Fifty Shades of Him (h.s. au)

XXXVI

"How have you been?" I ask, her sigh telling me stressful.

"Miles and I broke up," she sniffs, my eyebrows furrowing.

"Why?" I gush. The two are practically inseparable.

"Well, we had an argument and he said he was pissed. He broke it off and now I have no idea where he is so I called you. I'm so upset," she says, my hand giving the waiter a signal to wait a while. He nods and walks away, glancing at Grace first.

"Was it intentional?" I ask, her shoulders shrugging.

"I just- I thought I loved him but he walked out. I didn't do anything. It was his fault we got into the argument in the first place."

My lips frown and out of pure curiosity, I ask what he did.

"Well first of all, he came home yesterday plastered and I refused to sleep with him. He slammed me into the wall because he was angry and he left. He returned later and found me crying, wondering what happened. I yelled at him for his drunk actions and he yelled back that it was because he was drunk and he didn't mean it. He didn't comfort me or make sure I was okay or anything. He yelled he was pissed and walked right out. Last night was the coldest night of my life and I'm so happy you came home," she says, wiping a tear that runs down her cheek.

"You can stay with me," I suggest but she shakes her head.

"I can't. You and Harry should be alone and I can't intrude," she says, my lips frowning.

"No, please," I insist. Her small smile appears as she shakes her head, kindly declining.

The waiter returns and I order a coffee, Grace ordering a tea. The waiter smiles at her and she grins at him, his brown eyes glinting with something I've never seen before. I think it's desire.

"He totally likes you," I say, not caring that she just got out of a relationship. He totally checked her out.

"What?" she nearly laughs, my head nodding.

"His smile was so bright and his eyes were brighter than ever," I explain, her head turning to look at him. He's looking at her and he flushes pink when they meet gazes, his attention turning back to the notepad in his hand.

"He's cute," she smiles, my lips curving.

Grace POV

Reagan leaves shortly after we split the bill, saying Harry won't stop texting her. I honestly couldn't be happier for her and Harry; the two of them out of a romance novel. I collect my things and I drop my notebook on the ground, a large hand coming into view as I reach down for it. He grabs it and stands, our eyes connecting.

"This yours?" the waiter asks, his brown eyes charming and Australian accent enticing. His eyes compliment his shaggy hair and his muscular build is delectable.

"Yeah," I shyly grin, his black shirt tight on his torso. He's giving me heart problems; its beating way too fast right now.

"What's your name?" he asks, my hand retrieving the notebook from his hands. Our finger brush slightly and the small touch results in butterflies. What's going on and why has this feeling never occurred before? I never felt so fluttery, not even with Miles.

"Grace," I smile, his hand held out for me.

"Ashton," he grins, my hand folding into his.

"Are you okay? I saw you upset and I desperately wanted to ask how you were," he rambles, my cheeks flushing. He's too freaking cute.

"Oh, yeah. My boyfriend broke up with me," I explain, not feeling bad anymore. Reagan's talks help so much in this situation. I've known her since college and I come to her with everything.