When the fear of isolation pulls Ashton and Ria together, nothing can prepare them for the collision. An anomaly shatters the repetitive fabric of their lives, sending them on a journey of discovering themselves and one another.
Beneath Ashton's gen...
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"IT SEEMS YOUR BOYFRIEND has abandoned you," Ashton says behind Ria.
She jumps and whips around with a mouth full of bread. "Hagh?" she gasps over her food.
Ashton laughs and covers his mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were eating." His shoulders shake as he watches her swallow the rest of her bite. "You are so adorable."
Ria's cheeks warm and she follows her bite with a sip of wine. "Sorry." She gasps for air. "I wasn't expecting anyone to catch me stuffing my face." She takes another sip and licks her lips.
Ashton arches a brow. "Be careful now. We both know you are terrible at handling your alcohol."
She rolls her eyes. "I keep telling you I wasn't that tipsy."
A humble smile graces his lips. He inches towards her. Her breath hitches and she licks her lips again, desperate to distract herself from the allure of his faint cologne and body wash. Her legs threaten to pull her towards him to orbit his world and be engulfed in his affection once again.
"Ria?"
She blinks and focuses on his arched brow and curved lips. "Hmm?"
"You're staring off into space."
"Oh! I'm sorry. Just thinking about something stupid," she responds lightly while running nervous hands down her dress.
Without warning, he rubs her arm, connecting their skin for the first time in over a week. "Last time you said that you were pretty sad. Is this the same stupid thing?"
She laughs and attempts to ignore the traces of fire his touch left to linger over her surface. "Not at all. That stupid thing is not going to make me emotional anymore."
"That's good to hear."
Unhinged nerves shake through her hands, so she clasps them together. What should I say now? Uneasiness twists her stomach in all the weirdest angles. His gaze is so vigorous she has to glance away, afraid of losing herself in them.
"Ashton, about last week-"
"Dance with me." He grabs her hand, giving her no time to object, and pulls her to the distant corner where other couples dance under the light melody of the pianist.
"O-okay."
Ashton places gentle hands on her waist while she drapes her wrists over his broad shoulders. He leads her into a delicate sway, turning in gradual circles.
"I didn't want you to bring that up first," he admits, scrunching his lips. "I should since I was kind of being an ass about it."
