When lonely artists Ashton and Ria come together, nothing can prepare them for the collision. They're drawn to each other like day and night, but with more in common than they could ever know. After being burned by past lovers, they're hesitant to g...
❝Don't you think four years is something to fight for?❞
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HALF AN HOUR before Ashton should arrive, Ria is in a crisis. She flings boots and sandals out of her closet, desperate to find the matching silver flats to her outfit; a floor-length black dress that hugs her frame and leaves her right leg exposed up to her mid-thigh with a modest slit. As she's ruffling through her shoes, her arm brushes against her leg. She gasps and gapes down at them. From a distance, they appear smooth, but with just that light touch, she felt thin, sabotaging hairs. When was the last time I waxed?
Cursing, she storms into her bathroom, flats now in the back of her mind. At the sink, she hikes up her dress, grabs her razor and shaving cream, and lathers her leg. She manages a quick shave without staining the new fabric and reminds herself to dedicate some spare time to wax this week. When her legs are smooth, she lets the dress drop and examines herself with critical eyes. Somehow a brush wrestled through her hair, allowing her to put delicate curls throughout it; auburn locks lay gracefully over her exposed shoulders. Silver studs decorate the low neckline of her dress, and a single chained necklace drapes down her neck.
Ria fluffs her hair with a satisfied smile. I haven't been on a first date in years. A quick and heavy rap against her front door jolts her from admiring herself. He's here already? She scrambles back into her bedroom and snatches up the nearest pair of black flats she can find and slips them on. Another impatient knock puts a kick in her step and she rushes to the door. Throwing it open she greets Ashton with a giddish smile.
It vanishes in an instant.
A block of ice freezes over her heart. The laws of breathing slip from her mind. The man in front of her is not Ashton. Instead, a curse presents itself, one that once held her hostage from happiness.
"Hey, baby."
"C-Chris?" She blinks rapidly. Her hand tightens around the door handle. "What are you doing here?"
Russet eyes trace her figure, dragging up and down with a hint of danger. A smirk defined by confidence graces his lips. "You look stunning, babe." He pushes the door open and steps past her. "You gotta date with someone?"
Ria whirls around and struggles to find her breath. All at once, the darkness she'd almost forgotten slinks its inky hands across her shoulders. It leans down and hisses in her ear. He's your everything. Your first. You will never get over him. "Why are you here?" she whispers and rubs her temples. "I thought I told you to stay away. We're through."
He sighs and walks around her apartment as if it's his home, sharing it as closely as they used to. "We both know that's not true." He drags his hands across her entertainment center and scowls. "You took all of my pictures down."
"Go away," she rasps. She clenches one hand to her heart and focuses on steadying her breath.
"It still smells the same. Feels the same." He turns to her with a cheeky grin. "You haven't changed a bit either, baby."
