Edge of seventeen

Chapter 47

Asher's pov

Graduation was like a whirlwind I could barely keep up with. The ceremony, the caps flying, the endless line of people congratulating us—it all blurred together. But the whole time, I kept catching Elliot watching me, like he was waiting for the right moment to spring something on me. It was a little unnerving, but I didn't think much of it until later.

The afterparty was your typical high school shitshow. Loud music, too much booze, people making out in every dark corner they could find. I stuck close to Elliot and Wyatt, keeping an eye out for any drama we needed to avoid. Things were winding down when Elliot turned to me, out of nowhere, and said, "Hey, I've got an idea. How about we get out of here? Just the two of us."

I gave him a look, trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about. "Get out of here? Where?"

He had this determined look in his eyes, the kind that told me whatever he was about to say, he was dead serious. "I'm thinking... a date."

I blinked, thinking I'd misheard him. "A date? Like, a real date?"

He nodded, completely calm. "Yeah, a real date. Just for tonight. I know you don't feel the same way, but I just... I need this, Ash. One night where we can pretend."

For a second, I didn't know what to say. My first instinct was to shut it down, to tell him it was a bad idea, but the look on his face stopped me. He wasn't joking. This meant something to him. So, I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Alright, fine. But just for tonight, and only because you're giving me those damn puppy eyes."

His whole face lit up, and despite everything, I couldn't help but smile back. "You won't regret it, I promise."

We left the party, and he drove us out to this spot he'd been keeping secret. It was this overlook on the edge of town where you could see the entire city spread out below, glowing under the stars. It was... honestly, it was beautiful. I hadn't expected that.

"Damn," I said, genuinely impressed. "This place is amazing."

Elliot grinned, clearly pleased with my reaction. "Yeah, I've been saving it for something special."

We sat on a bench, looking out at the city, and talked about everything and nothing at the same time. It was easy, the way it always was with Elliot, but there was this tension in the air—something unspoken that we both felt.

After a while, he turned to me, looking nervous for the first time that night. "Ash, can I ask you something?"

I looked at him, not sure where this was going. "What?"

He hesitated, then said, "Would it be okay if I kissed you? Just once, to see what it's like."

I stared at him, not sure I'd heard him right. "Elliot..."

"I'm not asking for anything more," he said quickly, like he was afraid I'd shut him down. "I just want to know what it feels like. After tonight, we can go back to normal. I won't push for anything else, I swear."

I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to tell him no, that it was a bad idea, but another part of me was curious. Curious about what it would be like, about why this was so important to him. So, I sighed and nodded. "Just once. And then we never talk about it again."

His face lit up, and I could see the relief in his eyes. "Deal."

He leaned in slowly, giving me plenty of time to back out, but I didn't move. When our lips finally met, it was... strange. Soft. Tentative. But there was something there, something that made my heart skip a beat. It was over almost as soon as it started, but it left me feeling off balance, like the ground had shifted under my feet.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

I nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. "Yeah... yeah, no problem."

We sat there in silence for a few more minutes, the weight of what we'd done settling between us. Eventually, he stood up, breaking the moment. "We should probably head back."

"Yeah," I agreed, my voice sounding rough even to my own ears. "Let's go."

The drive back was quiet, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife. I kept replaying the kiss in my mind, trying to make sense of the feelings it had stirred up. I wasn't supposed to feel anything, right? But I did. And that scared the shit out of me.

When we got back to my house, I turned to him, not sure what to say. "Elliot, I... I don't know what to say."

He gave me a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. "You don't have to say anything. I meant what I said—we can go back to being just friends. I won't push you for anything more."

I nodded, but I could still feel the confusion swirling in my head. "I just... I don't want to fuck things up between us. You're important to me, Elliot."

"And you're important to me," he replied, his voice steady. "That's why I wanted this night—to have something special between us, no matter what happens next."

I couldn't help but smile at that, even though my mind was still reeling. "You're such a sap, you know that?"

"Yeah, well, you fucking love it," he shot back, making me laugh despite everything.

As I got out of the car, he called after me, "Goodnight, Ash. Thanks for tonight."

I paused, turning back to him with a small smile. "Goodnight, Elliot."

I walked up to my door, my mind still spinning from everything that had happened. That kiss... it had been unexpected, and it had stirred up feelings I didn't even know I had. But more than that, it had made me realize something I hadn't been willing to admit before.

I was falling for Elliot. And that scared the absolute shit out of me.