Now I have her here and I don’t know where to start, but it’s clear to me that she’s not going to be the one to start the conversation. So eventually, I blurt out the one thing I’ve wanted to say to her all day, “you came.”
“It looks that way.” She smiles.
“I didn’t really think you would come,” I admit.
She smiles again. “Honestly Finn, I didn’t really think I would myself,” she mutters in a voice so quiet it’s almost a whisper.
I swallow hard. Is it all just a dream? Did she do it just to save face and now, she’s going to tell me it’s over between us anyway? Surely, she wouldn’t be so cruel. She takes my hand in hers and squeezes it gently and I think maybe I’m right and it’s not that at all. She turns her head to look at me and I shuffle slightly, so I’m facing her.
“I was so angry with you for not telling me the truth about the will. I told myself I hated you and I never wanted to see you again. The thing is though, it wasn’t true. I don’t hate you. I love you, just in case you haven’t guessed that part. I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t take a chance on us, because both of us kind of fuck everything up pretty regularly. But we’re good together and to be honest, I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
“We do have a habit of fucking things up, don’t we?” I chuckle.
“Yes,” Ashley deadpans, while looking me square in the eye. “And it has to stop. We can’t live the rest of our lives in uncertainty, or running through a constant series of misunderstandings and fights. Although… the makeup sex is kind of worth it.”
We laugh at this as we both think of the amazing angry sex we’ve shared.
“Seriously though, Finn, we need to learn to talk to each other. About the big stuff as well as the small stuff,” she continues. “Even if it seems scary or we know it will make the other angry. We just have to suck it up and do it.”
“I know,” I agree. “And I know how close I came to losing you and I won’t let that happen again, Ashley. I swear from now on, I won’t keep anything from you ever again.” I think of the envelope in my pocket, the one I haven’t told her about yet, and I look away from her for a moment. Here I am promising not to keep anything from her again, and already I’m lying to her. I think she might forgive me for this one, when she finds out what’s in the envelope.
“Let’s just start over from now,” Ashley beams. “No dwelling on the past.”
“That works for me.” I grin at her. “So helping Gemma really did impress you.”
She laughs softly.
“It did. But it didn’t make me want to marry you. I already wanted that.”
“So you don’t think marriage is just a contract anymore?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
“I kind of liked how Kevin put it. A contract between two hearts.” She nods.
“Me too,” I agree.
“Speaking of Gemma, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve found her a family. She’ll be moving in with them sometimes next week. She’s so excited Finn and I’ve met the family and they seem really nice. They’re an older couple with plenty of experience of fostering kids and they’re really excited to have her move in too. I think they’ll get a pleasant surprise when she does move in. They’re used to dealing with problem kids, but Gemma was never the problem in her home.”
“That’s amazing news,” I whisper as I lean in and kiss Ashley. I feel fire flood through my body. What started out as a tender kiss is fast becoming something more and I feel my cock hardening as Ashley runs her hands over my body. I pull back from the kiss and smile at her, shaking my head. “We have to stop,” I breathe.
“Why?” she questions with a teasing smile.
I glance down at my crotch where it’s clear my cock is ready for her. “We’re kind of in a public place,” I caution.
“Ooh… you’re a prude!” Ashley laughs.
“Not at all.” I smirk. “But the thought of getting grass stains all over your dress and then going back to the party doesn’t really feel like a good plan.”
Ashley smiles at me, her head down, then she peeks up at me through her long eyelashes. She bites her bottom lip for a moment. “Well, we could always slip away to my room for a bit,” she suggests.
I get to my feet and lower my hand to help her up. “I thought you’d never ask!” I laugh.