Ash’s grip on me tightens as he sucks in a sharp breath.
I turn my head to look at him as his eyes glisten.
Placing my hands on either side of his face I search his eyes. “I’m alright, Ash. I’m not going anywhere, okay.”
He nods as a few tears escape to roll down his cheeks.
“Why don’t you let Scarlett go for a few moments so we can talk?” Benjamin tries.
Ash doesn’t move.
“I’ll be alright for a few minutes. Trevor and Drake won’t let anything happen to me.” I reassure.
He nods again and then allows me to pull his arms away from my waist before I scoot off of his lap. Once I’m sitting on the couch I lean against Drake while he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
Ash watches us for a few moments before he stands and then moves towards Benjamin.
Seconds later Ben guides him out of the room with his arm around Ash’s shoulders.
“Is he going to be alright?” I ask Drake.
“He’ll be fine.” He replies confidently. “Ash is just beating himself up for not being here to keep you safe.”
“Plus, what you said on the surveillance video was kind of shocking.” Trevor chimes in. “It’s going to take a little bit for Ash to process.”
“He’s not going to let you out of his sight for a while,” Drake replies with a light laugh.
“I already figured that.” I breathe out.
After a few long minutes, Sally returns to the living room. “I have some good news.”
“Don’t tell us yet,” I reply. “Benjamin and Ash will be back in a few minutes.”
Sally nods. “It’s best if you’re all together to hear this anyway.”
“I’ll go see how long they’ll be.” Trevor states before he gets up.
We watch as he leaves the room.
Sally looks at me in question. “Is everything alright?”
“Ash is having a rough moment, that’s all,” I answer.
She nods in understanding before moving closer to reach her hand out towards me. I take her hand in mine and smile.
Touches of comfort, even like this, were strange to me sometimes, but I enjoyed them.
Within just a few weeks Sally had become more of a motherly figure to me than my own mother had ever been. She was someone that I trusted and knew had my best interest in mind with every choice that she had made to keep me safely in Benjamin’s house.
After what feels like forever, Trevor walks back into the room with Benjamin and Ash following close behind.
Ash wipes his face with the back of his hands as he moves back towards his seat next to me.
Once he sits down I move to snuggle against his side while Sally releases my hand.
“Trevor said that you have some good news for us?” Benjamin asks as he turns his full attention to Sally.
She nods and smiles brightly. “The office received a call and then a fax just a little while ago.”
“And…?” Drake pushes.
“The call was from Vivian. She verbally gave up her rights as Scarlett’s parent. She then sent signed papers giving those rights to you, Benjamin.” Sally announces. “As soon as we sign a few more papers Scarlett will officially be yours. You will be granted full custody instead of just guardianship.”
“Are you serious?” Ash blurts. “Doesn’t it usually take more than a few papers to make that happen?”
“We were already in the process of making it happen. Since we no longer have to fight Vivian, it will happen without needing to go through the courts.” Sally explains.
The room grows quiet as everyone takes it in.
Sally bounces on her heels as she looks at me. “You won’t have to stay separated from Ash anymore, but I will strongly have to warn that you two sleep in separate rooms. It’s my job to have to say that after all.”
“Are you serious?” Ash breathes out again.
“Yes,” Sally replies.
Once again the room is bathed in silence before Benjamin laughs with joy.
Ash pulls me onto his lap before kissing me while Drake and Trevor stand to embrace Sally and their father.
Pulling away slightly Ash gazes into my eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I reply wholeheartedly.
“Good.” He replies before threading his fingers through my hair to pull my lips back down to his again.
We kiss until someone clears their throat loudly.
Ash and I part before looking at Benjamin, Sally, Drake, and Trevor who were looking back at us with amusement.
“That’s enough of that, now get over here,” Drake states with laughter.
I smile and climb off of Ash’s lap before rushing towards them. They embrace me tightly while my eyes fill with tears.
At least this time they were tears of joy.
A huge weight had been lifted off of me even though at the same time a part of my heart was breaking. All I had wanted was my mother’s love, and I had never gotten it.
But at least now I had the love of a family, a father figure, and an amazing boyfriend.
I was blessed to have so many people surrounding me who cared.
“Alright, we have to celebrate,” Benjamin states as we calm down slightly. “Sally, you must come out with us for dinner.”
Sally nods. “Dinner sounds good.”
“Then let’s go. I know the perfect place, and the limo is still out front.” Benjamin replies.
Without another word, we begin walking towards the front door.
Ash and I stay behind for a few moments.
“Are you going to be alright?” He asks softly. “They might not be able to see that something is bothering you, but I can.”
I nod. “I’ll be okay.”
“Do you want me to get you another shirt to cover the bruise?” He then asks.
I glance down at it and then nod. “Yes.”
“Alright, I’ll grab something for you and then be right back,” Ash replies before kissing the side of my head. “Don’t leave without me, okay.”
I smile. “I won’t move from this spot until you come back.”
“That’s my girl.” He replies before rushing off.
Drake walks back in just as Ash disappears from view.
“Are you coming?” He asks.
“I promised Ash that I would stay here until he came back,” I answer. “He’s getting me a different shirt to cover the bruise that my mother left behind.”
“Oh, okay.” Drake breathes out. “I guess I’ll wait with you then.”
Of course, he would because he was like a protective big brother. Hell, Trevor was just as bad. In the short time that we had all been together, we had found our places in the family pretty easily.
Not once did I feel out of place with them around.
The funniest part was that they had given the brotherly talk to Ash. They had warned him not to break my heart. They had gone a little overboard with shotguns on the coffee table and all.
Ash had played along perfectly and promised them not to hurt me in any way.
It was in that moment that I had fallen even more for him and his brothers.
I loved them all in their own way.
I had planned to tell Ash that I loved him later at a particular time, but I felt that today had been the right moment. He had needed to hear those words from me now rather than later.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Drake asks abruptly.
“I was just thinking about you, Ash, Trevor, and your father,” I answer. “I was thinking about how happy I am that I ended up in this house.”
“I’m glad that you’re happy.” He replies before wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “It’s nice to have a little sister around.”
“Hey, I’m a week older than you,” I argue playfully.
“But you’re short, so technically you’re my little sister.” He replies with a cocky smirk.
I roll my eyes in response.
&nb
sp; Before I can say another word, Ash appears with a black long-sleeved shirt in his hands and a cream colored sweater.
“I didn’t know which one would be better.” He states.
“I’ll take the sweater,” I reply as I grab it from his hand before slipping it on.
Once I have it on Ash tosses the long sleeved shirt onto the back of one of the couches before wrapping his arm around my waist.
“Let’s go.” Drake breathes out. “I’m starving.”
Ash grunts in response before looking towards me to make the first move.
I smile and then walk towards the door a few seconds later.
Chapter Twenty Six
“Scarlett, Ash, you two better get downstairs before we’re late,” Drake shouts from the other side of the door.
Ash groans. “Does he have to do this every morning?”
I laugh as I raise my hand to brush my knuckles along Ash’s jaw. “Drake is messing with you. It’s Saturday, Ash. We don’t have anywhere that we need to be.”
“That son of a…” Ash curses as he grins.
Without warning, Ash pulls me on top of him. His grin turns wicked as I sit up and smile down at him.
Before we even have the chance to take things further Drake walks into the room abruptly.
“What the hell, Drake?” Ash snaps as I dive under the blankets.
“Like I said, we’re going to be late. You don’t have time to do whatever it was that you were about to do.” Drake replies.
I pull the covers down slightly to look at Drake with confusion. “Where exactly do we have to be?”
His eyes widen. “Are you being serious right now?”
“Drake, just spit it out,” Ash demands.
Shaking his head Drake snorts in disbelief. “I can’t believe you two have completely forgotten the most important day that there could possibly be.”
He then stares at us for a moment before motioning behind him absently. “Just get dressed and come downstairs.”
Without another word he turns and walks back out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Ash sighs roughly. “We should probably get ready before he comes back in here.”
I nod in agreement before I climb off of the bed to retrieve my clothes from the floor.
Ash moves to stand behind me before wrapping his arms around my waist. “You’re making it really hard not to throw you back under those covers.”
Laughing lightly, I lean back against his body. “We’ll have the rest of the day to lie in bed together as soon as we figure out why Drake wants us downstairs.”
Ash groans dramatically before releasing his hold on me. “Fine, get dressed.”
He then begins to grumble to himself while gathering his clothes from the floor. “Whatever my brother has to show us better be good because I will kick his ass. He has no idea how close I am to kicking his ass just because.”
“Would you stop…?” I laugh before tossing my panties at him.
He snatches them from the air before a mischievous smirk spreads across his lips.
“Ash…no…” I laugh while holding my hands up as he begins walking towards me.
I laugh even harder as he grabs a hold on my hips. He then pulls me close before nuzzling his face against my neck.
Before he even has the chance to kiss me Drake knocks on the door. “…Back away from her for two seconds, Ash.”
“How the hell does he know...?” Ash huffs out.
“We’ll be down in five, Drake,” I call back.
“You better or next time I’ll break in and carry you downstairs whether you’re dressed or not.” Drake threatens.
Ash curses softly. “He’s serious.”
“I know which is why you need to let me get dressed.” I snort.
“Fine…” Ash breathes out before stepping back once again.
He hands me my panties before moving back to sit on the edge of the bed.
I shake my head and point at him. “Are you seriously going to sit there and watch me get dressed?”
He nods while grinning brightly. “Absolutely; watching you put your clothes on is just as exciting as watching you take them off.”
“You’re too much,” I reply with a smile as I begin tugging my clothes on.
All too soon for Ash’s taste I finish getting dressed.
As he slips his shirt into place, I place my hands against his chest while gazing up into his eyes.
Sighing softly Ash cups my cheek in his hand. “Are you sure we have to go downstairs?”
“Yes, you do,” Drake calls out from the other side of the door.
“Seriously…?” Ash breathes out.
I laugh and then grab Ash’s hand before pulling him towards the door. Ash opens it and then glares at Drake who was still standing on the other side.
“Are you ready?” Drake questions while glancing between Ash and me.
I look at Ash and then nod. “I guess so.”
Drake claps his hands together. “Good, let’s go.”
Together we move down the hallway and then downstairs. Drake takes the lead at the bottom of the stairs, and we follow him towards the dining room.
The second we walk into the room Benjamin spreads his arms out wide.
“Happy birthday, Scarlett.” He exclaims.
I cover my mouth with my hands as I glance around at the room. There were red and silver streamers decorating every inch of the ceiling and matching balloons lined the walls in large bunches.
On the table was a large cake with red roses and my name written in cursive.
It was beautiful.
Overcome with emotion my vision blurs.
Tears roll down my cheeks as I look at Ash. “Did you know about this?”
He nods. “I did.”
His brow then rises in question as he wraps his arms around me. “Why are you crying? Don’t you like it?”
I nod while looking around the room again. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“Then what are the tears for?” He presses while reaching his hands up to wipe my tears away with his thumbs.
“I’ve never had a birthday party,” I answer. “It’s been so long since I even thought about my birthday that I didn’t even realize that it was today.”
“Seriously…?” Ash blurts. “Not one single party?”
I shake my head. “My best friend gave me a cupcake once.”
“Your mother really sucked,” Drake states before pulling me away from Ash.
He hugs me briefly before spinning me around. “We kind of went a little overboard with the gifts.”
I laugh as I take in the large stack of boxes.
“We also got something special for you in your room.” He adds.
“It better not be another heart-shaped bed.” I snort.
“You know you love that bed,” Drake replies with a smirk.
Benjamin clears his throat before moving towards us. He smiles and then holds out a flat box with a red ribbon wrapped around it.
“I also went a little overboard, but I hope you’ll like it.” He states.
I take the box and open it. Inside was a paper, but it was so much more than just a simple piece of paper.
“Is this real?” I whisper while looking up at Benjamin.
He nods. “It is. You’re officially part of this family.”
Even though I was turning eighteen, Benjamin had insisted that we make it official. He wanted me to be able to benefit from the family name just as Trevor, Ash, and Drake could.
It was also a way for Benjamin to show me just how much he cared. It was his way of proving just how much they all wanted me in their family.
It meant the world to me.
For the first time in a very long time, I finally felt as if I belonged.
Without hesitating, I hug him tightly. “You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Scarlett.” He replies as he hugs me back while patting my back in a fa
therly way.
Drake snorts abruptly.
“Don’t even say it, Drake,” Ash commands.
I release Benjamin and turn to look at Drake and Ash in question.
They stare at each other for the longest time before Drake barks out in laughter. “Dude, you’re banging our sister now.”
“Seriously…Drake…?” I scold. “Can you be any more childish?”
He shrugs sheepishly.
“Anyway…” Benjamin breathes out directing my attention back towards me. “Trevor has another surprise outside for you.”
“What more could you guys possibly have gotten me?” I laugh.
“This surprise is a bit of a rite of passage since you’re now a part of this family,” Ash replies.
I raise my brow in question but instead of giving me any hints of what was waiting for me outside Ash grabs my hand in his before leading me back through the house.
We exit through the back door.
The second I walk through the door I release Ash’s hand and run forward.
Trevor smiles brightly as I wrap my arms around him. “Happy birthday, little sister.”
I release him and then turn my full attention towards the stunning horse standing next to Trevor. I reach out and pet its large speckled nose.
“So, what are you going to name her?” Ash asks as he moves to stand beside me.
“I don’t know.” I breathe out.
“You can take your time.” Ash insists.
“It took Ash three weeks to name his horse.” Trevor teases.
“Hey, it took a while to figure out a name to match his personality,” Ash replies with laughter.
“I like the name he chose for his horse,” I reply before getting the perfect idea what to name my horse. “And you know what I know what I’m going to name her.”
It was perfect considering she looked so much like a Dalmatian anyway.
I pet her nose again and smile. “I’m going to name her Perdita.”
“That’s perfect.” Ash hoots.
“It’s a great name.” Benjamin agrees as he pats Perdita’s neck.
“Well, now that this is out of the way can we go back inside and stuff our faces with cake?” Drake questions abruptly from behind us.
“It’s all up to the birthday girl,” Ash replies while looking at me for my response.
Smiling to myself I pet Perdita’s nose one more time before nodding. “Cake sounds wonderful.”
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