Trusting Fate

Exhausted

Ember's POV

"Where is my PaiPai?" Sammy comes into the gym excited, some of the other girls behind her.

"Not here yet." I laugh.

"But I just saw Mrs. Halbert headed to class. Wasn't she picking her up?" Becky asks.

"I thought so." I pull out my phone confused, seeing a couple text's I missed.

Cal
we are home! I
can't wait to see
you and my baby
tonight!

Ash
I'm coming as soon
as I can, baby. I love
you too! I can't tell
you how happy that
text made me.

"No messages about Ron getting her. Um, maybe Mrs. Halbert forgot?" I suggest.

"But we need our PaiPai. We graduate in two days!" Jade whines.

"I can't help it if she forgot. I'm sorry, girls."

"Patti didn't forget. I told her I'd bring Paislee." I turn as I hear his hesitant voice, afraid he's overstepping maybe.

"Sammy! Dade!" Pai runs past me as I slowly walk towards Ashton, taking in his tired face as I get closer. The bags under his eyes are dark and heavy, stubble covering his cheeks and chin. And if there wasn't a beanie over his curls I'm sure they would be everywhere.

"Hi, Emmie." He smiles as I stop right in front of him.

"I missed you, Ashton." I sigh, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I missed you too, baby. I'm so sorry, so so sorry." He seems to relax as he hugs me back.

"I know. We can talk later okay, it was a fight and we will get through it."

"That's all I needed to hear. Two and a half weeks was way too long. I missed you so much." He lets out a long sigh, not letting go of our hug.

"I missed you too, babe." I smile softly, pulling away and taking his hand instead.

"I think you forgot something in that hello." Robin is smirking at me as we turn towards the team.

"There was definitely something missing there." Mia smirks too.

"There are young people in the room, we have to keep things tame." Ash smirks back at them.

"Just kiss her, we will know you left town seventeen days ago and haven't seen her since." Sammy rolls her eyes.

"Unless you're scared to kiss her in front of us." Jade pushes.

"Now you're all watching us so I'm a little nervous." Ash laughs as I pull him down next to me on the floor.

"You perform in front of thousands of people regularly, but kissing coach in front of twelve teenage girls scares you?" Becky laughs, the team sitting down around us, Pai playing with Jade.

"It's different." He shrugs, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"Hey Ash," I chuckle looking up at him. I press my lips to his softly as soon as he turns, "they're harmless unless you're on the opposite end of the court." I chuckle as I pull back a moment later.

"One thing my career has definitely taught me is that teenage girls can be very dangerous." He chuckles, a content smile on his face as he leans his head on mine. It feels good to be back with him, to have his arm around me, to breathe in his smell and hear his heartbeat under my ear. But the nagging voice in the back of my head keeps reminding me of the discussion or argument that is coming as soon as we get back home.