Ash and I talked and texted every day, but true to his word, I only saw him a couple of times a week at first. He would take me out on dates ~ dinner, movies, we even went to a musical ~ and then afterwards we would go back to one of our houses and hang out with our respective roommates. Being with him was the most natural thing ever, I could just be me all the time. For better or worse, he knew everything about me, the good and the bad. And for the most part I knew everything about him. Sex with Ash was nothing short of spectacular. It was always different, sometimes it was slow and sweet love making while other times it was nothing more than hot and sweaty fucking. It was a given on the nights we spent together that we would, but he was also very spontaneous. Any time we got where we were at one of our houses alone, it became a game of what room he would pounce on me in.
Before I knew it, the week of Christmas was upon us and I was very excited because I was spending it with Ash’s family. Crys, Will, and the boys were flying in for the holiday, and I was looking forward to seeing them all again. My parents had gone on a Mediterranean cruise for two weeks and my brother and sister-in-law were going to visit her parents on the East coast, so my grandparents had decided to not have a big dinner. They had told me I was welcome to come to their house, but they understood if I had friends that I wanted to celebrate with. Jess and Meg had both gone to their parents’ homes so we used Ash’s house as the place for the festivities. His mom’s apartment could’ve worked, but there was much more space and the kitchen was much more functional at his house.
I spent Christmas Eve night with him helping clean up and prep the food. As we were standing in the kitchen cutting up veggies for the different casseroles, we talked about childhood memories of Christmas Eve’s and what not. Somehow we got on the discussion of our older siblings and as he was talking about Crys, a question that I was curious about for a long time popped in my head.
“Can I ask you something about while I was gone last year?” I asked, scared of what the answer was going to be.
“Of course, what’s up?”
“So I know that the day I came back and saw you at the bar, you were there with Crys, but what did you do while I was gone? I mean we’ve never really discussed those eight months…” I let my voice trail off, unsure of how he was gonna take the question.
“You mean who did I do while you were gone, right?” He stopped what he was doing and pushed the cutting board aside. He turned to look at me and raised his eyebrows, waiting for my response
The one bad thing about us knowing each other so well was he that he knew exactly what I meant when I asked something like that. I didn’t stop peeling the potatoes nor did I look up at him, instead I just nodded my head.
“Right after you left Scarlett, I was devastated. I didn’t leave my house much for a few weeks. I blamed myself, and rightfully so, for why you left. Soon thereafter, I went through my angry stage. I was mad at you for leaving, for running away and not letting me explain.
I thought that returning to the way I was before you, before I cared about anyone would help me get over you… “
I knew I had no right to be mad, but still hearing that he had gone back to that lifestyle pissed me off and I could feel my face getting hot. He took the two steps it took to get to me and grabbed my wrists, making me stop what I was doing. I looked down realizing I was destroying the potato with the peeler. I dropped both in the sink and turned my face to look at him. His face was serious but reassuring.
“Scarlett, after the first week or so of acting like a fucking jack ass, I stopped. I just couldn’t do it. You were all I could think of. I knew, I just knew that you’d come back or somehow we would end up back together, and I didn’t want to have this exact conversation with you. I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me again. I swore that I’d never let you down again.”
“Really? So up until we were together the first time a few weeks ago, you hadn’t been with anyone since a few weeks after I left?” I found that pretty hard to believe.
“Yes, I know you are having problems believing that, but it’s the truth. Shortly after that everything happened with my parents and I got the new research assistant job. My life just got so crazy that I didn’t really have time to think about it. I mean don’t get me wrong, I watched a shit load of porn and took care of myself plenty, but I wasn’t with anyone else.”
I knew by the look on his face and the calming feeling in my stomach that he was telling the truth, and I relaxed my shoulders that I didn’t even realize were tensed up. “Okay, sorry, I just had to ask.”
“Anything, Butterfly, anything you ever want to know… you ask me. I don’t there to ever be a problem between us because of miscommunication or assumptions.”
He let go of my wrists and stepped behind me pinning me in between his body and the sink. Sweeping all of my hair over one shoulder, he began kissing the exposed shoulder, moving his mouth tantalizingly slow towards my neck with kisses and light love bites. I closed my eyes and I moaned as his touch brought me wet panties instantly.
As he continued moving up my neck with his mouth, his hands grabbed and tilted my hips so that my ass was pressed up against his erection. “Do you know how sexy you are when you get jealous and possessive?” he growled in my ear. Fuck yes.
I shook my head no and closed my eyes. Not moving his hands off of my hips or his mouth off my throat, he began bunching my skirt up in his hands.
“Do you need me to remind you how important you are to me?” he grumbled.
His question reminded me of something Jesse Ward would’ve asked Ava. “You mean a reminder fuck?” I asked with a cheeky grin.