For The Love of Ash

by Taylor Lavati

  "Welcome. Thank you all so much for coming," I said as the guys stepped out of the bus. They were huge, jacked with muscles, double my size. Most had headphones in, but they nodded in my direction.

  When I got all the players situated in the larger locker rooms, another bus showed up with Finn and his buddies from the Rangers. I smiled as I walked over to greet them.

  "What's up?" I asked as I hugged Finn.

  "Dude, it's been too long. This place looks awesome."

  "Get your bag, and I can show you around." He reached into the back of the bus and opened the emergency back door. A stack of bags fell out. He grabbed his, and a few other guys grabbed theirs.

  I gave them the grand tour and told them that they could use the place whenever they wanted to. Of course, they laughed, but I knew Finn would get us a game eventually. I couldn't even imagine the publicity that would bring to us. Plus, I was going to milk the fact that he still hadn't come to visit my students.

  As I walked back to the lobby, my insides shaking, I felt her walk in the door. She was radiant, her hair a little curly and glowing from the setting sun behind her. Asher was by her side.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Maggie

  Over the past few months, I had many days like today. I was tired for no reason, grumpy, and just felt like lying in bed and wasting time. Asher wasn't letting me relax though. He was on some sugar high, bouncing off the walls with energy. It was driving me nuts.

  "We have to go to free skating. Please. I want to see the rink." He jumped onto my bed, making it rattle against the wall. I huffed and turned to face him.

  "If I take you skating for an hour will you leave me alone?" I felt bad when I saw his face fall, but I just wanted to lie in bed and waste the day. I had to read almost every day on the progress of Luke's arena. Finally, I stopped collecting the newspapers. I hadn't heard anything in days.

  "Yup. Completely alone." He grinned, nodding his head.

  "Fine." I threw the covers off of me and trudged into the closet to find my skates. I wasn't in the mood—that was an understatement. But I just had to get him off my back.

  Asher ran from the room as I started to change and put on warmer pants. Despite it being about seventy degrees, I knew better than to skate in shorts. I threw on a pair of yoga pants, leaving on my loose tank top.

  As I walked down the stairs, I was taken aback when I saw Lindsay standing in the living room. I wrinkled my nose at her when she just waved, like she knew I'd be confused.

  "Ash invited me to tag along for free skate. Let's roll. I'll drive!" She sounded way too happy to go ice skating, so immediately, I was skeptical.

  "What the heck is going on?"

  "Just come." Asher shoved me from behind and pushed me towards the door.

  "I'm not going anywhere until I know what is going on." I hated surprises and hated being tricked. I knew something was up. And these two were going to tell me.

  "Maggie." Lindsay came over and took my hand in hers. I glared down at it. "Can you just trust us? Please? For once."

  "Please," Asher chimed in and whined.

  "If this is something bad, I'll kill you, both!" I followed the duo to her white Audi and hopped in the front seat. I knew the second that she drove through the center of town that we were close to the new ice rink that Luke built.

  I hadn't drove by yet. I wasn't even sure if it was officially open. I couldn't handle knowing that he was doing so much for Asher and me, and we weren't even together. It was too much.

  "I can't wait to go inside!" Asher shouted as Lindsay pulled into a large parking lot. My stomach was flipping in the front seat, and I almost told Lindsay to stop so I could throw up.

  She parked facing away from the place, and I appreciated that because I just couldn't face it. I needed a second.

  "Ash why don't you run inside and find Luke," Lindsay offered and handed him a ten dollar bill. I objected, but she shot me down. I was breathing through my nose and out my mouth to control my anxiety. My fingers were shredding the hem of my tank.

  "I don't know if I can say no again," I admitted.

  "So say yes."

  "He could hurt us again."

  "But he could not." I looked over at her bright blue eyes, seeing only Luke in them. She half smiled at me, shrugging her shoulders.

  "Okay. I'm ready." I nodded to myself, hyping myself up and mentally preparing to see Luke and possibly take him back. I was ready. I had been ready for a while, but I was just prolonging the inevitable.

  I stepped out of the car and turned around. My mouth fell to the floor, and my hands shot up to cover it. Tears flooded my vision as I looked at the huge sign hanging from the front of the building.

  "He named it after us." I gasped. I just couldn't believe that this was real life. I walked forward. I needed to find Luke. I had to forgive him and tell him how sorry I was for making him wait so long. I thought I was doing the best thing for myself, but I was just depriving myself of love.

  I walked through the sliding doors and choked on tears as I looked at the warming room. He remembered when I told him I loved the homey outdoor rink. I stepped forward and ran my fingers over the large couches in front of the fireplace. They were soft, pristine like they'd never been used.

  The rink was immaculate, with perfectly padded floors, a cafe, pro shop, and information desk. It was beautifully done, with a smart layout. There were two freaking rinks, each with a ton of locker rooms.

  I spotted Asher near the red locker room in the larger of the two rinks. I walked over to him and put my arm on his shoulder. He was speaking with two large men, both of whom I had never seen before.

  "Mom. This is Martin St. Louis and Rick Nash. They're on the Rangers."

  "What?" I was in shock. These were professional players. What the hell were they doing out in the middle of nowhere? It didn't make sense at all. I looked around and saw that the rink was packed. What was going on?

  "They're professionals. Luke got a bunch for the charity game."

  "Hi, miss," the one with a beard said. "Your son tells me he's going to be professional someday. He wants to be a Ranger."

  "You have no idea. It's all he talks about."

  "You get that from hockey?" the other player asked as he saw Asher's scar right under his eye.

  "Yeah. My helmet popped up when I got checked from behind."

  "How old are you?" Beardy asked.

  "I'm almost ten."

  "And you're checking?" Beardy followed up.

  "He was on a U12 travel team last year," I explained, brushing Asher's long hair to the side. It was constantly in his face and up his nose. But he wouldn't let me cut it again.

  "You should come to our camp this summer. Our buddy Finn is hosting it here. It's only a week long, but it's going to be awesome. We're coming," Beardy said.

  "Can I?" Asher looked up with wide eyes and asked.

  "Sure. We'll ask Luke about the dates."

  "You guys know Luke?" Another player came over with cropped short blond hair and dark brown eyes. He was very attractive but came off a little douchey.

  "Yeah. He's my best friend," Asher said looking up at all the huge men.

  My heart lurched.

  "Don't tell me you're Asher Larken…"

  "I am!" Ash said, jumping up.

  "So, you must be Maggie."

  I nodded, not wanting to say anything because I had no idea if Blondie meant that in a good or bad way. "Luke's looking for you."

  I excused myself and went in search of said man.

  After getting sidetracked with Liam, then Lilly, I found Luke near the penalty box in the large rink. He looked really good—a pair of khaki shorts a little too loose around the waist, a long-sleeved black Henley and a New York Rangers flat-brimmed hat.

  He laughed at something the guy in the box said, and then almost as if he could feel me staring, he turned. Our eyes met, and honestly, I had never experienced anything like it. He must have seen something in my fac
e because his broke into a grin, and he walked towards me.

  I felt like I was in a slow-motion action flick as the guy gets the girl in the end. He strutted, his steel eyes never leaving mine. His arm swung forward and then back, propelling him towards me. I couldn't just stand and wait anymore. I jogged towards him.

  He didn't have to say a damn thing. I jumped up and hugged him when he was close enough to touch. He pulled me against his chest. I could smell the mint from his gum and the clean smell from his clothes. It was intoxicating—something I didn't even realize I missed.

  "Are you giving me another chance?" he whispered in my ear.

  "I—Yes." I was barely able to mutter a word, but I said it. Yes. I was taking him back. Finally.

  "I love you. I still love you, Maggie."

  "I love you, too." I leaned forward and kissed him, right on the lips. I practically melted as his hands wove into my hair, tugging on the strands. I clutched his back and met the swipes with my tongue. He consumed me.

  "But you just have to jump through one more hoop." He pulled back with a confused look on his face—his eyebrows knit together, his lips pursed. I laughed. "Asher has to approve."

  "Please. He set this whole thing up. Where is he?" Luke smiled, and I missed seeing his lips and teeth. I missed all of him. Luke grabbed onto my hand and pulled me through the rink and into the lobby.

  I spotted Asher in the pro shop, still talking to Beardy and Luke's friend. Only now they were showing him sticks, and it looked like they were demonstrating something. I pointed over there, and when Luke saw, he led us, dragging me behind him.

  "Ash!" Luke called. Asher's head shot up, his green eyes full of alarm. But then he saw us and relaxed. Luke ran over and stopped in front of Ash.

  "What's wrong?" Asher asked us.

  "Please tell your mom it's okay to date me again." Luke was out of breath, but it was hilarious the way he rushed over here. I smiled when Asher looked up at me.

  "It's okay. Can Luke come back?" Asher asked with hope in his voice.

  "All right. I guess you have the green light." Luke lifted me up into his arms and spun us around as he buried his head in my neck, kissing and sucking on me. Asher groaned, but the two hockey players began to clap.

  I felt home again.

  Chapter Fifty

  Maggie

  I loved this place with a passion I never knew was possible. September rolled back around fast. I was back in school; so was Asher. But instead of feeling stressed, I was content. And that's mostly because of Larken Arena. It paid to be in with the owner.

  Asher had his first game today on the new U12 team coached by Dean Janner, an older guy who knew Luke's father. He played on the US Olympic team a long time ago. He was a hard ass, but perfect for Ash.

  I had never seen Asher as happy as he was that summer. Luke was over every single day, playing and eating with us. Liam tagged along most of the time. More often than not we had sleepovers that Asher thought were the coolest things ever.

  I grabbed a coffee from the cafe next to the lobby after saying hello to the boy behind the counter. He was friends with Liam. He was strange, wore dark clothes and even eyeliner, but so far I got good vibes. He was on time to work, nice to customers, and just generally a joy to be around.

  A whistle sounded from the smaller rink, and I figured that was probably Asher's game. I finished pouring some sugar in the coffee and walked down to the rink. Luke was already standing on the upper part of the bleachers. He was getting worse than me.

  I smiled to myself as I jumped the bleachers to the top and stopped beside Luke. He leaned over, kissed my forehead, and wrapped his arm over my shoulders. He was shaking, bouncing up and down.

  "What's wrong?" I asked him.

  "What?" He looked down at me, frowning. "Oh. Nothing. Just excited for the big game."

  "Okay. Weirdo." I turned my attention back to the ice as the boys all skated on. Asher had had a major growth spurt this summer. He blended in with the other boys, both in height and size. The only thing that made him stand out was his long hair that flipped out the back of his helmet.

  The first period went by fast. Asher wasn't getting as much time as I thought he should, but the new coach seemed to be playing all of the kids, testing them out with different combinations.

  "Ash is going to be so disappointed," I muttered to Luke.

  "He'll be fine," Luke said back. "Oh, look who's here!" I looked to where Luke was pointing and watched three of his siblings walk into the rink: Lilly first, followed by Lindsay and Liam. A light music started to play as the boys huddled up at each of their boxes.

  "Luke, we need your help," Lilly said as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

  "I'll be right back." Luke kissed me and then walked down the side aisle of the bleachers. I watched the four of them walk into the lobby and lost them when they walked past the windowed wall by the cafe.

  Luke didn't come back until after second period was over. And when he came back, he didn't come up to me. He walked past where I was sitting on the bleachers and into the penalty box. His siblings were behind him.

  "We have a special second period announcement. The owner of Larken Arena is here!" the main announcer yelled though the microphone. I stared, squinting my eyes as I tried to figure out what was going on.

  Luke, Lilly, and Liam walked onto the ice and faced us in the bleachers. Luke stared up at me, holding eye contact. I cocked my head to the side. He had some elaborate plan; that much I knew.

  "Before I make my announcement, I have some friends who want to speak up first." Luke handed the microphone over to Lindsay.

  "Luke is a great brother and friend. I love him for his generosity, his loyalty, his willingness to do whatever is needed. He loves with his whole heart. He's been hurt, you know that. But he loves you and because of that, I love you. And you love him. There's so much love between all of us. So that's why you should marry my brother."

  All at once, everyone's eyes darted to me. I stood up and clutched my chest. My eyes started to burn as I refused to blink. What was happening? Was this real? Lindsay handed the mic over to Lilly.

  "Lukey Pukey can be super annoying, moody, and a jerk. Sometimes he forces me to stay home. Or he'll make us do homework on a Saturday. But he's less of a jerk when you're around. You should marry my brother because he's happy when he's with you. And when he's happy, we're all happy." Lilly's words made my tears fully spill over and dampen my gray shirt. I covered my mouth with my hands. Lilly handed the microphone to Liam.

  "Luke has saved me in so many ways. But there's a part of Luke that needed to be saved. I see that because I feel that in myself sometimes. You have saved him. You loved him. And I can never repay you for making him whole. So instead, you repay me…by marrying my brother." I laughed at his speech, tears still rolling over my cheeks and disappearing in my shirt.

  Suddenly, Asher skated out of the box and over to where the Wilsons were standing. He grabbed the mic and spoke. "Mom, Mr. Wilson is the coolest guy ever. He likes to play with me outside and read to me. He built this place for us. You smile a lot more when he's around. We should marry him 'cause he fits with us."

  Luke leaned down and kissed Asher on the forehead. Then he started to walk towards me. I did, too. I hopped down the first level of the bench, still holding my face and trying to contain my emotions.

  I grabbed Asher first and held him against me. I kissed his head and then looked up into the most mesmerizing gray eyes I'd ever seen. I could tell from the bounce in his step that he was nervous. He was shaking like a wet puppy.

  "I love you, Maggie." He reached forward and took both of my hands in his. "You really do make me whole. You make me happy. And Asher is right." He looked over at Asher and smiled, basically beaming with pride. "We fit. You're perfect for me. I will never stop loving you.

  "I promise that if you say yes to me, I will love you more and more each day. Today will be the day we are least happiest for the rest of our lives.
I need you like I need air." He got down on one knee and pulled out a bright blue box, perfect size for a ring.

  "Please, Margaret Rachel Larken, will you marry me and make me the happiest man on the face of the earth?" I paused, making him sweat. Then I nodded, because I was so overcome with emotion that I was shocked.

  He opened the box, and inside was a perfect three-stone ring. The center stone was a princess cut diamond. On either side were two emeralds, Asher's birthstone. Well, I was screwed.

  I bawled my eyes out at how perfect the ring was and the proposal and everything. Luke thought that he was the lucky one, but that just wasn't true. I was. He was everything that I thought I would never get.

  "I love you, so much." I took his head in both of my hands and stared right at him. His eyes danced and smiled. Asher came over and hugged me from behind.

  "I love you, too. Both of you."

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Luke

  A bead of sweat trickled from her temple into her low cut shirt. Why she wore white on moving day was beyond me. Asher ran past me into his new bedroom, disappearing into the navy blue walled room. I laughed as I lugged a box of random kitchen things down the hallway, Maggie trailing behind me.

  We weren't able to keep one of our places, so we shopped around all fall until we fell in love with this flat. It was more than we expected per month, but with the income from the arena, we could afford it.

  It was two levels with three bedrooms. When you walked through the red front door, there was a small foyer and a staircase that led upstairs. Next to it was a narrow hallway that led to the kitchen, which led to the living room. It had two bathrooms—an amenity that meant a lot to Maggie.

  "Is this it?" Maggie growled when she bumped into me, putting her box on the kitchen table. Everything was new and shiny. I knew it wouldn't last long.