Sign Your Name Across My Heart

Chapter sixteen

I wake up in the morning before Ash does, staring at him for a couple of seconds, thoughts rushing through my head. I have a bad hangover. My head is pounding - but then I start to think about him, about last night. He made me feel so good. I didn't ever think it was possible to feel that way. I also thought about the fact that he wouldn't let me do anything to him, to return the favour, because of the state I was in. I smiled to myself. He's sweet.

I slowly push the blankets off from his body, exposing his lower half, which is covered by his boxers. I carefully move down, straddling his legs, positioning myself to where my mouth lines up with his waist.

I start to place little kisses, trailing them to the center of his lap. I swiftly pull his boxers down, taking him in the mouth, Ash waking up in shock, staring down at me. I look up at him and he smiles before putting his hand on the back of my head.

He finished after ten minutes. He told me what to do when I was unsure, he guided me, he praised me. My heart fluttered the entire time.

Ash gently pulls me up so that I'm beside him again and he wraps his arms around me and snuggles his face into my neck.

I almost can't believe that I did that. I had never done that before to anybody. I feel so vulnerable, so shy... but also good at the same time, almost confident.

"I know I say it all the time, but you're amazing." He whispers into the crook of my neck. I giggle to myself, before looking up at the ceiling, letting out a content sigh.

There's silence between us, but a good silence. I cuddle up to him a little more, closing my eyes, perhaps to fall back asleep and get a couple more hours in. I'm not even sure what time it is. Judging by the lack of sun, it's sometime before 6:00 am.

As I'm almost falling asleep, Ash shakes me to my core as he opens his mouth and asks, "Libby, will you be my girlfriend?"

My eyes shoot wide open and I instantly smile. I think there's a part of me that wanted Ash to ask me that so badly since the moment I met him. From the moment he walked into the room at Bram's party, I somehow knew deep down that I wanted him in my life.

"Yes." I burst out, but not too loud.

Ash places a kiss on my shoulder and I can feel him looking up at me.

"I'll keep you safe, from everything. I promise you." He tells me, and I truly believe it. I push back slightly and look at him, running my hand through his hair.

"Okay." I whisper, kissing his lips. He kisses mine back.

We fell back asleep not long after, wrapped up in each other's arms so tight. I'm unsure how much time passed before I awoke, feeling dizzy and a little disoriented, hearing Ash talking. I squint, the sun now shining through the windows right into my eyes. I cover them, eavesdropping on his conversation.

"Today?" He asks into his phone. He waits. "Okay, that's fine. I'll have some errands to run, but I can meet after." He explains. I wonder what his errands are. Drugs? Grocery shopping? "You're not in the city yet?" He goes quiet again. "Oh, okay. So meet at Bram's for 9:30?" I peek over at him. "See you, Hawthe."

Hawth. I wonder who that is.

Ash hangs up and looks over at me, smiling when he sees me awake. "Hey, gorgeous." He says.

I smile back at him. "Hi." I lick my lips, sitting up and reaching over to my end table, grabbing my half empty water bottle. Before taking a couple sips, I ask, "Who was on the phone?" I hope I'm not coming off as nosy, I'm just curious. Everything about what he does makes me curious, because I don't understand nearly anything, even if he explains it to me a dozen times.

"A guy Bram and I work with." He says, before getting up and getting his clothes back on. I guess he's leaving.

"His real name is Hawthe?" I inquire. I've never heard a name like that before.

"Hawthorne, technically." He says, sliding his shirt over his head.

"That's a weird name." I mumble, drinking some more water.

"Yeah, it is." He chuckles. "It's an alias, I think. I don't know his real name." He tells me.

"Hm," I hum back in response.

I hear my phone buzz and I reach for it on the nightstand, turning it over and looking at the screen.

Still on for tonight?

It's Bram. I immediately sent back a question mark, not knowing what kind of game he's trying to play with me today.

Art exhibit. He sends back.

I groan quietly, forgetting that I had agreed to that last night but then I think a little harder. I agreed to make Ash jealous, because he had encouraged Bram and I to go to the art exhibit together. I don't actually want to go out with him tonight. I frown.

"You alright?" Ash asks.

"Yeah..." I mumble. "I just forgot about that art thing tonight... With Bram."

Ash chuckles, "Oh, right. I'm sorry about that... last night." He mumbles. I look at him from my phone.

"Sorry?" I ask, tilting my head.

He sighs and sits on the bed, looking at me. "For telling you to go with him. I got a little angry, I guess." He says.

"Angry at what?" I put my phone down, sitting up a little more.

"When I came back from taking my call, I saw Bram making you laugh and you looked like you were having a great time with him. It made me angry. So I said something stupid because of it. And I regret it now, especially after last night." He tells me.

I'm a little surprised by his brutal honesty with me, but it makes me happy.

"Oh." I say softly. "I didn't mean to make you jealous. I wasn't laughing with him, by the way. He had just said something-"

Ash cuts me off, "No, Libby. It's okay. You don't have to apologize for laughing with somebody. I was jealous and I don't need to be." He reaches forward and brushes his thumb down my chin. "You don't have to go, if you don't want to. But I also don't want you to not go just because I said that, either." He chuckles.

I sigh and swallow, but it's hard. My throat is very dry. "I-I don't know what to do now. I mean, I don't want to go."

"Look, I'm not a huge fan of it either but, you do like art..." He comments, cocking an eyebrow.

"No, you know what, I'm going to tell him I changed my mind and you and I can hang out tonight instead." I smile.

He sighs and his lips turn down slightly. "I'd love to, but I have to work."

Work...

Before I can answer, my phone goes off again and we both look down at the lit screen.

I'll be there at 8. Wear something fancy.

"There's your answer, then." Ash says, kissing my cheek. He gets up, pulling his pants on.

"If he does anything that upsets you, just call me, okay? I'll come get you."

I nod my head, pressing my lips together. I should just not go at all but I also feel like I'd never hear the end of it from Bram. Maybe if I do this and perhaps if I'm rude to him the whole night, he'll not want to bother with me anymore.

"I have to go," He says. He comes over to the side of the bed that I'm on and he kisses the top of my head. "But try to have some fun tonight. The place he's taking you to is beautiful. I think you'll really like it." He kisses my head one more time, before I look up at him, tilting my head back and I kiss him on his lips.

"Alright, I'll see you." I whisper. He smiles before leaving the room and I pick up my phone.

When I hear the front door close, I text Bram back.

See you at 8.