Until the Stars Fade

Chapter 17

Before I can blink my eyes, the school year has ended and Asher has finally wrapped filming on the first season of Southside. Tonight we're going to the end of season wrap party downtown. Most of the cast is staying at the hotel where the party is, but, per usual, Gogo has refused to let me stay out overnight, so Asher has promised her I'll be home by 1am.

We spend most of the party hanging out with Levi, Lily and Oliver. Lily and I have become pretty good friends and we text a lot and have hung out a few times just the two of us. She has a crush on Levi, but he's three years older than her and currently dating a production assistant. We spend a lot of time whispering about that while the guys talk sports and other guy things.

The show's director gets up to praise the cast and talk about how wonderful it was to work with everyone. He announces that the show has done well in test markets and advance viewing groups, so the network has already approved a second season to be filmed here. The screaming that erupts at this news is insane. Asher picks me up and swings me around.

"Looks like your stuck with me here in Jacksonville, Kins," he laughs and then kisses me. My heart skips a beat because I never considered the possibility of him leaving, and I squeeze him tight, just thinking about it.

"There's no one I'd rather be stuck with then you," I say.

We celebrate the rest of the evening until there's barely enough time to make it home before Gogo sends out a search party. Asher kisses me goodnight, still flying high on the news of a second season of Southside. I slip inside, wake Gogo up from the couch to tell her I'm home and head off to bed. Tonight's party couldn't have been a better kickoff to our summer.

We quickly fall into a summer routine, me working at House to Home, Asher spending his days at the gym with Oliver. Most of the other people from the show have headed home to wherever they came from, but Oliver is from Jacksonville, so Asher is happy to have him around.

On my days off, Asher, Oliver and I meet up with Hazel and Finn and hang out at the beach or go to the movies. Asher still stops by the store and brings me sandwiches which we eat while strolling through the historic neighborhood. On our one year anniversary, Asher shows up at the store with wildflowers and takes me to the towel room and professes his love for me in front of Jean and any shoppers that happen to be there. It's ridiculously embarrassing, but it's been the best year of my life.

His family comes to visit for two weeks and they stay on the beach, so Asher and Eli hang in the waves all day and have swim races in the pool. When I get the chance to join them on my days off, Molly looks blissfully content to have her family together and spends her time watching her boys together instead of reading the book she's holding.

Before we know it, it's August and I'm starting my senior year and Asher has reunited with his castmates to start filming season two.