Ashton apologized over and over during the twenty-minute drive to Sarah's house. I told him Sarah was my friend, so it was all right. Besides, I needed to spend some time with her. I got so lost in my own drama that I neglected my friends. I hadn't spent much time with Sarah or Ava the past few weeks. I needed to change that...starting today. He promised he'd make it up to me later. I glanced over at him, trying to read his expression, but he was good at hiding emotion most of the time. I didn't know what he was thinking a lot of the time. As for me, my face was a flashing neon sign that let the whole world know exactly what I was thinking at the time. I wish I had the talent of hiding my thoughts.
"What kind of ice cream are you going to get?" Ashton asked, turning onto Brinker Street.
"I don't know. A hot fudge sundae sounds so good right now." I closed my eyes, smiling.
"That does sound good," Ashton agreed. I opened my eyes, trying to peek over at him without making it obvious. Just when I was about to look away, his eyes caught my gaze; he smiled, then reached over and placed his hand on top of mine as it rested on my leg. His hand felt so warm as he wrapped his fingers around my cold hand. His fingertips brushed against my jeans, sending shivers up my spine and igniting a passion unlike any I'd ever felt. I looked out the passenger window as heat flooded my cheeks. I didn't want him to see me blushing because he'd ask what I was thinking, and I wasn't ready to share that with him just yet. I knew I wanted Ashton, but I wasn't quite sure if he felt the same about me. I wasn't emotionally stable for another guy breaking my heart so soon.
The minute Ty pulled into Sarah's wide driveway, she ran down the porch steps toward his car, her springy curls bouncing on her shoulders. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Ashton parked behind Ty. Her eyes widened when she realized I was in the passenger seat. Sarah held her hand up, waving me to get out of the vehicle. I glanced over at Ashton as he raised my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
"Don't take too long. I want to spend time with you after we get ice cream with them." He smiled, letting go of my hand. Ashton's eyes motioned to the front of the car. "Sarah's eyes are about to bug out of her head. You better go talk to her." He laughed. I smiled and opened the door, almost whacking Sarah with it.
She grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to Ty's car, turning her back to Ashton's car and blocking his view of me. "What the hell is going on?" She motioned her thumb to herself as if trying to motion behind her. I tried to glance around her back at Ashton, but she moved, blocking my view. "Are you two dating?" Her eyes widened. "And why am I the last to know?"
"Ava doesn't know." I smarted off before I could stop the words from flying out of my mouth. Sarah tilted her head to the side, twisting her mouth. "Sorry." I raised my eyebrows and tucked my lips in, trying not to look at the annoyance on her face. "I'm really sorry. But I don't know what's going on between Ashton and me. This just started, and I'm not getting my hopes up. I mean, it's Ashton. You know he's always bouncing from girl to girl." I shrugged, moving past her. "Let's go get some ice cream." I winked at her.
"Ice cream..." she mumbled, opening Ty's passenger door. I giggled at her annoyance, which probably annoyed her even more. I didn't know what she wanted me to tell her. I had no idea what was going on between Ashton and me. I wasn't going to get my hopes up this time like I did with Jude, Noah, and Rhys. Besides, Ashton will probably move on to his next conquest within a matter of weeks, and he'll go back to coming over and telling me about his dates.
The minute I closed the passenger door and fastened my seatbelt, Ashton grabbed my hand, interlocking our fingers. My eyes landed on our hands resting on my lap, his thumb caressing the back of my hand. I was afraid to look away; in fear, I'd look back down to find my hand alone in my lap. He must have read the expression on my face because he reassuringly squeezed my hand. My eyes trailed up his muscular bicep and chiseled jaw, stopping at his breathtaking lips, wondering what they would feel like on mine. His lips were the perfect size, not too thin or full.
We arrived at Tasty Treats twenty minutes later. Depending on traffic, everywhere in Santa Monica took twenty minutes or longer. The parking lot was packed, which meant no telling who was in there. I tried to scan the parking lot for familiar vehicles, but with the sky getting darker and the bad lighting, it was impossible to tell. I couldn't shake the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that kept telling me to run in the opposite direction. He must have seen the inner turmoil on my face because he gripped my hand a little tighter, pulling me closer. I watched Sarah and Ty as they walked a few feet in front of us, holding hands and leaning into one another. Sarah laughed and lowered her head onto Ty's shoulder. They walked like that for a few feet; then Ty rested his head on top of Sarah's before kissing her on the corner of the head. I found myself feeling jealous of Sarah and how I wanted Ashton to treat me like that.
Ashton squeezed my hand, pulling it closer to him. "Everything okay?" The side of his mouth curled up into one of his sexy, crooked smiles. I nodded, afraid my voice would give away what I was feeling. I don't know what I'd do if I found out Ashton didn't feel the same way about me. Ty opened the door, letting Sarah and me walk in, while Ashton followed close enough behind that his hot breath hit the side of my face, sparking electricity spreading through my entire body. I turned my head to the left, his sexy eyes on me.
"Guess the rumors are true," An annoying familiar voice said off to the side of us as we were a few feet away from the counter.
"What the fuck do you want, Rhys?" Ashton gripped my hand tighter, turning to put himself between Rhys and me.
"Nothing, man." I saw a hand raise in a surrender motion. "Just making an accurate observation is all."
Ashton's back muscles tensed through his shirt, his other hand clenched into a fist. Sarah moved to my other side as Ty stepped up next to Ashton. Ty told Rhys he'd shut up and walk away if he was smart. They exchanged words and threats, neither backing down. Even though I knew every pair of eyes were on us, I couldn't pry my eyes away from Ashton's shoulder. I managed to peek around Ashton and saw Rhys's friends standing next to him. The odds seemed to be in Rhys and his friends's favor, yet Ashton and Ty weren't backing down. I wanted to grab his arm and pull him away toward the counter, but that would be a sure way to lose him before anything started between us. Rhys told Ashton again that he was outnumbered and that he needed to back away before they kicked his ass.
"Boys. Boys. I suggest you think twice about wanting to jump Ashton and Ty." I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced back as Braedon smiled and walked up next to Ashton and Ty. "I know Ashton can handle beating your asses on his own, but I'm here to help out a friend. So either you can walk away like good little boys or prepare to crawl out. It's your choice."
I felt a chin press down on my shoulder. "Chloe?" I whispered, unable to turn my head to the side.
"Yeah." She raised her head, stepping to my side.
"Everything okay?" I peeked at her with furrowed brows.
She nodded, not taking her eyes off Braedon. I followed her gaze to where the boys stood, trading insults with Rhys and his friends. I couldn't take this anymore and did the one thing a girl shouldn't do in a situation like this. I commented on getting ice cream, ripped my hand from Ashton's grip, and headed for the counter with Chloe and Sarah following me.
Once we got up to the counter and looked over the ice cream choices, Sarah tilted her head closer to mine. "Who are you?" she giggled and leaned away from me. I smiled at my newfound confidence and hoped Ashton felt the same. I started to order when Ashton walked up, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. I leaned back against him, wanting this moment to last forever. "Are you done exchanging insults with fuckface?"
"Fuckface?" He laughed. "Nice." He loosened his grip around my waist as he stood up.
I stood there, looking on either side of me at my friends, clutching their boyfriends' arms as they tried to decide what kind of ice cream to get. For the first time, I didn't feel like a third wheel when out with my friends and their boyfriends. I was here with a guy—not just any guy but Ashton. He treated me like we were on a date, but I didn't want to read too much into it. I had to keep a level head.
I was about to step forward to order when Ashton gripped my hips, pulling me back into him. I could feel his arousal through our jeans. "I can't wait to get you alone." His voice was barely above a whisper next to my ear, and his breath was a fire of passion on my skin. It was all I could do not to turn around and press my lips against his as we stood there next in line to order.
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Always a Friend
किशोर उपन्यासSeventeen-year-old Gemma Parker is tired of always being the friend. The one he calls after he gets home from his dates at night, the one he confides in before he asks another girl out. Their junior year is quickly coming to an end, and Gemma refus...
