A New Chapter

Chapter 31

5 months later...

My eyes follow the abundance of rain droplets slowly trailing down the tinted window of the penthouse.

Skyscrapers stand tall close by and in the distance, each window a gateway into someone's life. A middle aged man sitting at his desk, stressing about paying bills or a young woman trying not to cry over a recent breakup. You never know what you're looking at from afar.

I avert my gaze back to Violet, who smiles gently; "I'm proud of how far you've come Ashley. You're an incredible young woman, and I'll be always be here for the occasional chat."

"Thank you. I really appreciate everything you've done for Ashley." Ethan grins, squeezing my hand supportively while giving me an adoring look.

"I can't thank you enough. You've really helped me Violet." I give her a grateful smile and stand, walking around her desk and pulling her into a hug.

"You're so welcome Ashley." She murmurs, giving me a tight squeeze.

A sense of relief washes over me as I push through the revolving doors and into the now clear evening. A rainbow shines brightly on the horizon; almost signifying my fresh start, leaving all remnants of Jason behind. A new chapter.

"It's like the universe is telling you something." Ethan smirks, pointing at the rainbow as he slings an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest.

"I guess it is." I sigh into the warmth of his body, wrapping my arms around him.

"Lets go somewhere." He announces with a cheeky smirk.

"What?" I question, giggling at his wiggling eyebrows.

"Come on." He leads me towards his car and we hastily hop in.

"Where are you taking me Mr Spencer." I grin excitedly.

"Do you trust me baby?" He queries with an adoring smile and I can't get over the butterflies it creates in my stomach.

"Of course." I grab onto his hand and gently squeeze.

"Then trust me." He gives me one last cheesy grin before starting the ignition, his car roaring to life before we start down the bustling street.

~~

"Where are you taking me." I ask giddily as I clutch onto Ethan's wrists as he covers my eyes and leads me forward.

"It's a surprise." He sings before we come to a stop.

"Ready?" He asks, close to my ear; his warm breath fanning across my right cheek.

I furiously nod as he removes his hands and I gasp at the sight before me.

A retro Volkswagen van sits in the open. Fairy lights strung up on the open doors, a thin mattress and duvet sit in the back with two fluffy pillows. A bucket full of ice and a bottle of champagne rests in the centre; my eyes tear up at the amount of effort he's put into this.

"What do you think?" He questions with a shy expression as he fidgets with his hands.

"It's beautiful." I coo, before leaping into his arms; catching him by surprise, both of us bursting into laughter as he stumbles before steadying himself.

"Yeah?" He grins.

"Yeah." I giggle before smashing our lips together.

He carries us both towards the van and lays me down on the mattress. I break away for a moment and crawl back further inside, Ethan following on all fours; his eyes a few shades darker than usual.

He stops just above me and I fear he can hear my erratically beating heart.

I'm so in love with him, everything he's done for me. Even just sticking around has made me love him on a whole other level. He was always there when I needed him the most and I want to be there when he needs me.

I take in every inch of his beauty before laying a hand on his cheek and guiding him back to my needy lips.

Our kiss becomes heated as we attempt to get impossibly close to each other, our hearts beating in sync as we pour our souls into this kiss.

"I'm ready." I whisper as we part for air, our frantic breaths morphing into one.

"What?" He questions, confusion coming over his face.

"I'm ready. I want to be with you...in every way." I murmur, playing with the neckline of his shirt not wanting to make eye contact.

"You don't have to. I can wait." He comments and I know that he's being sincere.

"Maybe you can, but I can't wait any longer." I finally meet his eyes to see the skin wrinkle around them as he laughs.

"I don't want you to regret it." His voice goes quiet as he returns to being serious.

"Stop over thinking it and make love to me Ethan." I blush at my own words and attempt to turn away only to be stopped by his soft lips on my own.

"I love you so much Ashley Merritt." He mumbles, staring into my eyes with adoration.

"And I love you Ethan Spencer." I give him an awestruck grin before he crashes his lips back onto mine.

Time seems to slow down as I finally give him all of myself, every inch of me is his and he's mine.

I get lost in him, but it's the kind of lost that's like being found.

Ethan Spencer helped me find myself in the mess of nightmares and pain that I was. A broken girl hiding behind her metaphorical walls, too afraid to be happy. Yet he came along and broke it down, brick by brick just because he believed there was something worth discovering underneath.

I couldn't be happier that he did.

Author's Note:
Oh my god! 1k reads! I can't believe how far this book has come! :) Thank you all so much!