The next day, Ashton asked me what day would be best for our date. I told him Friday night. He agreed and told me he would pick me up at six. The next day, he asked me what I wanted to do. I told him that I didn't know. The next day, he said he knew of a restaurant that we could go to, and I agreed to it. And soon, enough, it was Friday morning.
Waking up, knowing I had a date tonight, was nerve-racking. Everyday, Ashton had tried to make conversation with me. He would even go as far as trying to hug me again. I made sure we never got that far.
I almost decided to hesitate in what I was going to wear today, but then I remembered I didn't care. And that the date was tonight, not during the school day.
Going through school with the knowledge that I had a date tonight was weird. I felt like a lot of people were looking at me as I would walk past. I felt like they knew something that I didn't and it aggravated the hell out of me. Even Josh seemed to be a little more happy and excited than normal.
As weird as the day was, it ended and soon enough, I find myself getting ready for the date. Looking through my closet, I try to find something nicer than normal. I have a feeling that we're going to a nicer restaurant.
Spotting my light blue, knee length dress, I pull it out and look at it. Two thin straps, a tight bodice that flows down to the knees at the waist. No frills, no bling, just a simple, light blue dress. Paired with white flats, I think this would be a nice outfit to wear.
I change into the dress and search through the floor of my closet for my white flats. Not finding them, I realize that they're downstairs. Sighing, I walk out of my closet and walk over to my makeup. Looking at the foundation, eye liner, eye shadow, blush, and lip gloss, I can't decide if I want to put on more makeup then usual.
I don't want to treat this as a real date because it's Ashton. He's a jerk, if I'm being honest. But I can't help feeling that I need to put my best foot forward. I can't help liking him despite him being a douche. It doesn't connect in my brain.
Picking up my foundation, I decide to use it along with my black eye liner and blush. That's not too much and it doesn't say 'trying too hard', yet it's nicer than normal, which is what I want to go for. Looking at myself in the mirror, I cock my eyebrow at myself. Why am I making such a big deal our of this? I shouldn't, is the right answer.
"I'm not." I lie to my reflection. I carefully massage the foundation into my skin, followed by the thin line of eye liner on my eyelids and a small sweep of pink blush on my cheeks.
Giving myself a small smile, I turn around and am about to leave my room, when I remember my phone is sitting on my nightstand. I quickly turn back around and grab it. I would have to carry it around to where ever we go. Not wanting to do that, I walk back to my closet in search for a purse. Spotting my small white one, I grab it and put my phone in it. Slinging it over my shoulder, I walk out of my room.
I go downstairs to the living room and am about to sit down on the couch when I realize the time. Ashton is supposed to be here in five minutes. Cursing the time in my head, I quickly walk over to the closet by the garage where we store a multitude of things, including shoes. I immediately spot my white flats and quickly slip them on. Pushing the garage button, it starts making a lot of noise and it opens. The fresh air greets me instantly. I walk outside and close the garage door.
Almost as if it was waiting for me to come outside, a car pulls up at the end of the driveway. I can't see who it is due to the seemingly tainted windows, but I know it's Ashton. I walk out the front door, turn around and lock it, and head to the car. When I'm about five feet away, I freeze, feeling a sense of déjà vu wash over me. The car, which I thought was black, is actually blue. I must have been frozen for too long because a second later, Ashton opens the drivers side door and gets out.
"Evie, what's wrong?" Ashton's asks as he gets out of the car. He takes one look at my expression, probably a mixture of distress and confusion, and rushes over to my side.
"What's wrong?" Ashton's repeats, though this time his voice is hard with concern. His arms circle around me without my consent. I look up to see him looking around us suspiciously, as if he thinks someone is watching us.
My sense comes rushing back at me, "You."
Ashton pauses and looks at me curiously, "Me?"
I shift my body and shrug his arms off of me and take a step, my suspicion reignites, "It's you. You've been the one who's been sitting outside my house for the past couple of weeks, even this morning. You're the one who's been stalking me! In this car!" I ground out, my anger appearing again, being fueled by my distrust.
Ashton pauses and looks guilty and I know I've caught him. I turn around to head back in the house, furious at myself for even agreeing to go on this thing, when a hand catches my wrist and tugs me back. I land in Ashton's chest and his arms once again go around me. This time, however, I start struggling to get out immediately.
Ashton chuckles, "You have it all wrong Evie."
I can tell he's lying, but decide to play along for a second, "So that isn't you every morning?" Disbelief is clear in my voice.
He chuckles again, "No, that is me. But I'm not stalking you. My friend lives there and I started picking him up each morning."
My disbelief wavers, but I can still see flaws in his excuse, "I've never seen anyone come out of that house."
"He's already in the car when I see you leave."
"You always leave after me."
"Coincidence."
"You always pass the school."
"I'm picking up another friend."
I hesitate, realizing that he has an answer to every accusation. I feel a smile spread onto Ashton's face and I know that he knows that he won. I scowl in annoyance.
"You don't have to hug me every time you see me." I say gruffly as I shrug off his arms again. A smirk forms on Ashton's face, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he opens the passenger side door and I get into the car.
Ashton walks around the car with a smile on his face, and though he doesn't see me, I scowl at him in annoyance. Why the hell did I even agree to go on this thing? The door opens and Ashton slides in the drivers seat.
"What are you scowling?" Ashton asks me as he starts driving.
"Why the hell did I even agree to go on this thing?" I answer his question with a question of my own. I meant for it to be rhetorical, but Ashton answered anyway.
"Because you wanted to."
"Try again."
"Because you wanted to give 'us' a try."
"Try again."
Ashton sighs, "Because I wouldn't have left you alone until you agreed to go out with me."
"Finally the truth." I exclaim sarcastically.
Ashton gives me a sideways glance and a very dry laugh, but he doesn't respond. I don't make any move to start conversation again so silence falls over the us. Surprisingly, it's more comfortable silence than awkward silence. I glance at Ashton quickly and am surprised to see that he looks frustrated at something. I mentally shrug and again look out the window.
The forest rushes past us. I can tell we aren't headed in the direction of the town, and instead it seems like we're specifically driving away from the town. I glance at Ashton again and find myself slightly relieved to see that he seems to know where we're going. Looking back out the window at the trees that are flying by, I can't help but feel small. The forest is so huge and majestic in it's own way.
We continue driving but the silence never leaves. Right as it's starting to feel awkward, Ashton makes a right and we pull into a parking lot for a small, white marbled restaurant that's surrounded by the forest. Soft light shines from the huge windows in front. I can see light also coming from side windows that spills out into the forest.
I feel my mouth drop open a slight as I take in the nice restaurant. I'm glad I decided to dress up a little nicer. I can feel Ashton watching my expression, so I turn to face him.
"Where did you find this place?" I ask amazed.
Ashton smiles, probably happy that I like the place, "It was an accident. My family was driving back from a vacation and we took a wrong turn and we found it."
I can't lie, this place is amazing, "Lucky."
"Yeah." Ashton says as he opens his door and gets out of the car. I follow his lead and take off my seatbelt and reach for the door handle, but Ashton beats me to it and opens the door for me. I look at him questionably, faintly wondering why he's being so gentlemanly. I decide not to question him on it, liking the change.
I step out of the car and Ashton closes the door. I hear a beep and assume it's Ashton locking the car. We start walking towards the entrance. Once we reach the doors, like the car door, Ashton opens it for me. I give him a small smile in thanks. He follows after me, but my attention is now on the inside of the restaurant.
Just like the outside, the inside of the restaurant is magnificent. Small chandeliers hang from the ceiling, their soft light glowing down to the floor of the restaurant. White table clothed tables are scattered along the floor of the restaurant, all holding a candle. The large windows make it seem as if the restaurant is much bigger on the inside.
"Wow." The word spills from my mouth.
I see Ashton smile in my direction out of the corner of my eye, "You like it?"
"It's," I pause, searching for the right word, "fancy." I turn towards Ashton and see that he's still smiling in my direction. I raise my eyebrow in questioning, but he just shrugs.
Ashton walks to the podium where a man with a clipboard is, "I have reservations."
My eyes open wide in shock. I didn't expect him to make reservations. Truly, I didn't expect anything near to this type of restaurant in the first place. I try to make my eyes go back to normal before anyone notices.
"Name please." The man says.
"Carter." Ashton responds.
The man looks over his clipboard, "Yes. Right this way please." He starts walking and Ashton falls into step behind him. I quickly take a couple of steps and fall into step next to Ashton. The man leads us to the left side of the restaurant and seats us in a table right next to one of the windows.
The man gestures to the table, "Here you are."
"Thank you." I respond. The man smiles at me and then turns around and heads back to the podium at the front.
"Here." Ashton says quietly as he pulls out my chair. I feel my cheeks heat up immediately, I guess I'm not used to this chivalry. Nonetheless, I sit down and Ashton pushes the seat in. I immediately look down at the nice tablecloth in hope that my blush might disappear quickly. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ashton sit down across from me.
"What are you looking at?" He asks softly, but I can hear that he's trying to hold in laughter. I think he saw.
"The tablecloth." I mumble quickly, feeling my cheeks heat up again. Ashton laughs quietly and I glance up and give him a small scowl. It doesn't last long and a couple seconds later, the scowl turns into a smile.
A waiter walks up to our table with two menus, "Hello. My name's George and I'll be your server today," he hands us each a menu and points to the drinks section, "what would you like to drink?"
"Iced tea please." I say immediately and George writes it down.
"Coke please." Ashton says next and George writes that down too.
"Alright. I will be back with those." George says. He then walks away and, presumably, heads to get our drinks.
Silence falls over Ashton and I, again, but I try to ignore it by searching through the menu. However, the silence quickly disappears when Ashton clears his throat.
"What looks good?" He asks me, looking through his own menu.
I chuckle, "A lot of stuff."
Ashton smiles, "If I may, can I make a suggestion?"
I put down my menu and cock my eyebrow, "Since when do you ask to do things?"
He puts down his own menu, "Since I want to make a good impression." Ashton looks directly into my eyes as he says this and a serous expression crosses his face.
I can't seem to look away, so instead I awkwardly clear my throat, "Okay. What's your suggestion?"
The seriousness disappears and the smile returns, "Try the steak, it's amazing."
I open my menu again and find the steak. Just by reading the description I can tell it's good, "That does sound really good."
As if on cue, the waiter returns with our drinks, "Here you are. Have you looked at the menu and decided what you would like?"
Ashton answers first, "Yes we have. We would both like the steak. I would like mine medium rare." He trails off and looks at me.
"Medium rare also." I say to the waiter.
"Alright," the waiter says, "and you would both like the green beans and mashed potatoes that come with the steak."
"Yes." Ashton and I say at the same time. We glance at each other and, while Ashton smiles, I blush.
The waiter also smiles, "Alright." He walks away with our order.
"So," Ashton starts talking as soon as the waiter is out of earshot, "I want to learn more about you."
I snort, "Why?"
Ashton smiles, but I can tell he's nervous, "Why wouldn't I?"
I smirk and remember one of my favorite movie quotes, "Do you want me to answer chronologically, or alphabetically?"
He cocks an eyebrow, "What?"
"It's a movie quote." I explain quickly.
"From which movie?" Ashton's back to smiling.
"Guess." I smirk, doubting he could actually guess the movie.
A thoughtful expression crosses his face, and for a minute, it's silent between us while he thinks, "I don't know. What is it?"
I give him a tight lipped smile and make the motion of a zipper crossing over my lips, "My lips are sealed. But I'll tell you one day."
"I'll hold you to that." Ashton holds up his drink, as one would for a toast, as he says this. I don't doubt him, but I can't help the feeling of butterflies in my stomach at the thought of another date with Ashton. I'm pretty sure that's what he's hinting at.
"Okay." I smile, not exactly against the idea of another date.
Ashton puts his drink down after he's taken a sip, "Anyways, as I was saying, I want to know you better."
I hold my tongue, really wanting to give him a sharp retort, but instead I decide to give him a chance, "What do you want to know?"
Ashton smiles mischievously, "What do I want to know," he says slowly. I roll my eyes at him, but let him continue, "how about I start simple. Favorite school subject."
"Honors Communications." I respond immediately.
"Really, why?" Ashton asks.
"Mr. Johnston is the best teacher I've ever had. And the class is fun." I respond with a shrug.
Ashton makes a humming noise in his throat, "Mine is gym." I laugh at his serious expression, which cracks into a smile at my laughter.
"What? Gym is a perfectly fine class to like," he defends himself, "moving on. Favorite color."
My mind instantly goes to my 'date' with Josh and how he asked the same question, so I respond with the same answer I gave Josh, "It depends on the day and how I'm feeling that day."
"Interesting," Ashton looks thoughtful, "what is it today?"
I think for a couple of seconds before I give him my answer, "Forest green." I look out the window at the dark forest, barely being able to see the green of the forest.
I see Ashton follow my line of sight in my peripheral vision, "Do you like the forest?"
"At first I didn't, I still kind of don't. Too many bugs. But it is beautiful, isn't it." I respond quietly, still looking at the forest.
"Yeah." Ashton responds quietly and I turn to look at him, expecting him to be looking out the window, but instead he's looking at me. We make eye contact quickly, but I look away and focus again on the table.
Ashton must of sensed my discomfort, "Favorite food."
Again remembering my date with Josh, I respond thinking of that milkshake, "I had thought it was this milkshake, but now that I think about it, I really don't know. There's too many to choose from."
"Mine's meat. It doesn't matter what kind, just meat." Ashton says confidently. I laugh and remember that that was pretty much exactly the same way Josh answered.
"What's so funny?" Ashton asks, confusion lacing his tone.
"Nothing," I say through chuckles, "just that you have the same answer as-" I stop myself, remembering that Josh and Ashton don't really like each other.
"As who?" Ashton asks slowly.
I pause, "No one. Just a friend of mine."
Ashton continues to push, "Do I know this friend?"
A flash of anger spikes through me, "Why does it matter if you know this person?"
Ashton grimaces, "Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. Forget it."
My anger dies down and I decide to change the topic quickly, "Favorite animal."
Ashton smiles widely, "Wolf."
I cock my head to the side, curious about his choice of animal, "Why the wolf?"
There's a small pause before Ashton answers, "I like how they're protective of the people they love, like their pack. Wolves are very loyal to their pack and will always have each other's backs. They're also really strong, in the physical and mental sense, and I admire them for that."
My mouth almost drops open at how thoughtful his answer was. I cannot believe that something that deep came out of Ashton's mouth. I can tell he's not lying due to the sincerity that is reflected in his eyes. He seems to really know these creatures.
"Do you have a favorite animal?" Ashton asks after a few seconds of me just staring at him.
My thoughts scramble to think of an answer for this simple question, "Tiger."
Ashton makes a humming noise in his throat, "Really?"
I blush slightly, "I couldn't think of anything and tiger was the first thing that came to mind."
"You don't have a favorite animal?" Ashton asks.
I think for a second, "No. There's too many to choose from."
"You seem to be very indecisive." Ashton concludes.
"So, there's nothing wrong with that." I retort playfully, already aware of how indecisive I am.
Ashton laughs quietly, "Favorite season."
"Spring," I respond, "and yours?"
"Hold on," Ashton responds with another question, "why Spring?"
"That's when the flowers are blooming." I respond, feeling very self conscience with that answer.
Ashton looks thoughtful, "I never realized that."
I snort, "Of course not. You're a guy, you won't notice when the flowers are blooming."
He chuckles again, "I guess you're right. Do you have a favorite flower?"
I playfully narrow my eyes at him,"Why? Are you planning to get me said flowers?"
An innocent expression crosses Ashton's face, but I can see through it, "Of course not." He says sarcastically.
Wanting to get off the topic of getting me flowers, I go back to my question, "Your favorite season."
"Summer definitely." Ashton responds quickly.
"Why am I not surprised?" I mutter sarcastically.
"I have a logical reason." Ashton insisted.
"Sure you do," I say sarcastically, "what's your logical reason?"
Ashton smiles in triumph, "Freedom. I get to spend more time with friends and family and doing the things I love."
I scoff, "Well, not as deep as your wolf comment."
"I'm still a guy." He argues playfully.
"That's no excuse." I retort with a smile.
The waiter interrupts our conversation, "Here we are." He places each of our plates in front of us. The smell of the steaks immediately wafts up and embeds itself in my nose.
"Thank you." I say to him as I pick up my knife and fork and begin cutting my steak. He nods in my direction and walks away.
I cut a piece of steak, which cuts just like butter, and pop it into my mouth. Instantly, an attack of spices and well cooked meat floods my mouth. I almost moan at the taste. I quickly cut another piece and pop that into my mouth, unable to resist this delicious steak.
Mid-cut into my next piece, I happen to glance up and notice Ashton staring at me, instead of diving into his own steak. His head is cocked a little bit to my left, his right, and his mouth is partway open, as if he's amazed at me eating.
I stop cutting the steak, "What?" My cheeks heat up at the thought of Ashton watching me eat like a crazy person.
Ashton seems to realize his staring and quickly glances down and starts cutting his own steak, "Nothing." He almost sounds embarrassed.
He knows he's been caught. I smile at the top of his head and go back to cutting my own steak. For about a minute, the only noise between us is the clinking of silverware against plates. I don't mind that there's no conversation, the steak is amazing. And I don't like Ashton minds either, half of his steak is gone too.
"How are you liking your steak?" I ask sarcastically. Ashton looks at me and smiles, to which I return my own smile.
Ashton swallows, "Great. How's yours?" I don't think he's being sarcastic.
"Amazing." I say genuinely.
Looking a little lost at what to say, Ashton mumbles quietly, "That's good." He starts cutting his steak again, this time at a slower rate. I follow his lead and start cutting my own steak again also at a slower rate. The sound of silverware hitting plates again fills the silence.
"Favorite TV show." Aston says suddenly, probably not being able to ignore the silence anymore.
I smirk, "American or British?"
He looks confused, "Is there a difference?"
I gasp comedically, but with an actual hint of concern, "Is there a difference," I mock him, "of course there's a difference. The British have much better shows than we do."
"Really, like what?" Ashton asks, looking amused at my gasp.
I hold up my hand and start counting them off my fingers, "Doctor Who, Sherlock, Wallander, Top Gear, Broadchurch. The list goes on."
A thoughtful look crosses Ashton's face, "I've only heard of one of those."
"Which one?"
"Doctor Who."
A satisfied smile crosses my face, "Good. Everyone needs to know about Doctor Who."
Ashton smiles at me, "Of course." He says sarcastically.
I shrug my shoulders, "It's true. So what's your favorite TV show?"
"I don't really watch TV. Only rarely." Ashton says nonchalantly as he continues to cut his steak. A small bush covers my cheeks again. Here I am, naming off TV shows on my fingers, and he doesn't watch TV. If there's any time to feel unproductive, it's now.
"Favorite holiday." Ashton again restarts the conversation.
I think for a few seconds, all the holidays rushing through my brain, "I like all of them for different reasons. New Year's because it's a time for celebration. Forth of July is for fireworks. Halloween is for costumes. And Christmas is a time for family." I stop giving examples when I notice that Ashton is staring at me with what can only be described as awe.
"What?" I ask a little self conscience.
"I understand how you felt about my wolf comment."
"Oh." I say awkwardly, trying to ignore the blatant awe in his voice. Trying to ignore how it seemed to be directed at me. Realizing I wasn't hungry anymore, I tried to convince myself that it was because of the fulling steak, I put down my fork and knife.
Ashton noticed, "You're not hungry anymore?"
"Nope. The steak was so fulling." I say with a small smile.
"Not even for desert?" Ashton asks, though I can't help but hear something in his voice that suggests something more.
I raise my eyebrow, I could play this game, "What were you thinking?"
A mischievous smile crosses Ashton's face and he leans in. His hand motions for me to move closer to him so he can whisper in my ear. I comply.
"Well, Evie," a shiver runs through me when his lips brush against my ear as he talks, "I was thinking that we should try something a little daring."
"Like what?" My voice is a hushed whisper. I can't help but think of what he's suggesting, and I find myself excited to see where this goes. My stomach erupts in butterflies and I can feel my cheeks blushing. Anticipation is coursing through my veins.
"Like," he whispers again before turning and looking into my eyes, "dark chocolate cake." Ashton finishes his sentence in a normal tone and sits back. His face is a calm expression but I can see the playfulness in his eyes.
"Cake." I say slowly, raising my eyebrow again.
"Dark chocolate cake." Ashton clarifies with a smirk.
The butterflies don't calm down and I know that the blush didn't disappear either, "No thanks."
The smirk doesn't leave Ashton's face, "Really? Are you sure?"
"Yep. I don't really like desert much." A complete and utter lie.
The smirk doesn't disappear either, "I'll hold you to that."
The waiter appears and puts the check, in a leather holder, on the table, probably hearing the last part of our conversation. Ashton immediately picks it up, opens it and places money in it. He closes it and stands up. I follow his lead and we leave the restaurant.
We reach the car and Ashton opens the door for me. I try to hide my smile, but I'm pretty sure Ashton saw it anyway. I get into the car and Ashton shuts the door. He walks over to the drivers side and gets in, but doesn't start the car. I look at him curiously.
Ashton looks nervous, but he opens his mouth to speak, "Did you like the date?"
I find myself smiling, "Yeah, it was a lot better than I originally thought it would be."
Ashton looks at me suspiciously, "What did you think it would be like?"
I smile evasively and look out the window, "Nothing."
There's a pause and then I hear Ashton take a deep breath, "Evie?"
"Yeah?" I turn to face Ashton again and am surprised to see him a couple of inches away from my face. Before I can move away, one of his hands goes to the back of my head and his lips descend upon mine.
His lips are warm as they kiss me. They seem to perfectly fit to mine and I find myself kissing him back. Tiny sparks shoot through my body starting from his lips. A warm feeling starts in my stomach and I find I'm enjoying this kiss. The kiss is short and sweet, and soon, Ashton pulls away. He leans his forehead against mine and I feel his hand start running through my hair. We're both breathing a little heavier than normal.
"What was-" I am cut off by Ashton's lips again. This time, however, he's rougher. His hand that's in my hair grips it painfully. His tongue rushes into my open mouth and reeks havoc. This kiss is a lot more demanding. I find myself being forced to respond to his demanding kiss, and I don't like it. The sparks that had felt nice, now zap me with a new ferocity. It's almost painful. My hands go to his chest and start trying to push him away. My attempts are useless and Ashton keeps on kissing me.
"Stop!" I try to say, but I'm sure it came out as a mumble. It doesn't matter because Ashton seems to be demanding more out of this kiss. His hand that's in my hair pushes me forward until there's only a sliver of air between us, and that's only because my hands are there trying to get him off me. His tongue, which is in my mouth, searches through my mouth at a quicker rate. My tongue tries to fight him off but instead, it seems to excite him more.
"Ashton stop!" I yell, again trying to get his attention and his mouth off of me. This time, Ashton seems to hear it and stops kissing me. He once again leans his forehead against mine and is again breathing heavy. I feel his hand leave my hair. His eyes are closed and a satisfied smile is on his face. I take my chance and push him away roughly. This time it works and Ashton is pushed backward, his eyes opening abruptly.
"What?" Ashton asks, still with that stupid smile on his face. My anger boils over and I reach out and slap him hard. His smile leaves his face and I can see a slight red mark on his cheek where I slapped him.
"What was that for?" Ashton asks irritated. His hand goes to his cheek and massages it a little.
"You bastard!" I hiss at him, moving as far back away from him as I can. He seems to realize what just happened and regretful expression falls over his face.
"Shit. Evie, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. Shit." Ashton stumbles over his words. His hand reaches out, grasps my wrist and tries to pull my arm towards him.
"Don't touch me!"
His hand recoils as if something just bit him and I snatch my hand back. Hurt fills his expression, "Evie."
I scowl and glare at him, daring him to touch me again. I realize that I'm bunched up against the door, as far away as I can get from him, "Take me home."
Ashton's hurt expression falls even more, but he doesn't respond. Instead, he admits defeat and starts the car. He starts driving, not taking his eyes off the road, and I don't take my accusing eyes off him. I'm not giving him another chance to come near me again.
A tense silence falls over us and neither of us do anything to break it. The car ride seems to go by faster and I'm glad for it. I feel so tricked to think that this would have actually been nice. He pulls up in front of my house and I quickly take off my seatbelt and open the door. I get out of the car as quickly as I can, but Ashton catches my wrist again. I whip my head around and glare at him.
"Evie. I'm truly sorry. Please, I didn't mean to-"
I cut him off again, "Don't ever talk to me again Ashton." I rip my wrist out of his grip and rush into my house, as far away as I can get from him.