Once I was satisfied that I was free of the night before, I stepped out of the shower, dried my body, and pulled on some sweats. My bed looked like heaven, and the second I collapsed onto the expensive mattress I felt an unbinding relief hit me. I placed my arm over my eyes, and soon sleep put a stop to my scrambled mind.
I sensed myself being drawn away from the depths of my slumber, but in my sleepy haze I felt the comforter lift from my warm body and a blast of chilled air hit my naked chest. My body was still being swallowed by fatigue, so I knew I hadn’t been sleeping long. The familiar scent of sweet spring flowers with a hint of vanilla hit me like a freight train, and I knew I had to be dreaming. It was a unique scent; one that had driven me crazy for years. Was this what karma felt like? Taunting me with my favorite smell in the world while the owner of the scent was nowhere near me?
The familiar scent belonged to Ashlyn, the one woman that could bring me to my knees with her wicked tongue and no-bullshit attitude. The same Ashlyn that wasn’t due back in the states for another two days, and was as far away from me as humanly possible.
I pried open my tired eyes as the scent grew stronger and swirled around my bedroom. This had to be some kind of fucked-up dream, because there was no way blond hair was splayed across my chest. My body stiffened and my heart thundered to life as soft warmth curled up beside me. I shifted my head slightly, and looked down as an arm hesitated briefly before it rested on my stomach.
“Ashy?” I questioned through a thick, sleepy voice.
Her grasp tightened at the sound of the nickname I‘d been calling her since the first night we met; a nickname that she allowed only me to get away with. I didn’t think it could be possible, but she squeezed her body closer to mine, and soon our legs were a tangled mess.
“Ashy, what are you doing here?”
Her silence was deafening. As she nuzzled her face closer to my chest, I felt her ragged breathing caress the skin just over my heart. Reactions don’t lie; I knew she heard me. The longer the silence churned around us, the more the tension grew, to the point of suffocation. I was confused as to why she was here, yet I was determined to find out what the fuck was going on.
“No questions, Josh,” she whispered after what seemed a lifetime. “Please just let me sleep in here.”
“Look at me, Ashy,” I demanded in a tone that showed I was now fully alert.
Ashlyn shook her head in defiance, and it became apparent that she was hiding something. I shifted my body until I was on my side and facing her. Finally, I could see her face, and what I saw angered me. Her spark, the famous Ashlyn Hart spark, had been snuffed out. She looked tired, drawn, and like she was battling something that was destroying her from the inside out and causing her to retreat into herself. I had seen this look before. I witnessed what heartbreak looked like on Ashlyn, and now, as she lay in my bed, it was rolling off of her in waves.
“At least tell me if you’re okay,” I whispered and reached out to grab her hands.
Her eyes finally found mine and, if it was possible to experience someone else’s pain, I was feeling it right now.
“I’m perfect,” she said, and offered me the weakest of smiles. Without another word, she rolled over so her back was to my chest. She lifted my arm and tucked it under hers, and pulled my body toward her until we molded together. Within minutes, her grip on my arm loosened, her breathing leveled out and she had succumbed to sleep.
This wasn’t the first time Ashlyn crawled into my bed. The last time was when Lachlan broke her heart and I had been staying with Ky. It shocked me then, and it shocked me now. The memory of her crying in my arms all those years ago caused me to grip her tighter. If he had hurt her again, I swear to god, he had it coming. No one would get away with hurting Ashlyn, I didn’t care who the fuck it was.
All I knew was that she was far from feeling “perfect.”
Five hours later, I woke to the faintest evidence that Ashlyn had been in my bed. Her perfume still teased the air, and the space beside me had the warmth of a body that very recently occupied it. My bedroom was silent and emptiness taunted every corner, but my head was raging with a tumultuous battle.
What was she doing back and, more importantly, why hadn’t she told anyone?
I threw back my comforter and hissed as the cold air hit my warm skin. I was desperate for answers, and I knew the one person who would be able to answer any questions I had regarding Ashlyn Hart.
Ky.
The early afternoon sun was in fierce competition with the ominous clouds rolling in as I stepped into my living room and searched for my phone. I swear I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached. My brain screamed with scenarios as to why Ashlyn was back, and why she had crawled into my bed. The common denominator of every thought was Lachlan Johnson.
Where the fuck was my phone? I searched the coffee table, then the table by the entry, and I finally found it wedged between the cushions of the couch. I paced my living room as I pressed Ky’s name and listened to the ring tone.
“Did you know Ash was back?” I shot into the phone as soon as he answered after three rings.
I knew the answer as soon as I heard his voice. “What?”
“Yep, I woke up to her crawling into my bed this morning. She was grabbing onto me for dear life, but wouldn’t talk.”
Keys clinking together and a door closing sounded, and Ky’s breathing grew harsh as he asked, “Is she still there?”
“Nope, I just woke up and she’s gone.” I rubbed my hand over my face and headed back to my room. If she wasn’t here, I hoped I’d find her in her apartment. I struggled with pulling on a T-shirt while still holding my phone. I heard Ky beep the alarm on his car, then the familiar sound of the door opening and closing.
“Fuck. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I hung up and found myself at a complete loss. Ashlyn shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t even be in the damn country, and I certainly wasn’t prepared to have her famous curves cuddle up against me like she had. I looked down at my phone and dialed Ashlyn’s number as I stepped out into the hall and headed toward her apartment. I cursed under my breath as her chirpy voicemail message sounded. When I reached her door, I knocked loudly and called her name, but again, there was no answer. I tried her phone once more, but still no answer.
An hour later, I was sitting on my couch flicking through channels, completely oblivious to what I was watching, when my apartment door swung open to reveal Ky and Eden, with Ashlyn in tow. I shot up from the couch, my eyes narrowed on Ashlyn, and I cleared the space between us in three strides. I couldn’t give a shit if Ky and Eden were standing there; my focus and attention was squarely on Ashlyn. A hint of red danced over her cheeks as a smile hit her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. That alone caused my confusion and worry to soar. Ashlyn’s smile always met her eyes.
“What the fuck was this morning?” I hissed when I reached her.
Her body jumped and she took a step back, and I instantly regretted the harshness of my words.
“You weren’t supposed to be back for another two days,” I continued in a softer tone.
She shot a nervous look at Ky before turning back to me. “It’s not a big deal. I came back early. Lachlan had a job come up, so I thought I’d head back and relax for a bit. It’s really not a big deal,” she responded lightheartedly and tried to shrug it off. Her locked gaze never broke from mine. “Honestly, it’s all good.”
I immediately called bullshit.
“Ashlyn, follow me,” I said in a low voice.
She didn’t hesitate, and that was another beacon of concern and reason why I was on alert. Stubborn Ashlyn was nowhere to be found. She had fled, and it now looked like she was running for the hills. The Ashlyn I knew would have told me to fuck off, and to stop acting like a caveman. She would never follow me willingly after I’d made those kinds of demands. Fuck, she would have rolled her eyes, pushed past me, and left. Completely opposite to the Ashlyn who was now following me like a puppy dog.