𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ~ 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐫

17. 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘

♡-𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘-♡

♡-𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒-♡

Being in Ainsley's class today wasn't a coincidence. I've known about this gig for weeks, maybe if she'd actually returned my calls and texts I'd have considered sending someone less senior to deliver that presentation. But no she's chosen to ignore me after that kiss we shared, that kiss that I cannot get out of my head.

I don't know what's been going on between Ainsley and my son but I know she wouldn't go around kissing other people, especially me if they were as loved up as they made out. Jacob has been sketchy for months, way before college started, I had my suspicions but no solid evidence.

I hold my breath before sending Ainsley that message. I wasn't going to, I was actually going to try and speak with her in person but I saw the ways she hurried off from Jacob through campus, I knew approaching her wasn't the best move.

This is ridiculous, I'm a grown adult who has a wife and a kid and I'm obsessing over my son's girlfriend, one who is 16 years younger than me. But age... it's just a number right?

Professor Higgins had invited me to stay on campus for the rest of the afternoon, reviewing his lectures for the rest of the semester and potentially organising a trip for his class to the courthouse. He thinks it will be a good idea for the class to get the full experience of what it is going to be like being a lawyer.

I listen to Higgins but I'd be lying if I said I was taking anything in. All I could think about was the text that I'd sent to Aisnley and see how he had left me on read. There were a few moments where the three small bubbles appeared but then as quick as they appeared they disappeared again. At this stage I would take any sort of reply, even if it was her telling me to fuck off. Having no reply just made it worse.

"Would you look at the time, I've kept you longer than I anticipated." Higgins chirps up as he begins shutting his laptop down.

"Don't worry about it, I've not got anywhere to be and work approved of me being at campus all day." We shake hands and exchange our goodbyes. I met Niel Higgins back when I was studying to be a lawyer, he's only 10 years older than me but acts like a man in his mid 60's. I think he's had a hard life. He was my mentor when I did my internship at the firm he worked at before deciding to become a professor.

As I walk the halls of the main building I keep nervously thinking about if I should just show up at Ainsley's dorm. Would she be mad? Will she even speak to me? Will she kiss me again? I shake my head trying to physically shake the thoughts out of my head, I should just head back home to my wife.

Yes my soul sucking wife who is making our living situation unbearable.

I'm about to give up entirely on the idea, approaching the parking lot I hear someone call my name from behind me, I get my hopes up turning but I'm left with bitter disappointment as it's not her. It's Ashley.

What is she even doing on campus?

I let out an irritated sign before composing myself before speaking.

"Ashley, I'm shocked to see you here."

"Oh Andy you should know I'm always around Jake and Ains-"

"It's Mr Barber." I bluntly answer, ignoring the rest of her sentence.

"Oh you're so funny An-" I cut her off without even letting her finish that last part.

"With all due respect, I would prefer it if you called me by my title, that being Mr Barber." I can see the puzzled look on her face, usually with all of Jacob's friends I always insist they call me by my first name, but not with Ashley.

She is far considered a friend of Jacob, or Ainsley for that matter, she just uses people and manipulates. It might work on peers her age but not me, no I see right through her and the piece of work she is.

"But... Um, I thought you liked us using your first name?" I can hear the timidness in her voice. It felt empowering to bring her down a few pegs and make her nervous. She should be nervous, I'm onto her and I'm going to find out what shit she is trying to pull.

"Yes, I do." That's all I reply back. She goes to open her mouth but nothing comes out, I've floored her with my answer and lack of swooning of her. I smirked, more to myself before turning back and walking away, but I wasn't going to my car. No, I was going somewhere far more interesting.

I lift my phone to my ear and impatiently wait with the dial tone ringing out. They pick up but i don't give them time to speak.

"So your phone is working then?" I sneer slightly making the sarcastic comment.

"What do you want, Andy?" Their voice is tired, almost weak like.

"You didn't text back after I said we needed to talk."

"With good reason, because there is nothing to talk about." Her voice is sharp, the weakness she had a moment ago is now long gone, replaced with anger. She's getting fired up at this interaction.

"Oh come on Ains, don't be like that. I know what happened between us was-"

"A mistake." she cuts me off, I'm stunned and taken back to how blunt she is being with me.

"We both know that's not true." It hurt hearing her say that, I know that's how I should feel, especially being the married party in this situation but I didn't care about that, what mattered and hurt was her thinking this was a mistake.

"Ugh, what do you want me to say?" I can now hear the frustration growing in her voice, but she also didn't argue with me about her saying it was a mistake.

"Let me in..." I half expected her to hang up the phone immediately, but she didn't.

"I shouldn't..." I can sense she is fighting with herself, she knows it's not a good idea but if she feels an inkling of how I'm feeling I know how difficult it is to stay away.

"Please..." I must sound like a fool, anyone could hear the desperation in my voice, I need to see her. I need to know why she kissed me all those months ago, why she has isolated herself, if it could ever happen again. I had so many questions, I needed some answers for my own sanity.

"Meet me tonight. I'll text you where." I swear my heart skips a beat at the excitement of this all.

"Promise?"

"I promise." She hangs up the phone, I stand like a fool with it still to my ear as the end call dial beeps.

This was a bad idea, I knew it was a bad idea, and I'm pretty sure she thought the same, but here we are, agreeing to meet, in secret.

What's the worst that could happen?

♡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♡
a/n: Ashley really needs to take the hint 😅
Is it really a good for Andy and Ainsley to meet in secret?? Probably not but they're gonna do it anyways 😏

Will they kiss again? Or even do more?? 😏

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