Tangled Hearts

Chapter Twelve: Morning Confessions

JT woke up to the sight of Ashley curled up on his chest. He was careful not to wake her up, so he gently reached for his phone to check the time. He knew he needed to go shower, especially after skipping it the night before, but he wasn't in a hurry to move just yet.

After a few more quiet moments, he tapped her back lightly. "Ash," he whispered, giving her a gentle shake.

"Hmm..." she mumbled, slowly starting to move.

"I gotta get up and shower," he said, trying not to laugh at her.

"Okay," she mumbled, still half asleep as she rolled off him and sank back into the other side of the bed. JT chuckled, grabbing a clean pair of shorts and underwear from his dresser to get dressed in the bathroom.

"The door's always open if you want to come to join," he joked as he headed toward the bathroom, the invitation was only serious in his mind.

"Bye, I'm not listening to you," she replied sleepily, pulling the covers back over her shoulder as she drifted back to bed.

With a grin, he disappeared into the bathroom. Ashley lay still for a few more minutes before finally sitting up, stretching her arms, and rubbing her eyes. She reached for her phone and noticed she had a couple of texts from Alana checking in to see if she wanted to hang out. Ashley responded to let her know she'd just woken up, and as soon as she hit send, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

"Hey Ash!" Alana's voice rang out on the other end.

"Hey, I just woke up," Ashley whispered, noticing JT returning to the room in nothing but his shorts. She shot him a quick look, pressing a finger to her lips as she tried to keep his presence hidden.

JT, catching her signal, raised his eyebrows and playfully mouthed, "Why?" as he started putting down his things.

"It was Alana, I haven't told her any of this yet," Ashley replied once she'd ended the call, watching JT place his dirty clothes in his hamper. He was looking at himself in the mirror, fixing his hair casually, his toned back catching her attention as she tried not to let her gaze linger.

"So, any plans for today?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual.

"Celebrating with the guys, remember?" he replied. "What about you?"

"Oh, right. Alana wanted to hang out, so I'll probably just be with her for a bit."

JT nodded, settling back down on the bed. "Gotcha." He paused, watching her pull on her shoes and grab her bag. "You're leaving?"

Ashley stood up, adjusting her clothes. "Yeah, I need to shower and change, too."

JT rose as she reached the door, moving in for a hug. "Get home safe," he said, squeezing her lightly. "If you finish with Alana early, come back. I'll probably be here,"

"I'll think about it," she replied, shooting him a playful smile as she teased him.

His arms lingered around her, and he leaned back, gazing into her eyes for a moment before he tilted her chin up, leaning down to press a gentle, soft kiss on her lips.

"I'll see you tonight," he spoke confidently.

As they pulled apart, Ashley felt her heart race, and she could tell by his grin that he'd noticed. She hated giving in to the attraction she felt for him but at this point it was inevitable.

"We'll see," she said, opening the door to leave.

⸻

Back at home, Ashley opened the door as quietly as possible, though her mom was already up, watching TV in the living room. "Hey, Mom," she greeted her with a warm smile.

Her mom turned to her, "Hi, baby. Alana didn't give you any fresh clothes?"

Ashley quickly thought up an excuse, deciding it was easier to keep things simple. "I was tired after the game, so I didn't end up changing."

Her mom nodded, turning her attention back to the TV, and Ashley headed upstairs to shower, finally feeling refreshed. She grabbed her phone after drying off, dialing Alana's number to check in about their plans.

When Alana arrived at Ashley's place a bit later, she was her usual vibrant self, excitedly showing Ashley a few things she'd recently bought. They settled down on the bed, chatting about random things, but Ashley knew she had to bring up JT sooner or later.

Finally, she took a breath, her nerves building up inside of her. "Alana, I have to tell you something."

Alana's eyebrows raised. "Ooh, this sounds juicy."

Ashley paused for a minute. "I... kissed JT. Twice now, actually. And, um, I stayed at his place last night."

Alana's eyes went wide, a huge grin spreading across her face. "Wait, what? Ashley Torres, you kissed him twice and didn't think to tell me?"

Ashley shrugged, laughing. "I still wasn't sure how I felt about him, and I didn't want to make it a big deal if it was nothing. But... after this morning, I think I actually like him."

"You think? So, what's next? Are you gonna tell me you two slept together?"

"Okay, absolutely not," Ashley replied, shaking her head as she laughed. "He did invite me to come over again after he hangs out with the guys."

"If you don't go, I'll personally drag you there. I'm all for you having a little love story. Plus, I like seeing you all soft and happy."

"Love is a stretch, but... I'm going to give it a chance." Ashley said.

"Good," Alana said with a satisfied grin. "Explore your feelings. Have a little fun!"

Ashley nodded, smiling as she thought about JT's invitation. She wasn't entirely sure what would come of it, but maybe, just maybe, she was ready to find out.