Alone With Ross

•89•

"No, I'm pretty sure you have the wrong person." I tried to sidestep away but the woman intercepted me.

"I'm not crazy, you're Caspian, you wrote Alone With Ashton." She grinned and I sighed, giving up.

"Just keep quiet, alright?"

"Who's going to know who you are in this part of the world?" She asked and I gave her a look before she snapped her fingers. "Right, I recognized you."

"Want me to sign something? A picture?" I set my bags down, I had time to kill since I was in a layover from Poland.

"Actually," Her blonde ponytail swished as she brought the book out of her purse. "I want answers."

I raised my brow at her catching a glimpse at how she had highlighted the book, just like I do with mine, but it was hard to think that someone would find my words worth highlighting for safe keeping.

"So the book ends with you going to college and never speaking to Ashton, right?" I nodded. "But what happens after? I mean do you ever talk to him again, or are you guys still not talking?"

I sympathized with her. Nothing worse than reading a story with a bad ending. It's the meanest thing an author could do, but it's the most satisfying because it leaves them asking and questioning. The story stays with them, and in their hearts they hope that their own story won't end badly.

But I couldn't leave this girl in the dark. No matter how annoying she seemed.

"I can tell you that we're friends now, I'm guessing you probably haven't seen anything about my press conference almost four years ago, but yeah." I shrugged. "We talk almost once a week."

"Like, talk talk?"

I shook my head. "Nope, just friends."

"But you have to feel something." She almost whined.

"Of course I do, he's my best friend. Love him to death." I picked my bags up, pausing as I saw the disappointment in her face. "Look kid, you have to understand that life isn't about true love, or any of that other junk hallmark tries to sell you. Sometimes you're just going to have to settle for the next best thing, because the first option might not have been good for your sanity." I took her book and waved it at her. "Cassandra is very happy, and so is Ro- Ashton. So there's your ending." I gave her the book back before gathering my things to leave.

"You're in love with him." She remarked but I pretended as if I hadn't heard her before continuing on to my next gate.

••••

"In South America again? Let me guess, Venezuela?" Ross was off today from work giving us more time to talk today.

"Actually I'm in Chile." Ross hummed in response. "I actually can't believe it, but I'm running out of places to go."

"Then come home." My heart fluttered but he cleared his throat. "You know, settle down in New York and whip up a quick book about your travels, become a famous author again and ride your fame all the way to the bank."

"Everything is about money now, what is with you?"

"Danielle." He sighed and I did too. Danielle, his girlfriend of almost six months, dislikes classic rock and the fact that her boyfriend talks to me. "She's been haggling me about my profession lately."

"Awe she doesn't like your DIY shop?" I sat out on the back porch of this small room I had rented out, it overlooked the beach, but here I was, talking with my best friend who's all the way in Utah.

"She loathes it." After working at the hardware store for years, Ross' boss passed the business down to him since he never had children of his own to pass it on to, and Ross being the ball of sunshine he is, still gives the man 30% of the earnings.