he'll never be the one (a.i)

"something like that"

• C H A P T E R • S I X •

"Watch your step, future Mrs. Irwin," says Ashton while he steadies Noa as she attempts to walk out of the elevator in his apartment building but nearly loses her footing in the heels she is wearing.

"Hey... that's fake future Mrs. Irwin to you, bud," Noa says as she abruptly turns to look back at Ashton. He flashes her a cheeky smile and her eyes playfully roll. On the way to Ashton's door, Noa takes in everything around her. The apartment building was oddly nice, in Noa's opinion. She hadn't expected Ashton to be living somewhere so seemingly well-to-do.

Noa's thoughts are paused as Ashton pulls her into his apartment and places his lips on hers. Noa's whole body relaxes as she kisses Ashton back, and a small smile finds its way to her lips as he pushes her against the wall. Ashton locks the now-shut front door beside them before placing his hands on Noa's hips.

"It's no bar bathroom, but..." Noa laughs at Ashton's joke and he smiles against her lips before trailing his hands further down her body to the backs of her thighs. He lifts Noa up and, though they had done this countless times before, she can't help but feel impressed that they still have it in them.

Without turning a single light on, Ashton walks through his apartment and to his bedroom. Noa takes the opportunity to trail her lips down Ashton's jaw and neck; mostly to ensure that they both made it in one piece rather than Ashton blindly making his way around. Ashton pushes his bedroom door open and takes a few steps inside before dropping Noa onto the plush surface of his bed. Noa smiles up at Ashton as he towers over her and he can't help but smile back; both of them were pleased with how familiar this felt even though the experience was shaded with new hues from the years of absence.

"God... isn't this crazy?" Ashton says through a laugh seconds after joining Noa on the bed.

"What?" Noa asks with genuine confusion as she places her hands on the sides of his torso; Ashton is positioned with his hands on either side of her arms as he towers over her.

"I just really thought I would never see you again," he explains as he stares down at her.

"Oh... yeah, I guess it is a little crazy," Noa says through a laugh as she realizes she agrees with what Ashton is saying. Noa leans up and connects their lips, and Ashton follows her lead for a few moments before breaking away:

"You know, I was always really sad we didn't take a picture together at graduation," Ashton admits which causes Noa's eyebrows to knit together in confusion. She wants to laugh, but she refrains from doing so—Ashton had sounded so genuine, she doesn't want to accidentally offend him.

"Really?" she asks him.

"Yeah," he tells her with a nod, now seeming a little embarrassed. He gently bites his bottom lip before continuing: "How else was I gonna get my kids to believe all the stories about the hot girl I used to hook up with in college? I had no proof." Noa's eyes roll as Ashton attempts to cover up any possible vulnerability with his joke.

"I don't think you're supposed to tell your kids stories about who you hooked up with in college," Noa says through a hearty laugh. "Besides—we have other photos together."

"No we don't," Ashton says seconds after a breathy laugh escapes through his nose.

"Surely we do?" Noa asks more than states as she starts racking her own brain for a mental image of a picture they had taken together.

"We took pictures of each other all of the time, but we never took any together," Ashton tells her seconds before taking each of her hands from his shirt-covered skin and pinning them down on each side of her head.