Alice
I wake up to the sound of steady mechanical beeping and the smell of sterile cleanser. When I open my eyes the light that streams into the room burns them. Squinting, I try to get a good look of what is around me but I can't see anything right now.
Resigning to keeping my eyes closed I try to figure out where I am. The last thing I remember is being carried out of the abuse house by Asher. Oh, yeah! The memories start to flood in of what happened last night.
When we got outside Asher made sure he told the EMT's about the spiders and the belt and then he told the cops that Corrin was inside and had beaten me and tried to beat him. I think I went into the ambulance after that and they gave me a shot of sedative.
Now I must be at the hospital. Deciding to try and open my eyes again the sun isn't as burning as it was a few minutes ago. When I look around I can see it all clearly now. Best of all I can make out his shape, through the windows as he comes down the hallway. When he opens the door he shouts to some doctors, telling me that I'm awake.
"Tara!" Asher yells and Mom comes down the hallway and into my room.
"Alice!" She cries happily "I was so worried that pig of a man did something permanent to you. It turns out that the spiders were poisonous but can only make you temporarily lose your vision and you will have an upset stomach."
"That explains it." I rasp out, trying to get my voice to normal.
"I love you baby." Mom says, wrapping me tightly in her arms
"Love you too Momma." I say
"I'm gonna leave you two love birds alone so you can work some things out." Mom says, winking at me as she walks past Asher who is standing propped up in the doorway. A nurse comes in and starts to refresh my bandages so he goes and sits in a chair to wait for me.
Once she leaves he pulls the chair to my side and sits in it, keeping his eyes trained on me the whole time.
"You jumped in front of me so I wouldn't be hit." He says with an airy voice
"Yes." I reply shakily
"Thank you. I feel like a coward that I didn't jump in front of you but truth is I was scared." He says, letting out a sigh and a laugh.
"No, no, no. It's not like that at all. I would have jumped in front of anybody. It is fine that you were scared, heck, I was scared but I had to do that to get some closure." I say, pausing to take a labored breath "Asher, am I insane?"
"No, why would you say something like that?" His voice is hard with concern as he wraps my hand in both of his and kisses it gently.
"I enjoyed hitting him. I loved causing him the pain that he had called me. Giving him a taste of his own medicine." I choke out.
"He deserved that." Ash comforts me, moving to kiss me on the cheek. "You know, this may be probably the worst timing ever but I have a question for you."
So many questions fly through my head and I am scared "Yes?"
"You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. No matter how you dress, no matter how you do your hair, no matter how much make up you have on, you are the most perfect thing I've ever seen. You are so kind and great with Mandy, even when she is a complete turd. You know how to talk to me and you understand pain. You even know how to comfort me when I am thinking about my sister. You are you and the person you are could never be better. Alice, call me crazy all you want but I lied when I said I would be in love with you in the future, because I am in love with you now."
"Oh, God," I choke, trying to keep the tears from spilling over my cheeks. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever sad to me.
"I'm not done." Asher says with red cheeks "Alice Daily, would you do me the great honor of being my girlfriend?"
"I would be flattered." I say with a giant smile
It takes milliseconds before his lips are on me. At first it is a gentle kiss, then it gets heated, he puts his hands on my waist and pulls me up to him. I wrap my arms around his neck. Even though my wounds ache every time I move, the kiss feels better and in a way, it heals me.
His lips are soft and sweet like sugar. Asher is the missing part of me, and I finally see that.
"Oh my God," I say when he breaks away, resting his forehead on mine.
"Is it okay if I kiss you?" He says grinning
"Only if you only kiss me like that, none of those pitiful pecks." I scold
"Haha! Okay, I'm fine with that!" He says lightly kissing me on the nose.
"You are amazing." I say
"So are you." He replies
💍💏 Five years later
"Asher!" I squeal as he leans down to kiss me.
"Ali!" he mocks me
"You are squishing him!" I refer to the toddler I'm holding
"He likes to be held tightly! I bet he loves group hugs like that." Asher excuses as I put our baby on the ground.
"Andre, go play with your toys." I direct and the dark haired child runs towards his bucket of little kid toys.
"Now he's gone." Ash says, putting his hands on my swollen belly. "Only a few more months, little Lucy."
"She's dying to get out." I say, looking down.
"I'm probably the happiest man alive. I got the girl of my dreams, somehow, and I have a whole family with her." Asher says with a loving gaze
"Speaking of family, how is Mandy?" I ask
"Good. She is on her way to Amsterdam right now. I'm proud of her, taking the news so well." Asher says
"I don't think leaving the country to go on a world wide trip is what I'd consider handling it." I reply
"Well, we all have our faults." He says, moving to play with Andrew on the floor.
"I guess we do." I say, going to the kitchen to start cooking dinner.
As I make some mac and cheese I look down and watch my boys playing together, Life is truly good.
