He glanced down at me, almost confused. I explained a bit. "Sorry, that kind of came out of nowhere. I'm tired of being depressive. I feel like I'm trying to get sympathy or something. Right now, I just want to go inside and be with my brothers, and feel normal for a little bit.”
Andy stood and held his hand out to help me up. "Come on then, I'd love to meet them.” He said as I grabbed his hand.
We walked inside to find that they were all eating dinner. "Richmond,” Dad greeted.
"Hey, Coach.” Andy said a little nervously.
Angela spoke up. "Well don't just stand there, you two. Sit down.” She said, pointing to the two empty plates on the table. Without releasing his hand, I led Andy to the table and sat, scooting over on our bench seats so he could sit by me.
I glanced at Dad and he was giving me a look that asked 'are you okay?' I just nodded and gave him a sad smile, telling him 'right now I'm sad. But I'll be okay in the morning,' because it was true. Everything seems so much worse when it happens. I'll wake up tomorrow and be much calmer, and feel a bit embarrassed at how I handled myself today. . . hopefully.
"Bonjour, mon nom est Angela.” She greeted. When Andy looked over at me and looked completely confused, I translated. "That's Angela, and she says hello. She's my mother.” I told him, noticing the look of surprise when I introduced her as such.
He nodded. "Hello, I'm Andy.” He said almost shyly.
Perry smiled brightly. "I Perry. This my little broder, Louis.” He said with a cute smile on his face.
Andy grinned at them. "Nice to meet you both. How old are you guys?" He asked in a gentle voice.
"I four.” Perry piped up and let Louis answer for himself.
"Two.” Louis said quietly, holding up three fingers. I reached across the table and put my finger on the third one.
"Remember what we were working on buddy?" I asked. He looked at his hand and smiled. "Oops.” He giggled and lowered one finger.
"PERFECT!" I exclaimed, making him squeal in delight.
"Ash," Perry looked at me with a curious look on his face.
"Yeah, honey?" I asked.
"Why he a boy?" He wondered causing me to laugh. I'd never brought a guy over to the house before.
"Well, do you know what cooties are?" I asked. He stuck his tongue out and scrunched his nose up.
"Cooties are icky.” He pouted.
I held my laugh back. "Well, when you're about my age, those cooties go away. You'll start to like girls, just like Andy likes me.” I told him.
He looked doubtful but nodded as he eyed Andy warily.
Dinner went smoothly after that. Everybody did their best to include Andy into their conversations and he fit in really well. Afterward, we went up to my bedroom, with the agreement that we wouldn't close the door.
"Nice room.” He said as he walked in. I glanced around doubtfully.
"It's fine.” I agreed. There was nothing special about my room. The walls were a beige color and the only color I had in there was my bedspread. I didn't have very many pictures, so the walls were fairly bare. The only thing I liked about it was that the floor was wooden.
We both relaxed on my bed, his arm around my shoulders and my head leaning against his chest. "I'm sorry.” I sighed. Now, after everything, the whole incident seemed silly.
"Don't be sorry.” He said against my hair.
"But I am. I over-reacted and it wasn't fair to you.” I told him, turning so I could see his face. He kissed my lips softly.
"I don't know. I mean, it sucked and everything. Thinking that you wouldn't let me in, but you did. Now I know more about you so I'm not sorry it happened.” He explained.
I shrugged. "Still, I don't like that I did that. I swear I'm not this crazy person only you've had the privilege of meeting.” I told him seriously. "I'm usually laid back and calm. But around you, I blow things out of proportion. I'm nervous, and unsure of myself,” I said.
"It's because I'm so hot.” He said. I burst out laughing and when I turned to look at him, he was pouting. "That reaction was a little uncalled for.” He whined.
I tried not to giggle. "I'm sorry. Will your ego be able to handle it?" I asked as I cupped his cheek.
He stuck his lip out a little more. "I don't know. You may have to kiss me better.” He couldn't stop the grin from appearing on his face. I smiled and reached up, meeting his lips with mine. The kiss was slow and gentle. Both of us giving ourselves and receiving the other. His arms wrapped tightly around my body as my left arm wrapped around his neck; and my right hand tangled itself in his hair.
He moved us so that he was lying partially on top of me. We'd never made out on a bed or horizontal surface before. So this was a new experience. I lifted my leg and wrapped it around one of his. His tongue pushing against my lips was gentle but urgent at the same time. I opened my mouth to his and caressed his tongue with mine. His arm went to the bottom of my shirt and I felt his fingers slowly creeping up my stomach. The feeling of his skin on mine gave me goose bumps and I shivered.
"Are you cold?" He asked, not taking his lips from mine.
I shook my head. "No.” I gasped out, my breathing getting heavier by the second.
He moved his lips from mine and made his way to my ear. Nibbling every now and then as he went. Andy sucked on my lobe and bit down gently, making me gasp. He trailed kissed down to my neck and licked at my collar bone. The sensation was too much for me and I moaned lightly. I felt Andy's grin against my skin. I opened my eyes and realized just where we were. In my bedroom, with the door wide open. Two little brothers in the house liked seeing their sister and could walk in to visit anytime.
I pulled lightly at Andy's head, lifting his face from where it had been sucking at my neck. "We should stop.” I said disappointedly. I saw from the look on his face that he thought I was rejecting him. "I don't want to. If my brothers come in to say goodnight and see you on top of me, they may ask questions they're not old enough to know the answers to.” I explained. He nodded once and pulled me back to where I was before this started. My head rested against his chest and his arms wrapped around me.
Andy stayed another two hours before Dad told him, politely, that he needed to leave. I kissed him goodbye and watched him drive away. I was so exhausted from the day's events that when I got upstairs, I fell asleep as soon as I lay down.
The next day, I was about to go over to Andy's when my cell phone rang. It was my mom. I debated whether to answer it or not. I decided to risk it. "Hello?" I asked.
"Ashley! Hi honey, how are you?" She asked excitedly. I grimaced.
"I'm okay, how are you?" I asked, purely out of politeness, not because I cared.
"Well, Steve left me…” She said, trailing off at the end.
I rolled my eyes. "Why?" I asked bored.
"Conflicting lifestyles,” She said simply.
"Well, sorry about that. He seemed like a really good guy.” I said, shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes. It's not like she could see me anyways.
"I'm not. He was so uptight and rigid. Never letting me do what I wanted,” She said. I rolled my eyes again.
"Was there something you wanted?" I asked, wondering why she called.
She chuckled. "Well, now that Steve's gone, you can come home again.” She said as though that explained everything.
I froze and felt nauseous. "I'm not living with you again,” I told her.
"Of course, you are honey. I'll send you a bus ticket in the mail. You can be here within a week.” She said happily.
"I'm not coming back to you.” I told her slowly. My words sounding harsh, even to my own ears.
"You have no choice Ashley. You're coming home.” She said irritated.
"Good luck with that.” I said before I hung up on her. I immediately called Dad, who was out having a brunch with a few of his old college buddies.
"Hello?" He asked, sounding like he just got done laughing.
"Dad," I asked my voice full of the tears I
was refusing to spill.
"Ashley honey, what's wrong?" His voice worried now.
"She says she's going to make me go back.” I said, tears spilling over, the fear coming out.
"Who's 'she'?" He asked.
"Mom,” I said loudly. I heard him gasp.
"She what," He whispered.
I was crying now, like actually crying, not just a few tears. "She says that Steve dumped her and that I can come home now. She said I don't get a choice.”
"I'm coming home.” He said quickly. "I'll see you in about fifteen minutes, okay?" He asked.
I nodded, and then realized that he couldn't see me. "Okay,” I whispered before I hung up.
The next person I called was Andy. "Hey, honey. I thought you were coming over.” He said happily on the other end. I let out a sob. "Ashley? Baby, are you okay?" He asked quickly.
"I-I c-can't co-come over to-day.” I said, crying harder.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice making me tell him.
"My mom just called.” I said, and then started crying harder, unable to talk anymore. So I hung up and went up to my room to cry in my bed.
About five minutes went by before I heard feet stomping up the steps, stopping at my room before the door burst open. Andy was at my side within the next second. He pulled me to him, holding me as close as humanly possible. "Shhh, shhh,” He kept whispering in my ear. I calmed down eventually until I was only sniffling and taking hiccupping breaths. A few tears still slipped out, but I wasn't sobbing anymore. "Can you tell me what happened now?" He asked softly.
I stayed silent for a few more minutes. "She told me that I had to go back.” I said monotonously.
CHAPTER TEN
Andy's POV
I stopped breathing. The words cutting through me like a knife. "What?" I asked in shock.
"Apparently, S-Steve divorced her and n-now I have to be there again.” She started crying softly into my chest. "I don't want to go.” She whispered.
"Then you won't. Your Dad won't let you go back to that.” I told her, trying to sound comforting.
She shook her head. "He doesn't know. Only you do.” The hand that was rubbing her back stilled.
"You never told him?" I asked, not knowing what to say.
"How do you tell your father that the woman he's left you with for most of your life is a junky alcoholic?" She asked.
"Honey, you need to tell him.” I said, kissing her forehead.
"How," she asked? I squeezed her closer to me.
"I'll help you.” I told her, unsure of what else to say. Speaking of Coach, he entered the room then. He looked like somebody had run over his puppy, which was expected. Ashley left my arms and went to him. He held her close.
"I can't go back to her,” Ashley whispered.
Coach looked helpless. "She's your legal guardian honey. I can't stop her.” He said softly.
Ashley let out a sob. I shook my head, unable to believe what was happening. "Coach, you need to fight for custody.” I told him. Coach looked at me like he was going to tell me to shove it. But I spoke to Ashley before he could. "Honey, you need to tell him.” She looked at me and nodded, coming to sit beside me again. I held her hand.
"You're not pregnant, are you?" Coach asked horrified.
Ashley scoffed, "Absolutely not.“ A grin almost coming across her face. Then she looked at him with sad eyes and started telling him about her childhood. He sat there, his eyes clouding over when he heard about the drugs. When she was finished, he just sat there in a trance. Once he snapped out of it, he looked at her, sadness taking over his features.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" He asked.
"Because I was too young to know what she was doing and when I realized, I was already living here. I thought that it didn't matter anymore because she had Steve and I'd never have to move back.” I held her closer to my body.
"I'll call a lawyer.” Coach said before he pulled her to him and squeezed her. "I'm so sorry.” He whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek. I looked away, realizing that it was a private moment.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ashley's POV
"You're not leaving, are you?" I asked Andy once Dad left to go call an attorney.
"Not unless you want me to.” He said, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close. I snuggled up to his chest. I loved moments like this. Despite what was going on in my life, Andy managed to make me forget and only focus on him; and the way I feel around him.
If somebody had told me two weeks ago that I'd fall for one of my father's football players, make an ass of myself multiple times, become a needy girlfriend, and then that I'd have to move back in with my mother; I'd have called them crazy. Now, my reality was crashing down on me and Andy was the only thing keeping me grounded.
"Thank you for being here.” I whispered.
I felt him grin against my hair. "Whenever you need me, I'll be there. No matter what,” He told me. I knew he meant it too. Often, people say things to console people. Andy wasn't doing that, though. I felt like crying a mixture of sad and sweet tears, but I kept them back.
"I love you, Andy.” I told him, twisting a little to look at him. His eyes stared deeply into mine, telling me without words that the feeling was more than mutual. I reached up and pressed my lips against his, tasting the aftertaste of Pepsi. He must have been drinking one before I called him. I pulled back slightly. "You taste like pop.” I told him, licking my lips.
His eyes followed the movement of my lips and a hungry look came across his face. I watched his adam's apple bob up and down as he gulped. "You taste of apples.” He informed me. I giggled, thinking of how much apple juice I had that morning.
"I love it when you make that noise.” He said as his arms wrapped themselves tighter around my waist.
"What sound?" I asked innocently.
"Any sound you make,” he whispered before leaning down to kiss me again. His lips were hard against mine, yet soft at the same time. One of his hands worked its way up to my hair and knotted his fingers in it. I felt his tongue swipe across my bottom lip, asking for access to my mouth. I moaned lightly, not yet used to the sparks Andy could ignite in me, and felt his tongue enter my mouth.
I'd had boyfriends in the past, but none of them could kiss me like Andy could. He made me feel like I was drowning, unable to find oxygen for my lungs. The feeling was so delicious that air could take a hike for all I cared.
My thoughts, unfortunately, drifted to wondering how much longer I had to do this with him. Would my mother win in a custody battle? If she did, I'd end up moving to Oklahoma with her. I'd only get to see Andy a couple times a year, which would be heartbreaking.
With that, my mood was ruined. I pushed him away lightly, tears in my eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, clearly concerned that he'd done something wrong. I just shook my head and apologized.
"I'm sorry. I just started thinking that we might not have much time left together. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it. Now I can't stop thinking about it.” I told him, regret laced in my voice. He gave me a sad, but understanding, smile.
"It's okay honey. We'll get through this, though. Coach wouldn't let anybody take you now. Plus, your birthday is in less than a couple of months; you'll be eighteen then.” He reminded me. My eyes lit up. It felt like a breath of fresh air.
"You're right,” I told him happily. If anything, I'd move in with my mom for a few weeks, and then move back as soon as my birthday came around.
Before I could share my logic with Andy, even though he'd technically put it in my mind, Dad walked in the room. The look on his face didn't look like he'd gotten good news. He sat down at the end of my bed, running a hand down his face. "The lawyer says that there's no proof of child abandonment. They can't bring a case up against her, especially since you've lived with me for so long and you're almost a legal adult.” He said, looking disappointed in himself.
I just nodded; feeling like a piece of my heart was broken. "Okay,”
I said my voice heavy with tears. I cleared it. "She said that she sent some bus tickets in the mail. I'm supposed to be there by the end of the week.” I told him, tears falling steadily.
Dad looked at me and Andy. "I'll give you two some privacy.” He said, leaving my room and surprisingly shutting the door behind him. Andy crushed me to his chest. I felt his chest rising unsteadily as he breathed.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, squeezing myself as close as I could possibly manage. "We'll be okay, baby. I promise we will. What's the date today?" He spoke quickly.
"Today's October fourteenth,” I told him softly. He did the math in his head. "Your birthday's November thirtieth, right?" He asked. I nodded. "That's only like six weeks. We can do that.” He said, convincing himself.
I looked up at him, when I spoke, my voice, unintentionally, sounded vulnerable. "Will you visit me?" I asked shyly. His lips on mine confirmed that he would. We both lay down on my bed and drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.
When we woke up, the clock read 8:00. We went downstairs to see Louis and Perry playing with dinosaurs on the floor. My heart broke all over again when I realized I'd have to tell them goodbye. Andy's hand gripped mine, comforting me and telling me he was there for me. I walked up to them and wrapped Louis up in my arms and grabbed Perry's hand, bringing them to the couch to sit with me.
"I have something to talk to you two about,” I told them softly.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Andy's POV
The reality of the situation hit me further when she told her brothers that she'd be leaving. They took it like you'd expect little children to. They were confused, then heartbroken.
"Ash no go!" Perry cried out. I'm not sure that Louis actually understood what was happening, but he cried too. Tears were rolling down Ashley's face as she tried to explain to them that they shouldn't be sad, but look forward to when she came back. They weren't listening, though.
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