Outlaw Women

Deepest Fears Pt. 2

Brantley's POV:
"I'm going to give you two a minute." said Chase, clapping a hand on my shoulder as he walked by. I nodded in acknowledgement. A second later, I heard the quiet snick of the door shutting, leaving Ash and I standing on the back deck alone.

Lifting Ash, I walked us over to one of the rocking chairs and sat down, setting her in my lap. Her head rested on the center of my chest as the sobs coming from her continued to wreck her. I hated seeing her like this. Then again, I always felt out of my element whenever a woman cried. Unsure of what else to do, I pressed my lips on the top of her head and ran one of my hands up and down her back.

"Talk to me baby. What's got you thinking I'm going to leave you?" I said softly, careful not to startle her.

"You're going to think it stupid and that I'm being a drama queen." said Ash, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"Not gonna think your stupid. Whatever is bothering you, you have to tell me baby. That's how this works right?" I said, placing my index under her chin and forcing her to look at me. "Talk to me."

"My feelings for you scare me Brantley." she said so softly that I almost didn't hear her. But when she continued she had my full attention. "I know you wrote all those songs about your ex, the one you refer to as the one who got away. That type of love doesn't just go away. I mean we're happy right now, or at least I want to think I make you happy, but who's to say that we won't run into her somewhere and yall have a moment or whatever and I'm left standing there looking like an idiot. Been there, done that B. I won't do it again. I deser-"

"Stop right there Ash. Yes, most of the songs that have charted have been based on my relationship with Amber from back in the day. And not to sound like an asshole, but she was the only love I ever had in my life. That is before I met you. What I had with Jana wasn't love. I was just to blind to see it. But what you and I have," I said as I placed my palms on her cheeks and gently wiped the tears away with my thumbs "Baby, I didn't know what love was until you showed me. That night in Vegas will forever be the day that I'm talking about when I say that I met the love of my life. Not on the football field during a game my senior year, not at an awards show that I didn't want to be at to begin with. The day that you kissed me and me and rocked my world in a broom closet is the day that I knew my life had changed. No matter how much I tried to forget that night, it all just kept playing in my head. And then when I saw you standing there talking to Luke and realized that you were his new PR person, I knew I had to do whatever was humanly possible to make sure that you were mine. But if I had to say that I would change anything, it would be that I could rewind time and rewrite all those chart topping songs with you in mind."

"Brantley-"

"No, let me finish." I said placing my finger over her lips to silence her words. I smiled when I realized it was the finger that I had 'shhh' tattooed on. She must have realized too because for the first time since I'd gotten here, she gave me a half smile. "The past is the past, baby. If I could go back and change those songs, if I could go back and have it where I met you before I did Amber or Jana, if I could change the hell you went through with Blake and every other man that's broke your heart, I'd change every fucking thing as long as it meant that I got you in the end. As far as you being lost if I was to ever leave you, you know that I would be the same if you ever left me right? Take today for instance. You were literally a mile down the road but not having you by my side all day has been hell. More thans that I can count I have had to talk myself out of coming over here just to see you. I've had to talk myself out of calling, just to hear your voice. That's what you mean to me, Ashlyn Paige. In such a short amount of time, you have come to mean more to me than anyone that has ever walked into my life."

"Brantley Keith, for someone who claims to not be good at talking about their feelings, you sure just told me everything I needed to hear." said Ash, her blue eyes, red rimmed from crying, looking up into mine. I could still see the tears pooling in them but at least they were no longer streaming down her face. I liked to consider myself as a badass but seeing a woman with tears streaming down her face was like a kick to the balls. It would bring me to my knees every time.