Tangled Hearts

Chapter Eleven: Caught In The Crowd

It was finally the big game night, the lights filled the stadium as students left from the bleachers, celebrating the Hawks' big win. Ashley could feel the excitement in the air, still smiling from the game's energy. She adjusted her cheer uniform and was starting to leave. She spotted JT out of the corner of her eye, making his way towards her. It was the first time they'd talked in person since the kiss, her nerves took over her body as he came closer.

"Hey, Ash. Long time no see," JT said, running over.

Ashley wanted to be standoffish but her heart wouldn't allow for it to happen. "Hey, look at us with a win.

Just as they were getting into a conversation, the same girl Ashley had seen with JT came up to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Congrats, JT! You did great out there!"

JT gave her a quick thanks, turning his attention back to Ashley. Still, Ashley couldn't help but feel a slight bit of irritation.

"I missed you. Did I scare you away or something?" he teased.

"Of course not," Ashley replied. "I've just been busy, that's all."

"You seem free now. You down to celebrate together?"

Ashley raised an eyebrow, trying to test him. "You sure you don't have someone else to celebrate with?"

JT chuckled. "With who? The guys? Nah, we're celebrating tomorrow. C'mon, this is a win for both of us."

In the restaurant parking lot, Ashley stepped out first and JT couldn't keep his eyes off of her as he quietly followed behind her. He couldn't help but admire her, watching the way her dark brown curls fell behind her shoulders. There was no doubt in his mind, Ashley was stunning, she was easily one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever met.

Once they were seated, JT ordered a steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli, while Ashley got some Cajun shrimp pasta. They'd barely begun eating when JT looked up at her, seeing her start to eat.

"You look really good tonight," he said, his voice low.

"So I don't look good every day?" Ashley teased.

He laughed, shaking his head. "You know what I meant."

"Possibly," she teased, giving him a small smile. "But thank you, sir. You didn't look too bad out there on that field either."

Dinner flew by with their easy conversation and laughter and any lingering doubts Ashley had were slowly starting to fade. Once they finished, JT paid the bill, and they headed back to his car.

On the way back, JT looked over at her with a curious smile. "I know it's late, but do you want to watch a movie? We can go for something scary since it's close to Halloween."

She hesitated, she could already hear her mom with her one million questions. "Sure, sounds fun. What scary movie are we going to watch?"

"Let's go with The Conjuring," he said.

Ashley raised an eyebrow, laughing. "You better not be the type to jump at every loud sound."

"I can be, only if you promise to protect me," he joked as he pulled into his dorm's parking lot.

In his room, they kicked off their shoes, getting into JT's bed as he shut off the lights. The movie began, capturing their attention which slowly drifted from the screen to each other as the night went on. Ashley began to get more comfortable, sinking her head into the pillow. At one point, JT wrapped an arm around her, comforting her in the dark room.

"You know," he whispered during a quiet moment in the movie, "I'm really happy you're here."

Ashley looked up, her eyes meeting his. "Yeah?"

He nodded, confirming his statement. "I mean it. I don't know what happened this past week, but I missed seeing you around."

Ashley smiled, feeling the warmth in her chest. She didn't respond, she just leaned her head against his shoulder.

As the movie was coming to an end, she felt her eyes growing heavy, the time catching up with her. JT seemed to notice, gently brushing his hand along her arm.

"You wanna stay the night?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Yeah, I can." Ashley pulled out her phone and texted her mom that she would be staying the night with Alana, not telling her what actually was happening because her mom would have something to comment on.

He pulled her closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. They settled down together, his arms around her as they lay back in the bed. With the covers pulled over them, they enjoyed each other's warmth as they drifted off to sleep.