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

"statute of limitations"

• C H A P T E R • F O U R T E E N •

"Ashton Fletcher, would you quit?" Noa scolds the boy beside her as she simultaneously smacks his hand away from her ass—for what feels like the thousandth time in the last ten minutes.

The pair are currently in the baking aisle of the Hannaford where they had reunited just a couple of months prior. One of Ashton's closest friends has a birthday coming up and his birthday party was set for the next day. For a reason unknown, Ashton had drunkenly told his friend that he would make the cake for the party—after claiming to be a secret baker—and he is now shamelessly using Noa as a means to an end.

Getting a call from Ashton at ten o'clock at night asking for baking help had not been on Noa's agenda, but it took all of five minutes for Ashton to convince her to help him out. And now it was nearing eleven and the two of them were in a grocery store, cramming to get all the ingredients they would need before the store closed.

"Your ass looks really good, I can't help it," Ashton says as he reluctantly takes his hand away and shoves it into his pocket.

"If you want me to help you, you'll keep your hands to yourself," Noa tells him sternly, which earns her a pathetic puppy-dog look from Ashton.

"Fine," he agrees with a sigh. He suddenly dawns a smirk, however. "If I keep my hands to myself, can we fuck tonight?" Instead of giving him a verbal answer, Noa sends him an unamused look. Ashton sends her a wink and blows her a kiss.

"Why am I even doing this for you?" she says with a playful groan as she looks back up at the wall of flour in front of her.

"Because you love me."

"You are clinically insane," she tells him as she reaches for a bag of flour to place in the cart.

"I love your sweet talk," Ashton says as he starts to lean down to Noa's height. He places a kiss against her bare neck and Noa bites the inside of her cheeks.

"You're like a growth," she tells him as she shrugs him off her, despite her liking the feeling of his lips on her neck.

"God, your sexy talk always gets me going," Ashton pretends to pant. Noa lets out a genuine giggle and her eyes playfully roll. She looks over at Ashton and he's grinning proudly down at her.

"This time next week I'm not going to be in town, and I expect radio silence from you. Got it?" Ashton instantly loses his smile and replaces it with a pout.

"You're leaving me?" he asks as Noa pushes the cart further down the aisle.

"For Thanksgiving, yeah," she tells him with a nod.

"How long will you be gone?" he asks her, still pouting as she reaches for a bag of sugar. She looks over at him and can't believe how genuinely sad he looks.

"I'll leave the twenty-second, and I'll be back the twenty-fifth. It's just a couple of days, crybaby," she tells him before reaching out her hand. Ashton hasn't followed her down the aisle yet. He sighs before taking a few steps and taking her hand in his.

"It's just... I had a whole Thanksgiving meal planned, and you were the main course. What am I supposed to do now?" Noa's eyes roll and she tries to drop his hand, but he counters too quickly and instead pulls her into a hug.

"Get a life," she jokes as she lets him hug her. She takes a deep breath in while she's in his arms, and she can't help but think how good it feels to be there. "You'll be okay."

"I guess I'll have to be," he says through a dramatic sigh just before dropping his arms from her frame. "You'll come see me when you're back?"

"Eventually, yeah."