Ember's POV
"Girls, you are playing so hard, I am so proud of you. We are only down by one point, we have the ball, and six seconds." I can't help but grin at the girls panting around me. "Mia, take the ball out and pass in to Sammy at point. Sammy, you have the important job, Robin and Jade will both run picks, screen at the top of the key. Sammy you have to pick a side and stick to it, so watch the screens carefully. Roll down for a lay up or pass out to Mia at the corner where she will be a fall back. Lay up is less risky but I trust Mia to shoot the three if we need. Go, let's get this win!" I grin sending them back onto the court as the ref blows his whistle.
The play seems to go off in slow motion, Mia gets it into Sammy who rolls past the defender. Jade giving a perfect screen, but the second defender gets in front of her. She turns and passes the ball to Mia who doesn't hesitate before popping the ball up towards the basket. The buzzer sounds as the ball falls through the hoop. The whole gym erupts into cheers, mine drowned out by them all. The whole team gathered around Mia in a big hug.
"With a three point shot at the buzzer the OceanSide Sharks win the game and will proceed to the semifinals on Saturday morning." The announcer calls over the noise.
"Girls, go high five, we have sportsmanship." I call to the huddle of girls, they listen lining up to tell the other team good game.
"Good game, Em." Patti walks over with Paislee as soon as I finish talking with the coach of the other team.
"Thank you. And thanks for bringing her." I take Pai from her. "I know you would probably rather spend your Valentine's day with Ron."
"He's out of town this week, working back east. If you came by the main house ever you might know that." She sasses.
"I'm sorry, I've been busy. Season's over Saturday then we will spend more time together. I owe you so much as it is."
"Let me take Pai home, you have a team to celebrate with remember." She takes Pai back.
"I'll be home in a little while, and I'll even come by the main house for a minute if Paislee is still awake."
"We will see you in an hour or two." Paislee waves over Patti's shoulder as they walk away.
"Congratulations, coach." I turn, the voice familiar but not one I can pinpoint just by hearing it. I gasp as I look up into the face behind me. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ember, and congrats on the win." He hands over the bouquet of roses in his hand.
"What the hell are you doing here, and what are you wearing?"
"Not even a thank you first?" And there is that grin I fell for seven years ago, dimple and all.
"Thank you for the flowers, Ashton. But seriously what are you doing here? You're going to get mobbed."
"Why do you think I am wearing a big black hoodie with the hood up? Also a beanie to cover the red curls. Don't worry about me. I had to come see you in action, and I wanted to meet you." Is he blushing? Is Ashton Fletcher Irwin of 5 Seconds of Summer nervous to meet me?
"Well now you have. I have to go talk to my girls, post game stuff." I motion behind me towards the locker room.
"I can wait. I have no plans tonight. Calum ditched me for Duke."
"Half an hour tops? Don't get mobbed while I'm in there." I chuckle.
"Don't leave out the back way when you're done. It will make me very sad." He adds.
"I won't, I promise. I'll be back." I smile one more time, shocked he is even here. I can feel his eyes on me as I walk towards the locker room.
"Coach Em!" I'm crushed by arms hugging me as I walk into the locker room.
"I am so proud of you, girls! Mia! That shot was amazing, do you see how much confidence you have gained this year? And do you see how much it has helped you? Your senior season is going to be amazing next year."
"We just want to thank you, coach Em. You turned this program around. Jade, Robin and I got you these." Sammy hands over a bouquet of Lilies, "We know they are your favorite, and we weren't sure if this would be our last game with you. Thanks for making our Senior season so great."
"I have loved being your coach, ladies, really. This has been one of the best things I've ever done, coaching you girls."
"Can I ask who the Rose's are from?" Sarah speaks up randomly, a smile that I don't think is from the win on her face.
"A friend."
Ashton's POV
Green, her eyes are dark green, like I've never seen before. They are so beautiful, I want her to finish up with her team so I can look at those eyes again. And her voice, it isn't soft and sweet like some girls, but it's cute anyway. I saw this girl's Twitter for the first time four days ago! What is happening to me?
My phone buzzes in my pocket as I sit with my head down on the end of the bleachers. "Cal, what can I help you with? I thought you were spending your Valentine's Day with Dukie." I answer quietly, most of the people have left, but I don't want to be caught now.
"Yeah. But I felt bad ditching you when you have no plans too." He sounds slightly drunk. "Come over and drink with me."
"Not tonight, Cal. I actually am out with some other friends now. I'll see you at the studio tomorrow."
"Alright. I'll be sad and get drunk alone with Duke. He's my real pal."
"I love ya, man, but I'm not in the mood to drink tonight. And I made my own plans when you canceled. I'll see you tomorrow." I look up slowly when someone taps on my shoulder. Grinning as I see Ember, she nods towards the door asking if I want to leave. I nod and stand to follow her.
"Drink some water, buddy. I'll pick you up on my way to the studio tomorrow. I need to go though."
"Bye, Ash."
"Bye, Cal." I end the call as soon as I say it. Cal gets emotional and chatty when he is drunk and he could talk my ear off for hours if I let him.
"So?" Ember looks towards me as we walk, and only then do I realize she has a backpack, duffle bag, and two bouquets of flowers in her hands.
"Can I carry something for you? You look like you have your hands full." I offer.
"Thanks, but I'm okay. Why did you come, Ashton?" She asks again, apparently my earlier answer wasn't enough.
"I told you I wanted to meet you."
She stops at a blue Toyota shifting her flowers so she can open the back of the car. I take the door from her, not asking this time if she needs the help. She turns to face me, leaning against the car after she finishes loading her things. "But why? Why would you want to meet me?"
"I can't explain it, something about you is so intriguing. I need to find out why, What better way to do that than to meet and get to know you."
"I'm nobody." She shrugs, hugging herself.
"Everyone is somebody. And I bet to Paislee you are the entire world. And to others too, you mean something to more people than you know."
"You're a smooth talker aren't you."
"I'm not trying to be. I'm just being honest. Now, can I buy you some dinner? Or am I over stepping." Her smooth talker line made me nervous.
"I have to get home, I would love to get food with you but Paislee is waiting for me."
"We could pick something up and eat it at your place. I'd like to meet the 5sos dancing queen anyway."
She doesn't answer right away, she looks like she's thinking hard.
"I promise, I'm not a serial killer, or a burglar, or a rapist." I joke after a few seconds of silence.
"It's not that." She smiles though, "It's Pai. The only man she's around much is Ron. I just don't want to scare her."
"I will be careful."
"Oh, alright. But you're buying dinner. Do you need my address?"
"I took an Uber here. So I actually need a ride." I smirk.
"Confident you'd end up leaving with me?" She cocks an eyebrow.
"Terrified I wouldn't actually, but hopeful nonetheless. Also absolutely awful with directions so I would probably have got lost if I drove."
"Get in. And not a word about the messy back seat, I do have a one year old remember." She smiles as she turns and walks to the front of the car. Her music starts as soon as the car does, and I can't help but grin.
"I can take you out, oh-oh
We can kill some time, stay home" I start singing along. She hits the power button on her stereo quickly, her face turning bright red.
"Throw balloons, teddy bears and the chocolate eclairs away
Got nothing but love for you, fall more in love every day
Valentine, valentine" I continue to the end of the chorus in the silent car, grinning at her.
"I hate myself right now." She sighs.
"It's a good song, and appropriate for the day. What else do you have on your playlist?"
"Do not turn that back on!" She yells out, but I ignore her.
She groans as Last First Kiss starts playing through the speakers.
"One Direction, good choice." I grin, I'd known that song anywhere I listened to it almost nightly for a year or two.
"Stop." She turns it off again. "This is so embarrassing."
"You listen to my music and my friends' music, that is not embarrassing. It's good music." I chuckle.
"But it's different when you are in the car with me."
"Ya, it makes the drive a private concert for you."
Ember's POV
"You live here?" Ashton sounds surprised as we pull into the long driveway down the side of the house.
"Yes and no. Paislee and I live in the little apartment above the garage. My one and only friend lives in the house, well her and her husband. When I split from Pai's dad they saved us. We had nowhere to go, and Patti kindly offered their little apartment to us."
"Well I want the grand tour of the little apartment then." He grabs our bags of food, and climbs out of the car.
I follow, grabbing my bags from the back, along with my flowers.
"Come on then. That foods going to get cold." I lead him up the staircase to my front door. I hit the light switch beside the door and let him into the little living room area.
"It's nice and cozy, I like the paint color too." He smiles as he looks around. I glance and the pale blue walls and smile, Patti and I had painted them together before we moved out here.
"Thanks. Patti has Paislee over at the main house, I'm going to go grab her. I'll be back in just a moment. Kitchen is there, cups are above the dishwasher. The door on the left in the hallway is mine, right is Paislee's room and center is the bathroom."
"I'll be fine here for five minutes. Remember I'm not a burglar." He smirks waving me back out the door.
"Patti." I call walking through the kitchen door into the house.
"She knows where the house is still." Patti laughs walking into the room with Pai on her shoulder.
"Mommy!" Pai perks up as soon as she sees me.
"You look ready for bed, baby." I smile, taking her into my arms.
"And you had company coming home." Patti states.
"I am having a friend over for the evening, yes."
"Good for you, it's been ages since I saw any young people out there with you."
"Thanks again for all your help with Pai. It means a lot."
"No problem. She's our little grandbaby now too. Since all ours are back east."
"I owe you and Ron so much. I don't know how I will ever repay you."
"Not necessary. Now go enjoy your evening with that boy. And expect me in your classroom during prep tomorrow to discuss him." I roll my eyes at her and head back out the door to my little apartment.
"We are back." I stop abruptly as I walk through the door. Ashton halfway through removing his hoodie, but it's pulled his t-shirt with it and his bare stomach is exposed. Damn he's fit. And tan.
"Em?" He clears his throat as he pulls his shirt back down. A huge smirk on his face as mine turns beet red.
"Sorry." I mumble, totally embarrassed.
"It was cute. Now, would you introduce me to this little princess?" He asks, walking into Paislee's eyesight.
"Pai, this is Ash, he is mommy's new friend. Ash, this is my little girl, Paislee Ann."
"Hi, Paislee." Ashton's voice goes all soft and mushy, his dimple grin on his face.
"Hi." Paislee doesn't move as she responds.
"It's past her bedtime, she's probably exhausted."
"Go put her to bed, then we can get to know each other better." Ash rubs Pai's back softly.
"I'll be right back." I nod, walking towards her bedroom. Patti already changed her into her pajamas, so I just have to read her a quick book and tuck her in.
"I'm going to change out of this dress and heels. You can eat." I comment as I walk out of her room.
"I can wait five more minutes. Get comfortable."
I'm greeted by a happy tail wag as I open my bedroom door. "Hi, Zeke, go make sure Ash isn't a crazy person alright? I'll be just as second." I grin down and my dog, rubbing his head.
"You have a very cute dog." Ashton comments as I come back into the living room.
He is petting Zeke's head as he looks up at me, and this time it's my turn to smirk at him, though I think I'm more embarrassed than he was. I can't help but tighten my stomach muscles as his eyes scan my body, only a tank top and shorts covering me. He makes me nervous, but that grin... as soon as he makes eye contact with me it melts me. "Come eat, Emmie, and let's chat."
"I am pretty hungry. Thanks for waiting while I did all the mom things I needed to." I grin plopping down on the couch facing him.
"No problem, getting to know you means getting to know your life. And being a mom is a huge part of your life."
"That's true. So if you're getting to know my life tonight, when do I get to know your life, including your baby, and by baby I mean that band of yours?" I smirk back at him, picking up my container of food.
"Whenever you'd like. Although a couple of them are very weary of you. Since we met on Twitter, and you have a kid."
"Why are they worried about Pai?"
"Not so much about Pai, but about her dad. And how he fits into the picture and such."
"He disappeared in July and hasn't made a peep since. Not about seeing her, or wanting to help support her at all. He's not in the picture."
"But could he come back into the picture?"
"Maybe, but I would be very weary of him if he did. Look, Ash, Justin is a huge part of my story, and you deserve to know about everything that happened with him and I and Pai, if we are going to be a part of each others lives. But I would really rather talk about him and all that shit later. It's not a short conversation. Ask me anything else really, I'll answer. But my relationship with Justin is not a good first meeting topic."
"I'm not going to push, I promise. Besides, not telling me now means I'll get to see you again so you can tell me later." He smirks.
"Well, what do you want to know?" I sigh with relief.
"How many siblings do you have?" He grins as he starts.
"Four. Three sisters and one brother. You?"
"One sister named Lauren, and one brother named Harry. Both younger. You know my birthday but not my siblings?"
"I am a fan, but not a crazy fanatic."
"Alright, well what are your siblings names?"
"Older sister's named Abby, younger sisters named Eva and Annie, and my brother is the baby. His name is Hunter. But he's not a baby, he's twelve."
"Favorite place in the whole world?"
"This little waterfall back home, it's a ten minute hike through the tree's and there's just this little waterfall. I loved to go there and think sometimes when I was home. And it's not a busy hike so that is nice, I can have it all to myself sometimes." I smile as I think back to the waterfall, it has been years since I visited.
"Really? My favorite is this little meadow down the river from my backyard growing up. I found it once when hiding from my siblings, they had been extra obnoxious that day, so I went for a walk. It became my little place after that." He grins.
"Okay my turn. Um, favorite food and drink."
"Um, pizza? And I love to snack on fruit and veggies. And I like lemonade and definitely Iced Coffee."
"Nice, I love Mexican food, any and all of it. I also share a love for fresh fruit and veggies too, but my weakness is Dr. Pepper. I could drink it 24/7."
"Good to know." He winks at me.
"What do you teach?"
"History. Right now I'm teaching half US History to Juniors and World Civilization to Freshmen."
"Damn, aren't you one smart cookie."
"My dad is a huge history buff, and I got it from him. I loved reading all his old historical books growing up. Just give me some glasses and you could call me a mega nerd." I chuckle.
"Okay, um..." He thinks for a moment, "Do you have a best friend?"
"Yes. Her name is Haylee, and we have been best friends since we were thirteen. She has been through everything with me. But she lives in Utah still, so I don't get to see her much. Also my sister Annie, she is five years younger than me, but we are super close." I smile.
"You know about my best friends, Luke, Calum, and Michael. They're idiots, but I love them."
"I've come to the conclusion that to be best friends with someone you have to be idiots together. It's just a fact."
"Alright. I can agree with that." He laughs, "Um, are you going to make me keep talking to you through Twitter or can I have your number?"
"Again with the smooth talking." I laugh, but I hand him my phone anyway.
"Okay, I tried a little bit with that one." He smirks as he enters his number and sends himself a text so he has mine. I see his smile falter as he pulls his phone out, something on the screen bugging him.
"Hey, you sent yourself that text, you can't be mad by what it says." I try.
"It wasn't that text. It's one from Luke, don't worry about it, okay. Just a little band thing. I'll be fine." He types something before turning his phone off and focusing back on me.
"Okay, I have a question. Does anyone actually know what your plan was today? Do your bandmates know you were coming to meet me?"
"Absolutely not. I'll tell them tomorrow. Calum will still be hung over, and Luke and Mikey will be coming off Valentines night with their girls. They might be in better moods after that."
"You can hope."
"Are you glad I came today? Or are you never going to talk to me after I leave tonight?"
"I was surprised, but I'm glad." I say confidently.
"Me too."
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~M =)