My Forever (Rewritten)

Chapter One

The sun was beating down on the small building. The air conditioning was fading in and out, and the smell of  ice cream wafted around the room and outside the window. I breathed in the spring air, smiling as the bell rang signaling that someone was waiting for their order to be taken. Walking to the window, I grabbed my notepad and pen and greeted the customer.

"Hey, my name is Ashley, what can I get for you today?" I smiled at the man and little girl in front of me. His head shot up and looked intensely into my eyes.

"Ashley." His smooth voice repeated.

"Yep." I laughed and looked at the little girl again. "What can I get for you sweetie?"

"Can I have a chocolate ice cream in a cone please?" Her childish voice asked sweetly.

"Of course you can." I wrote it down and asked if she wanted sprinkles, but she said no. I looked up at the man and saw that he was still staring at me. I smiled shyly and said, "What about you?"

"What?" He asked confused.

I laughed slightly and repeated myself, "Do you want anything? Any ice cream?"

"Oh, no."

"Okay," I looked down at the little girl and smiled, "Give me one second and you'll have your chocolate ice cream cone with no sprinkles." She gave me a wide grin and nodded.

I turned around and began messing with the ice cream machines. I pulled the lever and waited for the cone to fill, thinking about the way the guy looked at me. It was like he had see a ghost. I pushed the lever back and returned to the duo, giving them their total and putting the money in the cash register, expecting them to leave. Instead, the guy stayed and said, "I'm Mason." 

"Hi Mason." I breathed out.

"Hi."

"Do you need anything else?"

"No."

I smiled awkwardly, "Then is there anything I can help you with?"

"Are you free?"

I sat there contemplating whether or not to make a sarcastic joke, but I decided against it.

"No, I'm kind of working right now."

"Then stop."

"It's not that easy, I volunteer here. If I wasn't here, who would give people ice cream?" I said, slightly annoyed. Couldn't this guy take a hint?

"They don't need it." Is he being serious right now?

"I think you should go." I said warily.

"I don't have anywhere to be."

"I do." Said the little girl as she walked off with a bunch of kids who looked about her age.

"You're just going to let her leave?" I asked astounded.

"She'll be fine." He shrugged.

"Dude, she's your little sister."

"She can protect herself, trust me." He smiled and my heart jumped for a second. "When does your shift end?"

I checked my phone, "Now." I grabbed my bag and locked up the building, only to find that he was waiting for me by the door. I had just realized how tall he was, and how in shape he was.

"Can you stay a while?" He asked hopefully.

"Stranger danger." I joked and walked away towards my brothers truck, which was waiting for me behind the building. "Hey." I said hopping up in the car. I looked up and saw Jake staring at Mason and snapped my fingers in his face.

"Who is that?" He asked suspiciously.

"Some guy who wanted me to stay with him, don't worry I didn't." I joked and buckled up. The car didn't move. "Jake lets go." He kept staring at him and I looked over and Mason was glaring at him. I shot him a confused look and reached over and started the car.

The drive home was silent, the radio playing quietly in the background. I could tell that Jake was upset about something, and my gut told me it was Mason. What could possibly have happened between those two that I didn't know about? Jake tells me everything. As we pulled into the driveway, I asked, "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Jake said and got out of the truck before stomping into the house. I sighed and rolled my eyes before getting out of the truck myself and grabbing my things, walking inside.

"Hey honey, how was the ice cream place today?" My mom asked.

"Fine." I said with a tight smile. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and cracked it open, taking a sip.

"Anything weird happen?" My dad added.

I rolled my eyes, "Not really, no." I didn't want to talk about it. I said goodnight to both of them and headed upstairs to clean myself up and get ready for bed.

I cranked the shower up to just mildly scalding and plugged my phone into the speakers in my bathroom. As Paradise Fears blared throughout my room and bathroom, I gathered my pajamas, which consisted of red and black plaid pants and my brothers old football hoodie.

After about an hour or five in the shower, I got out and did my skin care routine and I got into bed.

Thinking over what happened today made me wonder if I was ever going to see him again.

Maybe.

Hopefully.