for everything I have done including walking out. I shouldn't have built a thick wall around my heart knowing that I couldn't let you or anyone else in." I replied feeling myself wanting to walk out but I made myself stay to hear her out.

"Juliet, I won't ever leave your side whether friends or partners. I like you. You may have faults like running away and it does upset me but truthfully, I can't see it any other way for us to be around each other. You are special in your own way. You will grow into yourself again once you can forget Rachel and what she did to you. I am glad Tia never hurt me this way but doesn't mean she was right for me either. I believe you can be yourself again." Ashlyn responded, reaching across the table to hold my hand.

I held her hand in mine. She moved to sit beside me and comfort me into a hug that made me feel a bit better. When she let go, I had to let myself take a breath before speaking again.

"I still don't deserve you. I have treated you so badly." I replied as we looked into each other's eyes.

"It hasn't been that bad for you to walk out. I knew you had something wrong and you would tell someone even if it wasn't me. If you need therapy to get over Rachel, we will help you all of us. Until then you aren't forced to stay with me at my place and I don't feel it would be wise for me to stay either. We will meet at places for dates to get this going again but I am not willing to let you go." Ashlyn responded with a small smile.

I got up from the table, went to turn on the record player, flicked on the dim lights, and played some soft slow dancing songs for us to dance too. I went to the table once again leaving my hand out in the open as she placed hers in mine and guided her to the middle of my living room as I put her in my arms and we danced slowly until you could feel the heat of our bodies radiating from one another. I wanted nothing more than to keep Ashlyn in my arms even if it meant us cuddling for days and nights on in.

"I..." I had to clear my throat. I wanted to say I love you to Ashlyn but instead I held it back. "I am enjoying this with you." I whispered to her.

She looked back up at me once again as her chocolate brown eyes melted me and she whispered back, "I am too."

I knew we weren't ready for the I love you stage, I still have a long way to go on healing and accepting that Ashlyn wasn't going to hurt me. I need to let her in along with everyone else around me. This time I lifted her face to mine and couldn't help but smile at the woman I have in my arms. I felt sparks run through my body, I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to be her everything but I stopped myself before getting ahead of myself. Ashlyn is special in needing someone to connect with and I should give her that without making herself feel rushed. She's willing to take it slow with me and I can take it slow with her as we process this whole friendship into the relationship stage.