The Coffee Connection [ON HOLD]

Prologue

Thanks for the immense support on Tuggin' & Pullin' On My Little Heartstrings, all of you guys. For the readers who haven't read TPOMLH yet and came across this book just now, I suggest you guys read that book first, cause TCC is a seque to TPOMLH :) Link to TPOMLH in the external link.

Song of the chapter is "I Found You" by The Wanted ;) xo

Oh and the banner to the side is by forgottenchildren. Lovelehhhh.

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[[Set in the year 2016]]

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"So we're still on for tonight, right?"

"Oh yeah, totally," Ashley replied as she hurriedly sprung off her bed and scuttled across the room towards her wardrobe. "Of course we are."

Ashley was on the phone with Sarah, a co-worker.

"Ash, is everything alright? You're sounding unlike your usual self."

"Yeah, everything's perfect. I've gotta go get a shower now," she spoke quickly. "See you in an hour?"

"Alright," the voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding extremely skeptical. "I'll pick you up at eight."

"Right, bye," Ashley replied perkily before quickly hanging up the phone.Sighing as she stood facing her overflowing closest, she slumped sideways and rested her head against the cool, wooden paneling. After taking a deep breath, the brunette shut her eyes and let her mind race back in time, four years earlier.

Lying on the beach as the sun went down, Ashley felt extremely blissful due the peaceful surroundings and of course, the company of her boyfriend back then, Zac.

"I've missed being like this with you, babe," Zac sighed as he slipped his fingers through those of Ashley. "Being in different colleges is like the worst thing ever."

"I know, Zac," Ashley replied softly as she shuffled closer into Zac's side. "But what matters is that we've made it work so long and are here, right now. Let's live for the moment, yeah?"

Zac smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ashley replied sincerely.

"And I'll never let you go. We're together, forever."

Even though the two of them had completed three years together, Zac still managed to render Ashley speechless- something he'd managed to do right then with that last statement of his.

"Yeah, forever," Ashley repeated as she stared at her boyfriend who was now supporting himself on his elbow joint and had managed to lift himself off the ground.

Zac smirked. "You've turned me into such a softy," he complained in mock annoyance.

"Glad I have," the brunette replied as she pushed herself off the ground and sat up straight, making Zac straighten up in the process as well.

"So, are you gonna be there at tomorrow's frat party?"

Ashley shrugged. "Not sure. I might have to get back by then. I've already been here for what . . . three days?"

"Oh, right." Zac pouted. "Why d'you have to go away so soon?"

"I don't know babe," Ashley replied sadly. "I just have to."

Zac nodded glumly. "Buutt, like you said, let's live for the moment and make the most of it," he said in a husky voice as he twisted over, trapped Ashley between his arms and leaned in towards her.

"Yeah," she whispered as she leaned back while supporting herself on one elbow and slipped her other arm around Zac's neck. "After all, we've plenty of time after college which we can spend together."

Little did she know how mistaken she was about her last statement. Little did she know how drastically things were going to change the next evening. Little did she know how bad her heart was going to break the next evening.

She snapped out of her reverie as her cellphone blared out a trippy pop number. Ashley trudged towards her bed, where her phone was, as she mentally reminded herself to change her ringtone. Her melancholy immediately disappeared as she checked the called ID.

"Hey, Will," she greeted warmly, walking back towards her closet. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I'm just a tad bit heartbroken that my girlfriend had decided to ditch me on a Saturday night to go out with her friends," he teased.

"Oh, she's ditched you to go out on a much needed girl's night out," Ashley added with an eyeroll. "And I'm sure she totally deserves it."

Will grunted. "Yeah, she does because she's just lovely."

Ashley laughed. "Thanks?"

"Yup," he replied, popping the 'p'. "Look at us flirting like some teenagers."

"My thoughts exactly."

"So where will you girls be going?" Will asked, changing the topic.

"Hype, I think," Ashley said as sudden realization hit her that she didn't know where they were going either. "Sarah just decided to kidnap the rest of the girls and I for the evening."

Will laughed. "Oh, alright. Text me later?"

"Sure."

"I love you."

"I love you too," Ashley replied before hanging up the phone on her boyfriend, Will, and resuming the search for her outfit that evening.

***

After about three hours later, Ashley sat alone at the bar with a drink in her hand. She felt guilty- even though she had enthusiastically agreed to Sarah's idea when nobody else was obliging, she wasn't feeling like letting herself loose and enjoying the evening. Instead, all she felt like doing was sitting alone, sipping her drink and going down the memory lane.

"Hey."

Ashley looked to her right to see a man who looked somewhat her age, slip onto a barstool next to her. Her eyes quickly scanned his face- with a slight stubble, messy hair and an extremely perky expression, the man spoke in a very bright voice. "Hey," he said again, waving a hand in front of the brunette's face.

Ashley blinked her eyes. "Hi," she replied hastily. "Sorry. I was . . . I'd spaced out."

The man laughed in his deep voice. "What are you doing out here, sitting alone and lost in thought?"

"I'm sorry," Ashley frowned, "but do I know you?"

"No you don't. I'm Sameer- my friends call me Sam," he said, extending his hand forward. "And you are?"

"A stranger," Ashley replied as she hopped off the stool. As soon as she did that, she realized what a bad idea it was- she nearly fell flat onto the ground. She would have, had it not been for Sameer, who had caught hold of her on time.

"That was a bad move," Sameer pointed out. "Exactly how much have you had to drink?"

"Don't know," the brunette replied slowly as her head started to spin.

Before she knew it, she had blanked out.

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So that was the Prologue. It was short, yes I know. Don't worry, the upcoming chapters won't be this short ;)

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Have an amazing day! xo