Troublemaker (5SOS)

Chapter Twenty One

To make it a complete surprise to Ashton, Tara pulled up to his apartment building at the time they agreed upon. She nervously reached for her phone and texted him to let him know that she was outside. As she waited to see him open the door to the lobby, Tara brushed the palms of her hands against the dress she was wearing. The steering wheel had been slippery with her own sweat the entire drive over. Why was she so nervous?

She felt butterflies in her stomach as soon as she saw him, his hair messy with curls, a black bandana holding it back and out of his eyes. He wore a black and red plaid button down, but kept the first three buttons undone so his chest could peek through. Tara couldn't help but bite her lip to keep herself from grinning as she eagerly waited for him to get to the car.

"Good morning," he leans over the center console and cups her face, looking deeply into her eyes before bringing his lips to hers.

She wanted to melt into him. She sighed audibly as he pulled away and couldn't take her eyes off him. Before he could even reach for the seatbelt to buckle himself in, he cocked his head at her and began to smile.

"What?"

Tara shook her head, but grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in once more, sharing a more passionate kiss. They stayed that way for a while, because once she started kissing him, she felt like she couldn't stop. He was gentle and calm, sweet, and reassuring. She felt like he was holding back a little, but she also liked that about him-- knowing that there may be more to come.

As Tara broke the kiss, she slumped into her seat, pure bliss on her face. It made Ashton blush, and he suddenly became so shy. "Before we get to our destination, how about coffee first?"

He was all for it, even guiding her to his nearest and most-frequented cafes. She ordered a caramel cold brew and he just wanted an americano, and they sat at one of the tables on the patio outside, away from everyone else. As they sipped their drinks and talked, he held her hand across the table, lightly rubbing her skin with his fingertips. She was so secretly grateful that her sweat glands finally began to cooperate. Ashton's smile was always huge, and his dimples always shown whenever he looked at her. It was her favorite thing about him. Tara could listen to the sound of his voice forever. There had been countless nights where she fell asleep listening to him on the phone because it's so melodic.

"So what's the big secret?" He asks with a raised eyebrow, catching her off guard.

Tara sat up straight. She hadn't thought of Michael at all today, and suddenly feared that he somehow knew about it.

Ashton laughed. "Like, where are we going for our second date?"

Tara rolled her eyes, pushing his hand away from hers. "Don't be so impatient. You'll see, and you'll love it. I hope."

Ashton took a sip of his steaming coffee. "As long as you're there, I know I will."

Once they were back in the car, it was about a half hour drive to their destination, which was one of Tara's favorite places growing up. It was the nearest aquarium, and she knew that she always wanted to go on a date there, she just didn't know that Ashton was the person she'd want to bring the most. As soon they arrived, paid for parking, and began to walk in, she could see the excitement behind Ashton's eyes.

"I've actually never been here, and I love that my first memory of this place will be with you." He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her close, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. They perused each room and long hallways slowly, watching every type of fish they could imagine swim in front, behind, and above them. Aside from a few mothers with their children, Tara and Ashton were one of the only couples there, so they felt like they had the entire place to themselves.

They stopped in the underwater tunnel and took it all in, standing back-to-back in silence. Vibrant schools of fish swam by, followed by a large sword fish, and smaller sharks. As Tara turned to look at the other side of the tank, Ashton was standing there with his eyes on her. With all of this beauty around them, he only wanted to look at her. He took a step closer, bringing one hand to the nape of her neck, his nose just barely touching hers. Tara took a deep breath, ready to dive in. They enclosed the space between them and kissed, unlike any time they have before. She knew now, what it meant to feel time stop. Every hair on her body stood on end. Ashton's body against hers felt so natural, and that's when he placed a hand on the small of her back and dipped her as they locked lips. Suddenly, the flash of a camera went off and startled the two of them.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. It's just...it was too perfect not to take a picture, I thought you'd want to save the moment." A woman in her mid-thirties mumbled, turning her phone screen to Tara and Ashton so they could see. There they were, perfectly posed, and completely lost in each other. Tara wanted to be embarrassed, but she couldn't, because the picture was perfect.

"Can you please send that to me?" She asks, before reciting her phone number. As soon as she received the picture, the woman and her two embarrassed children wandered off, taking only a moment to pause and look at the fish.

Tara took a moment to admire the photo, but turned her phone off and slipped it back into her pocket. Ashton was just elated, and she could tell by the way he was looking at her.

"Tara, I'm going to sound like a complete idiot, and I really hope this doesn't scare you off, but I'm completely falling for you."