Unconditionally

Chapter Two

"My dream home exists just for me. It's waiting for me to find it. I believe this with all my heart."

"There you go, Mackenzie!" Exclaims my aunt happily as I give the Wilson dog his treatment.

Each morning before school, I go to my aunt's shop to help with the dogs. Mr. Wilson's dog broke his leg from being hit by a truck yesterday, and my aunt is the lady who is going to fix the dog up. Hunting dogs are hit daily by trucks when they get lost while hunting. I'm not going to lie; I've done it myself and sometimes still feel guilty. I can't help but smile once I set down the shot on the metal tray. My aunt is smiling at me and checks the dog's eyes with her mini flashlight.

"He'll be good as new in a few weeks. Go ahead and go off to school."  My aunt advices.

I kiss her temple good-bye and rush out the front door. When I open the door, the air around me is humid and I groan when I realize it's going to be an extremely warm day. I unlock my car door and head off to school. On the way to school, I pass by empty fields and Tom's Night Bar that still has trucks parked in the parking lot. I shake my head as I pull up to my school and quickly hit the brakes when someone runs in front of my car.

"Oh my god," I mumble under my breath as I cover my rapidly beating heart. "I almost hit somebody."

Someone honks their vehicle at me and I shake my head before finding a parking space. I lock up my car and right when I turn around I bump into something hard, but soft. I land on my butt and my bag filled with my school books fall out.

"Shit. That wasn't meant to happen." Says Ashton quickly.

He helps pick up my books and gives me his hand to help me up. I just look at it for a moment before gingerly giving my hand to his to help me up.

"Thanks. You didn't have to help me." I say to him.

He rolls his eyes and picks up my empty bag before placing my books in them.

"I kind of did since I made you fall on your ass."

I cringe at his choice of vocabulary and that makes his smile widen. When he hands me my bag I smile at him and put my bag on my shoulders. Thinking that our conversation is over, I start to head to the school's front doors.

"What's your favorite color?" Ashton asks when he starts to keep up with my pace.

I give him a strange look and he smiles while adjusting his back pack. I don't know what his game plan is but I cautiously give him my answer.

"Blue. Yours?"

Ashton's smile brightens and he lifts up his eyebrows.

"Blue is my favorite, too."

He then proceeds to open the school door for me and I just stand there while he holds the door open.

"What are you doing?" I cautiously ask him.

"Holding the door open for you. What does it look like I'm doing?" He says to me with a smile on his tan face.

His left hand draws my attention and I see bruises covering his hand. What is that all about? Ashton notices I'm looking at his hand and he clears his throat. I snap my head up and he raises his eyebrow.

"I can stand here all day, sweetheart, but other students need to get to their lockers."

A blush creeps up to my cheeks and I quickly walk through the opened door he's holding. Why would there be bruises covering his hand? Why would I even care? I shake my head and pass by different students who are rushing to their classes. When I find my locker, I put in my combination and swing it open.