Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

xxxvii. if this is the last time

Summer nights in the Outer Banks had always been cooler than those on the mainland, but sixteen year old Ashtyn Hughes still managed to break a sweat that evening. The blue eyed girl laid under a decaying oak tree while her friends argued back and forth in Kiara's stuffy vehicle, attempting to formulate a plan to get John B off Kildare Island unscathed.

Her boyfriend was officially a fugitive, wanted for the murder to Sheriff Susan Peterkin, and Ashtyn couldn't mentally handle any more bad news. According to Pope, John B had a 1 in 1000 chance of escaping undetected and the mainland girl knew that losing him would ruin her.

She'd said before that her dependence on the boy was the worst thing that could've possibly happened, and she was right.

"Hey..." John's sweet voice clouded Ashtyn's other senses as he knelt down next to her, attempting to get a read on his girlfriend's mental state. "I just wanted to check on you."

None of their friends seemed to follow, giving the couple some much needed alone time. "Do you regret this?"

"Regret what babe?" After brushing a few twigs away, John carefully laid next to Ashtyn, pulling her exhausted body into his arms. All he wanted to do for the rest of his life was hold her close and protect her from any more pain, but that was becoming harder by the hour.

As she relaxed into his touch, tears began falling from Ashtyn's eyes again. She feared this was it, their final night together after a long year apart. It took the couple a whole year to find their way back to one another and this was how it ended... "Do you regret loving me?"

"I-" He paused, taking an extra second to tilt her chin up so she could see how serious he was. "Marry me."

The sixteen year olds eyes grew wide with alarm as she stared at the man she loved. He couldn't be serious. They were too young to get married and more importantly, they weren't at a place in their lives where they could settle down yet. "John-"

"Hear me out." He stopped her, placing a finger delicately over her lips to silence her overthinking. "We've been through hell and back and it's only been two weeks. On numerous occasions, we thought the other was dead. I couldn't imagine doing this without you." John's thumb lightly traced Ashtyn's high cheekbone as he pecked her lips. "So yes, I'm serious when I ask: Will you marry me?"

As tears continued to trail down Ashtyn's face, she couldn't help but laugh at the boy. His long hair was matted with sweat and dirt, but somehow he still managed to take her breath away. She would do anything for this man. "Yes."

"Yes?" To say he was shocked would be an understatement. The seventeen year old expected Ashtyn to scoff in his face, but instead she smiled. "You're serious?"

John's question was answered when Ashtyn pressed her lips against his.

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