Let's Make a Deal

Chapter 27

Luxe's POV

"Ash, what are you doing here? What happened to you?" I ask, noticing his wounds were open and still bleeding. He winces as he steps inside my house from the cold night.

I grab his arm and lead him into the kitchen, passing Adam and Nova, who is carrying Ava up the stairs.

"We're going to put Ava in bed and then we'll be in Adam's room if you need anything." Nova supports Ava's head over her shoulder like she would a two year old. She makes it look so easy.

Neither Nova or Adam say anything about Ash. Nova because she knows I'll handle it now and tell her later, and Adam because he seems to freaked out by the blood. What a baby. I'll be sure to use this moment when Nova goes on about how he'll be a great father.

Now that Ash is under the light in the kitchen, I can really see his full appearance. He has several gashes on his face and many red marks trailing all the way down to his arms, and his converse sneakers are caulked with dirt and mud that left a trail back to the door. He seems to be studying me back, but with a faint smile on his face.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now." He says weakly. I smile back at him.

"Can I make you some tea or something? You look like you've walked here in the cold." I offer.

"I'll take whatever you have." Ash says quietly.

I nod and put the kettle on to make green tea for the both of us. He won't ask for it, but I know it's his favorite.

I walk back over to him and sit on the kitchen bar stool to his left.

"I think we have some rubbing alcohol in our medicine cabinet. I'll be right back." I go to the bathroom where we keep our first aid kit and take the whole box.

Ash has been very quiet tonight and I'm sure he's traumatized by whatever happened to him. I really want to hear the full story.

Back in the kitchen, I place the box on the counter and rummage through everything. I take some bandaids and the rubbing alcohol and turn Ash's face to meet mine.

His pale blue eyes look dusty and pained, and full of fear. It feels like I just brought in a stray dog from living on the streets. Some of the cuts on his face are minor, while others are long. I take a cotton ball and slowly dab the larger wounds with the alcohol first. He winces, but urges me to keep going. Once the blood is cleaned up, the cuts look rather shallow so I just put some Neosporin on them. His face seems more like the Ash I know now.

"So I'm going to guess that you want to hear what happened to me?" Ash asks me and slightly cocks his eyebrow, careful to not reopen the cut on his forehead.

I nod and he chuckles. "My dad was really wasted when he came home tonight, and started screaming about my mom, and how the tattoo parlor is going to go under. I know to stay away from him when he's like this, so I started texting you. Then, my dad barges with a beer bottle in his hand and takes my phone and demands to know who I'm texting. He read your name and wanted to know where I knew you from, and why I was texting a girl, so I just told him. He notices the profile picture from your contact and recognized you as the girl I did a tattoo for."

My face goes white as he says the last part.

"He begins to put two and two together and gets very angry. I see him hold the empty bottle above his head, about to strike me, so I pull my blankets over my head to protect my face. Glass  goes everywhere and he rips the blankets off of me and begins to--"

"No, it's okay, you don't have to get into it." I stop him before it gets too graphic. The kettle whistles so I prepare the tea and come back with our two mugs.

"Thanks." He mutters. He takes a deep sip and I kiss him lightly on the cheek in a small space without any cuts. Ash smiles and turns his face to kiss me back, and with one hand he puts the mug on the counter. The kiss starts off as light and delicate, but Ash deepens it and wraps one arm around my neck. I then slip my arm around his back and pull him closer to me. Ash comes willingly, like this is just what he needed after all he went through tonight. We're both standing now, and Ash makes his way down my neck, leaving a trail of kisses.

"Jump." He whispered in my ear. I did and he picked me up by the back of my thighs, lifting me onto the counter. Things were going very well if you ask me. Up until this moment:

"We're home! Adam? Ava? Are you guys asleep? Oh my--" My mother and father both walk in and my mom drops her purse.

How can I explain this one? Now I have two pissed parents, and two cold cups of green tea.