Ash's Darling | ✔

Chapter 33

~Esther~

Sitting in history class, I couldn't focus on a thing Mr Kraffert was saying. I had been watching the clock slowly tick the whole period, waiting for the bell to ring. Today is the day Ash finally comes home. It's only been a couple days but I miss him like crazy and I'm still worried about him.

We talked a little this morning and he told me he was fine but I can't trust that, he never admits when he's in pain. He should've been home almost an hour ago but he hasn't texted me yet.

The school bell finally rang, announcing the end of last period. I quickly grabbed my things and ran out the door, pushing through the crowds of people who had just gotten out of their classes. I shoved my way to my locker and after struggling with the combination a few times, I opened it and threw my books in. I normally didn't have a problem with opening my locker but people kept bumping into me and messing me up today.

"Esther-" I heard Indi call as she walked towards me from a few lockers away but before she could say anything else I cut her off.

"Sorry, I have to go. Ash is getting home today and I want to see him." I told her everything yesterday when I called her to distract myself so she knew how I was worried about Ash.

She laughed. "It's fine, girl, go get your man."

I gave her a smile as I turned around and started shoving my way through the crowd again. It had thinned out a little since some people had already left but the crowd was still thick enough to make it a struggle to go in a straight line.

I turned the last corner and rushed towards the doors, excited to see Ash for the first time in a few days. I didn't know if he was in the parking lot waiting for me or if he was resting at his house but either way I didn't care, I was determined to find him.

I tried to look out the windows of the doors to find Ash as I walked towards them but I couldn't see anything over the heads of everyone else. As I pushed my way out of the doors and finally got away from the crowd I saw him leaning against the hood of his car in the front corner of the parking lot.

He was wearing a graphic Guns N' Roses tee-shirt with black jeans. His attention was on his phone that was held in his right hand while the other hand was in his pocket. He looked like everything was normal, like he hadn't been shot yesterday and as much as I loved him picking me up after school, I mentally scolded him for not being in his bed resting. His injury was never going to heal if he didn't take it easy.

I began walking towards him but it soon turned into a run since I couldn't help myself. He looked up when he heard my footsteps and a wide smile stretched across his face. He turned off his phone and slipped it into his pocket as I got closer. I was a few feet from him when he opened his arms for me, I crossed the short distance left and fell into his arms. "Hi, darling." He chuckled into my hair after kissing the top of my head. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." I mumbled into his chest. I took a deep breath and inhaled his woodsy scented cologne that I had missed.

He softly grabbed my chin and titled my head up. He leaned down and connected our lips, giving me a soft gentle kiss. As I dropped my hands from around his back to wrap them around his neck, my arm lightly hit his side under his rib and Ash sucked in a breath, making me pull back a little. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them once again to look at me.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked back at him. "Ash, are you-" I stopped and my eyes widened as I realized my arm had hit his bad side. "I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't mean to. Are you okay?"

He nodded as he grabbed my hips and pulled me back into his chest. "I'm okay, darling. Don't worry."

We stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a while until I pulled back and looked up at him. "You should be resting, Ash, not picking me up from school."