AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Feeling any better?” I murmur to Soren.
“It’s like a miracle,” he marvels, watching Ash over the top of my head. “He’s like his old self.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“I was talking with him earlier, and he said he’s back to working out and everything. He’s even been running.” Ryder looks and sounds impressed, and I know how he feels.
Still… “I hope he’s not pushing it too hard.”
“The doctor cleared him,” Soren points out with a shrug as the three of us sit down at one of the folding tables set up for the party.
It’s only a few minutes before Ash joins us. His smile is wide and warm as he settles in with a plate of chicken and salad. “Amy kicked me out of the kitchen and told me to go sit down,” he explains with a grin. “I figured it was a good idea to listen.”
“You don’t want to overdo it,” I remind him as gently as I possibly can. I don’t want to insult him, but I feel like it needs to be said.
“I know, I know. Believe me, I’m not trying to fuck myself over for good by pushing it too hard. But I feel great. I really do. I’m working out again and everything.”
“And you’re well enough to come back home, so you must feel great.” My heart swells until it practically lodges in my throat, though that could be the emotion that keeps threatening to work its way out of me in the form of happy tears. He’s better than I dared let myself imagine.
And as we sit together, chatting over beers and food, it’s like we fall back into our old routine in a way. All the awkwardness and bitterness has dissolved, and left behind is the chemistry that brought us together in the first place. My ribs ache by the time I’m finished laughing at the banter going on between the three of them, but I welcome the feeling, because it means having them back — even if we can only be friends. I’ll take it.
Amy needs to get back to school, and her parents are going to drive her back, meaning they need to head out before everything is cleaned up. “Don’t worry about that. I can help out,” I offer when Ash’s mom looks worried.
“Would you? That would be such a big help. I hate the idea of leaving him alone with all that work.”
“You know I can hear you,” he calls out from the kitchen. “And last I checked, I remember how to work a dishwasher.” She rolls her eyes, but there’s a happy smile tugging at her mouth by the time she leaves. The house is pretty much emptied out now, and the sun is starting to set as I gather what’s left on the patio, tossing paper napkins and plastic cups into a trash bag. Really, most of what they used is disposable – less work, I guess – so it doesn’t take long before I have my end of things squared away.
I bring the trash bag inside, and Ryder adds a few things from the living room. There are serving trays sitting on the island and I pick them up and place them on the counter for Ash to rinse them off before they go in the dishwasher.
“It’s nice seeing you like this. All domestic, and whatnot.” He growls softly at my comment and I giggle before turning away to look for anything else that needs cleaning up.
All I get for it is a sudden cold sensation in the center of my back.
“Are you serious?” I shriek while I jump a mile and spin around to find Ash holding the sprayer from the sink. “What did I ever do to you?”
“That’s what you get for being a smart ass.” He sprays me again, and this time the water hits my chest.
“You dick!” I scramble around to the other side of the island to put myself out of range.
“What? Are you afraid of a little water?”
“I’m not trying to turn this into a wet t-shirt contest, you jerk.”
“Okay. Fine.” I’m glad when he returns the sprayer to its mount… but that doesn’t stop him from stalking slowly around the island, his eyes gleaming with a light I recognize all too well.
When I tense, ready to run, he clicks his tongue. “Come on, now. Would you make a man in my condition run around after you?” I’m about to call him a few pretty unpleasant names when he reaches out and grabs me by the waist, hauling me in close. I would say I didn’t expect it, but I’m not going to lie to myself. I can feel the change in the air. I can sense what’s on his mind. And while on one hand, it’s nice to know he’s feeling well enough to even consider us getting close to each other, that still doesn’t make it right.
Even if it feels very, very right when he kisses me.
Wrong, this is all wrong, you need to stop this. Sure. I know I do. All the old reasons come flooding back – ethics, and our futures and all of that.
Right now, though? It doesn’t really matter, because I almost lost him. It’s situations like this that can remind a person how fragile life is, how we can’t take anything for granted.
And that’s why I sink into his kiss with no regret, no misgivings. I melt against him with a happy sigh, parting my lips so his tongue can slip between them and light me on fire. My heart might explode, and my panties might melt off, but I won’t be sorry. I’m so tired of being sorry for wanting what I want.
“Well, shit. This is what I miss when I’m trying to be helpful.”
Funny how my heart was racing only a second ago, and now it wants to stop when I hear Soren’s voice. I pull away in time to find both him and Ryder watching with their arms folded.
