When the fear of isolation pulls Ashton and Ria together, nothing can prepare them for the collision. An anomaly shatters the repetitive fabric of their lives, sending them on a journey of discovering themselves and one another.
Beneath Ashton's gen...
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GENTLE FINGERS brush hair away from Ashton's forehead as blankets of slumber ease from his conscious. His brows scrunch. Soft skin caresses the sides of his face. Faint whispers brush over him like the soothing breeze of the sweetest melody.
A voice.
Her voice?
Ashton groans and opens his eyes to a pair of hazel irises, reflections of the sky and forest chasing each other in a hurricane-like storm. Beautiful eyes. Her eyes.
The corner of his mouth tugs up. He extends a hand to hold the side of her face. "You're speaking again?" A warm glow fills his soul and soothes every aching muscle in his body. Never before has such a relief invaded his entirety for another person.
Ria's bottom lip quivers. She drags her teeth over it. Tears shine in her eyes as she stares at him with bated breaths.
"Ria?"
"You stupido idiota!" she cries and buries her head against his chest. Thin arms reach around his sides and squeeze with surprising strength. "I-I was so worried about you," she sobs. "I thought you were going to d-die!"
A tight chuckle manages to release from his lungs held under her death grip. "Like you could get rid of me that easily."
"T-this isn't a joke, A-Ashton!" Threads of her accent thicken and wraps around her words. She raises her head and begins running trembling hands down his face. Large glassy eyes examine every inch of him. "H-how do you f-feel? Why were you coughing up b-blood? Why did you make me call Daniel? What was that medicine he gave you?"
Ashton places his hands on her back and attempts to urge her off of him. She's straddling his waist with her hands planted on his chest as if he's her prisoner.
"Can I wake up first? Maybe take a shower? Eat something? I-"
"No!" She tightens her thighs around his waist, extracting a groan from his dry throat. "You're not going anywhere until I get some answers."
The soft curve of her cheeks flush beneath her cinnamon freckles. Fiery curls shroud her shoulders and fall down her back, nearly grazing his legs. Cherry lips are pursed into a pout as she sends him her most ruthless glare. At least, that's what she's going for. Now wouldn't be the best time to tell her just how adorable she looks to him...or to kiss her like he's dying to.
So he runs his hands down her back and smirks. "I don't mind sitting in this position. I could make it fun for the next twenty minutes."
Those beautiful eyes narrow into slits. "This is not a joke."
"I'm not kidding."
"If you don't give me some answers right now, we are done."
His heart plummets to the ground. "W-what?" He sits up on the sofa with a grunt, causing her to slide back. "Nonono. You can't leave me." He mentally cringes at the desperation leaking into his voice.
