A Veiled Journey (ON HOLD)

Gorilla*

(song: Gorilla - Bruno Mars)

When I woke up, Ashley had his arms around me, holding me to his warm body. His bangs were curling slightly, like he had been sweating and it dried in his hair. His shirt was missing...as well as his pants. I noticed that I wore only my lacy red bra and underwear.

OH MY GOD. It was all rushing back now.

"Ashley..." I murmured in his ear as his hands explored the skin hidden by my shirt. His hands fumbled to unhook my bra and remove it. I giggled as I reached back to help him remove the unwanted material. "Better?" I grinned against his neck. He moaned in response as I bit the sensitive skin and kissed down his throat.

Ashley swore as he started to pull my jeans down by the waist, getting frustrated when he saw that they were near skin-tight. "Fucking hell..." He grasped at my shirt, deciding to strip me of that first.

When the cool air hit my chest, I leaned closer to Ashley for warmth. His hands traveled to my front where he found my biggest weakness. I moaned and started to kiss him again, lust clouding my vision. I hardly noticed when my back was against the bottom of the seats and Ashley was murmuring into my ear that he couldn't wait for this moment and longer; as he started to hum in anticipation against my chest, sucking and biting the already sensitive skin, he was positioning himself between my legs.

I started to push away from him when he groaned. "Ugh...fuck have I got a hangover..." He blinked a few times before realizing that he was clutching me to his naked torso. "Axelle?!" Ashley sat up straight and looked around. Once he got his bearings, he looked back at me. "What did...?" His gaze wandered down till he got to my bra, which I quickly covered. It made him laugh lightly.

"Ashley, we...ya know." I felt my cheeks flush. They were probably the color of my bra. I brushed my bangs back like I did whenever I was freaking out over something. "I've never been that drunk before."

Ashley just laughed again. "Ax," He murmured soothingly. He laid back down and was leaning over me, using his elbows to support his weight. "It's no big deal."

I looked at him with wide eyes. "No big deal?" I echoed. "Ashley, we were so smashed that we fucked."

He laughed off my comment. "That, ah, wasn't the only thing that happened," Seeing the look on my face, he continued, "You also said you loved me."

Shit shit shit shit shit shit. "I-I did?"

"Yeah, you did." He glanced down at my hand, which was still clutching the sheets over my chest."You wanna know something, Ax?"

I looked up at him from under my lashes. "What?" I asked quietly.

"I feel the same way."

"What?" My head snapped up completely. My hair flew out of my eyes. "What did you say?"

"I said that I felt the same way." He looked down at his lap, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know...about you."

I shook my head, almost furiously. "A-Ash, you can't! You're this huge rockstar guy that could get any girl in the world! You can't possibly love me." I brushed my hair away from my face and got up hurriedly. I threw on an over-sized hoodie and shorts before running into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I could hear him getting out of bed and rustling around, hopefully as he put clothes on. I pulled the hoodie off and studied my half-naked body. I was covered in purple and red blotches-hickeys. My hips had fading pink marks where Ashley had gripped my hips last night. I shifted my legs so that I could see them more clearly- how the hell was there a hickey on the inside of my thigh?!

Ugh, great. He's completely marked me.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Ax? Will you open the door...please?" Ash sounded defeated. "Look, I know that I'm 'a big rock star guy' that could get anyone, but...you-you're different. I've never met a girl and think about really spending time with her and making her happy and...loving her. The day that we found you, all I wanted to do was make sure you were safe, protected." I heard a soft thud against the door, almost as if he had rested his head on it. "Last night, yeah, we were both really, really drunk...I'm sorry about that. I never meant for any of that to happen. I just wanted to take you out with the rest of the guys and have a good time. But last night," Ash chuckled lightly. "Last night was one of the best nights of my life." He sighed now, like he had accepted it if I wouldn't open the door. "Just, please, let me in."

In a way, he wasn't just asking me to open the bathroom door, but he was asking me to open the door to my heart. To let him be the one person to see me as I really am- not just the battle-hardened shell of a misunderstood girl. I couldn't be exactly sure, since I haven't known him long enough, but it sounded as though he really did want to keep me happy. Whether or not I opened this door, metaphorical or physical, would be one of the biggest decisions of my life.

"Please Axelle..." Ash murmured again.

It took me a few moments before I started reaching for the door knob. My hands were a bit shaky as I grasped it. I heard Ashley sigh on the other side and start to walk away, so my hand twisted and threw open the door. I bit my lip as he stopped suddenly, turning to look at me. I stood motionless in the door way, light streaming out from the window behind me, bathing the tall man in golden light.

He was beautiful in every single way.

A smile adorned his face as he rushed over to me, enveloping me in his arms. He buried his face in my neck, the same spot that he had marked at the club. Ashley pulled away slightly and cupped my face in his hands, laughing excitedly as he planted a hesitant kiss on my lips.