love like this - a. kutcher✔️

vii

love like this △ ashton kutcher

"Is everything okay with you?" Tara asks while her and Ashton are sitting on the living room, glasses of red wine in their hands.

"Okay....relationships are based on trust and honesty, so, I'm just going to tell you. Selena came onto me this morning." She sucks a deep breath in, holding it, while she meets her husband's eyes. Tara sets her wineglass on the table.

"That's it, she's out." She declares, starting to rise from the couch, but Ashton grabs her wrist, pulling her back down.

"Honey...don't worry. I see nothing in her, trust me." Her expression softens, and she leans in, tilting her face, and kisses him.

"Prove it to me?" Tara smiles, biting his lip between her teeth, and he smiles along with her.

"Why of course, Mrs. Kutcher." He chuckles lowly, pushing her down onto her back beneath him.

"If you slap me, so help me God, I am walking right out the damn door." Tara growls while Ashton's hand in raised in the air, and they're standing on the back deck. His jaw is clenched, and she swears she can see smoke coming out of his ears. Slowly, she lifts her hand, wraps her fingers around his raised wrist, and she pulls his down. Their eyes are glued to one another, and he abruptly stops. He pulls her into his chest. Tight. She feels his body jolt a little bit, and then hears him choke out a sob.

Oh my God.

She thinks.

He rarely cries.

"I'm a horrible person. I don't deserve you or our wonderful kids. We've been together for over twenty years...I have no idea how you put up with me. You're beautiful, smart, way too fucking good for me. I can't.....God, I can't believe how incredible you are." Ashton squeezes Tara tighter for a moment before releasing her from his embrace. Tara wipes the tears from the corners of her eyes, using her thumbs to wipe her husband's tears away.

"Oh, darling....I've been with you all of these years because I know who you are. You're not an evil man, you don't firmly believe in abuse, I know that isn't you. I know you inside and out, like the back of my damn hand, and I love you with every ounce of my heart."

Finally, Ashton slumps in the deck chair behind him, looking out into the woods surrounding the house, before crying so hard that he felt that by the time he was done, he would die from dehydration. He's never cried this much in his entire life. Tara sits next to him, putting her hand on him wherever she can to let him know that she's there for him. The two end up falling asleep outside.

"Hey, your kids are hungry." Tara hears a voice drone in her ear, and she opens her eyes while blinking furiously, trying to adjust to the morning sunlight that seems to be shining directly on her. Looking next to her, she sees her sister standing next to her, holding a cup of yogurt and a spoon. Tara sits up, her back aching from having slept in a plastic chair all night, and stretches immensely, yawning heavily. Ashton is sleeping in his own chair with his arms across his chest, and his chin tilted down, snoring softly.

"Alright. I'll be in in a minute." Tara mutters, not wanting to look Selena in the eye. Instead of trying to push any further, her younger sister shrugs, licks yogurt off of her spoon, and turns toward the house. Tara notices her barely there jean shorts and low cut tank top. She turns toward Ashton.

"Hey." She puts her hand on his arm, shaking him just enough to coax him awake. She has to do it a few times before he finally begins to wake up, leaning back in his chair.

"Did we sleep outside?" He mumbles, squinting his eyes at the evident sunlight. Tara nods.

"Yeah. I gotta get the kids breakfast because, apparently, Selena doesn't know how to get a bowl of cereal together or put waffles in a toaster." Tara grumbles, clearly upset at this point. Before he's allowed to say anything, she's walking into the house, closing the French doors behind her.