by Erin Noelle
“Hello?” a sleepy male voice answered.
With that one word, my world came crashing down around me as I realized my worst fears had come true.
Scarlett
“Scarlett, wake up,” I heard Mason’s voice say as he shook my shoulder. “Scarlett… Scarlett, get up now. Ash just called your phone.”
Hearing Ash’s name, I sat up instantly and looked around, trying to get my bearings. I realized I was on the couch in the living area of the hotel suite, and the events of the previous evening flooded my memory.
Waking up to kisses on my inner thigh, I moaned slightly and leaned my head back into the pillow. My legs instinctively spread open to make room for him to settle between my thighs, and within seconds, my body was aching in anticipation for his mouth to land on my mound. Keeping my eyes closed, not wanting to end this dream-like state, I lifted my hips slightly and moved my hands into his hair to hurry along the tortuous process. As my fingers slid through the short locks, it was then I realized it wasn’t Ash in bed with me. My eyes flew open as I cried, “Stop! Please stop!”
“Scarlett, you need to call him back.” Mason’s voice pulled me from my reminiscent thoughts. “I didn’t even realize it was your phone on the table and I answered it. He didn’t say anything… just hung up.”
I snatched the phone from his hands and immediately called him back. My body was shaking with panic; I could only imagine what Ash had thought when Mason answered my phone so early in the morning. Silently praying for his understanding as the phone rang, I was relieved he answered and didn’t completely ignore me. I needed to explain everything quickly.
“Ash, thank God,” I said as soon as he picked up. “I can explain.”
“That’s really not necessary, Scarlett,” he replied icily. “I heard what I needed to.”
“It’s not what you think,” I tried to clarify as the tears began rolling down my cheeks. “My phone was in his room, but I wasn’t. I promise.”
“Whatever, Scarlett. I’m just going back home. I don’t know why I even came here in the first place. I guess I just needed to confirm what I already knew.”
“What did you just say? You’re gonna go home? You’re here?” I asked, completely confused.
I heard him sigh dejectedly on the other end of the phone before he answered. “Yes, Max and I came last night. I hadn’t heard from you, and I thought you may need the support.”
If I didn’t already love him so incredibly much, I would’ve fallen head-over-heels for him in that moment. He had come all the way to Florida to be there for me, knowing I was most likely an emotional mess over my ex-boyfriend’s overdose.
“Ash, I swear to you, nothing happened. Mase checked himself out of the hospital yesterday. I must’ve sat my phone down by the bed when I was helping him get settled. I slept on the couch. I promise I’m telling you the truth,” I pled through my sobs. At some point during the conversation, Mason had gone back into the bedroom, and I was thankful for the privacy.
We both sat there on the phone quietly for what seemed like forever. I didn’t know what else to say; I needed so badly for him to believe me. After all we had been through, I didn’t want to lose him over a misunderstanding.
Finally, his voice broke the silence. “Okay, I believe you. As hard as it is for me, I’m trusting you; please don’t let me down.”
A huge weight was lifted off my chest with his words, and I needed to see him immediately. “Where are you?” I asked.
“We’re at some hotel by the airport. I’m not even sure. It was so late when we got in last night we just stopped at the first place we saw. Where are you?”
“We are at the Bentley Hotel.”
Even Ash couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of the name. “Are you serious? Who booked that place?”
Chuckling, I replied, “Yeah, pretty awesome, right?”
“Yes, very. Okay, well I’m gonna assume Rat is fine, since he’s out of the hospital, so Max and I are coming to get you, butterfly. We’ll be there in just a bit. Wait for us in the lobby, okay?”
Even though it gutted me to leave Mason so soon, I needed to reassure Ash he was who I was in love with and wanted to be with; there was no way I was arguing with him. After all, he was right. Mase was fine. He had people there to take care of him and to make sure he got back home okay. I needed to take care of myself and the functioning relationships I still had. I knocked on the bedroom door, and despondent gray eyes greeted me.
“You don’t need to say anything, angel. I heard,” he mumbled.
Seeing him like this was almost as heartbreaking as seeing him lying half-dead in the hospital bed, completely dejected and crestfallen. I brought my hand to his cheek and my thumb caressed back and forth over his smooth skin. He closed his eyes and pressed his palm against the back of mine. Once again, tears streamed down my face as my heart broke for him… for me… for the us that could’ve been.
He opened his eyes and leaned forward until his forehead was pressed against mine. Staring deep into my eyes, he whispered, “Please don’t go, angel. We can make this work. I know we can.”
The combination of his promising words, the look of determination of his face, and the feel of his breath on my lips was almost enough to convince me he was right… almost. I inhaled a deep breath before speaking. “Mase, so much has happened between us. We can’t just pretend it hasn’t. We can never get back to where we were.”
“We can be better than we were, Scarlett. Please just give me a chance.”
I brushed away the wetness from his cheekbone, and I placed my finger over his lips as he was about to say something else. “I can’t Mase. I love you, but I just can’t. Please understand.”
Afraid if he said anything else I would break down and tell him I would stay with him and give us a chance, I turned on my heel, grabbed my bag, and walked into the hotel hallway. Just before the door closed behind me, I heard him say, “I will never stop loving you, angel.”
I made it to the elevator before I completely broke down sobbing. Leaning against the wall, I let it all out, and I stayed there until I had no more tears left to cry. I then slipped into the bathroom and washed my face the best I could, but there was no getting rid of the puffy red eyes that stared back at me in the mirror. I took several deep breaths and did my best to regain my composure before heading downstairs.
Thirty minutes later, I was standing in the extravagant lobby, my bag at my feet, waiting for Ash to get there. As soon as I saw his long blond hair come through the main entrance, I took off running toward him. Nearly tackling him to the floor, I jumped on him and began kissing him all over his face. As he laughed and squeezed me tightly, I knew he felt the same relief and comfort I did being back in his arms.
I saw Max standing a few feet away, giving us our space. He had a huge smile plastered on his face. I grinned back, thanking him silently for his support. Despite the numerous bumps and detours of the previous year and a half, I felt I had finally found the path I was supposed to be on to find my happiness.
Four
She is Love—Parachute
When the Lights Go Down—Jason Walker
Ash
Seeing Scarlett’s face light up when she saw me caused my heart to swell until I thought it was going to burst. I had told her on the phone I believed her, and I did for the most part, but her reaction to my arrival in the hotel lobby gave me the reassurance I needed. After our somewhat obnoxious public display of affection, which I couldn’t have given two shits about, Max, Scarlett, and I headed straight to the airport. I wanted to get her as far away from him as soon as possible.
As we waited for our flight, we grabbed some food and drinks in one of the airport restaurants. I didn’t care it was nine in the morning. I needed a drink. I had been a tightly bundled ball of nerves for two days, and I finally felt I could relax a bit. Max and I both had a couple Bloody Marys with our breakfast as she nursed her milk and sugar with a dash of coffee.
It was
in that moment I was reminded of how young Scarlett was. Still just nineteen, out of her parents’ iron-clad restraints for only a year and a half, she dealt with a lot in that short amount of time. Even though I was only three years older and dealt with my fair share of life’s disappointments and misfortunes, just as everyone does, most people are taught to deal and cope with these things beginning at a young age. Her parents had really done a disservice to her, keeping her sheltered from the reality of the world.
“Is your drink really interesting?” Scarlett’s voice broke through my thoughts. My eyes snapped up to hers and she had this cute little smirk on her face. “You’ve been staring at it and stirring it with that celery stalk for the better part of five minutes while Max and I have been arguing if window or aisle seats are better. We really need you to be the tie breaker on this one, if we can tear you away from your precious Mary.”
I snickered as I looked back down at my drink and saw my hand was still swirling the green stalk in a circular motion. Quickly pulling it away and grabbing the glass, I took a long drink before pushing my serious thoughts from my mind and enjoying the company of my two closest friends.
“Well, there really is no argument. The window seat is by far the superior of the seats on a plane,” I said matter-of-factly.
“How can you say that?” she exclaimed. “If you have an aisle seat, you don’t have to squeeze past anyone when you need to get up for the bathroom, you don’t feel claustrophobic being squeezed between two people or a person and a wall, and most importantly, if there’s a need for evacuation, you’re the first to get your ass to the exit doors.”
Max rolled his eyes, as she had apparently already spouted off these reasons to him.
“Scarlett, honey,” I began, knowing how much she hated to be called honey. I couldn’t help but laugh as she wrinkled her nose at the word, giving me exactly the reaction I knew she would have. “If you have a window seat, no one squeezes over you to go to the bathroom. No one’s ass is in your face; it’s your ass in someone else’s face, so who cares? Secondly, you don’t feel claustrophobic at all because you can look out the window! And to your last point, I don’t get on a plane thinking about the possibility of a crash. If a tin can is going to fall out of the sky and land either in water or on land, I don’t think chances of survival are very good no matter what seat I’m in. In addition to all of that, the window seat gives you the luxury of seeing and connecting to the beautiful earth below you. Have you ever flown into a big city like New York or Vegas late at night and seen the lights from the plane window? Or ever looked down as you fly over a large body of water and thought about the expansive marine wildlife below you? Or ever wonder how so much of the land seems to be divided into perfect squares? Or—”
“Okay, okay! You win; the window seat is the best,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes.
Max started cracking up laughing at her obvious attempt at agreeing just to get me to shut up. “Well done, man. She’s one stubborn little bratty flamingo.”
Scarlett couldn’t help but giggle at his ridiculous flamingo comment as she punched his arm. “And just for all that, I’m sitting by the window on the way home. You two can fight over middle and aisle.”
We spent the next hour continuing the lighthearted conversation, none of us wanting to venture into the topic of why we were all there. I knew she and I still needed to have a very serious conversation, but it wasn’t the time or place to do it. For the moment, I just wanted to enjoy the smiles and laughter.
Scarlett
From the time Ash picked me up at the hotel, he had not stopped touching me. He was either holding my hand or had his hand on my leg or his hand at the base of my back… some sort of physical contact at all times. It was almost as if subconsciously he needed to feel me to remind himself I was there with him. And even though I loved how it made me feel cherished, it also made me sad he was insecure in our relationship. I knew it was my fault he felt that way, and I knew it was my job to fix it. We still had a lot to talk about; I needed to be honest about the lingering feelings I had about Mase and also express to him the difference in my love for the two of them. However, at the end of the day, words were just that… words. They meant nothing without the actions to back them up. It was time to show Ash Walker he was who I wanted in my life.
Once we landed in Houston, Ash drove Max and me to our apartment. As we approached the complex, an uncomfortable silence fell over us. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to go home or to stay with me, to talk or not talk. I kept waiting for him to make some reference to what he was planning on doing, but instead he just clammed up. I figured that was as good of a time as any to start showing him how I felt, even if I was moderately scared of rejection.
He pulled the car into a parking spot, and Max jumped out of the back seat, escaping the evident awkwardness. “I’d really like if you’d stay with me tonight,” I said quietly, staying in the passenger seat.
He turned to look at me, his blue eyes bright and hopeful. “Are you sure? I didn’t know if you needed some time alone or… whatever,” he replied as he ran his fingers nervously through his hair.
I shook my head. “I never want to be without you, Ash, especially not tonight.”
He didn’t wait another second. Smiling, he turned the key, killing the engine, and hopped out of the car. He raced around the front of the car to my door, where he opened it and in a silly accent said, “Madame, please allow me to escort you into your estate.”
I threw my head back in laughter at his antics but placed my hand in his, allowing him to help me from the car. Upon entering the apartment, Max was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he was hiding in his room, and quite honestly, I couldn’t blame him. He and I really needed to have a Chocolate Bar session soon, but there was only one thing on my mind at that moment.
Ash and I headed straight for my bedroom and closed the door behind us. Wasting no time, I slipped my shoes off and pulled my shirt over my head. He stood there staring at me, and I wasn’t sure if he was just watching me or was uncertain about what exactly I had in mind. I walked up to him, standing in my bra and jeans, and grabbed the hem of his shirt and raised it up and over his head. Once he was shirtless, a mischievous grin spread across his face and he reached down to unbutton and unzip my jeans. Biting my lip as the anticipation began to grow inside me, I followed suit and unfastened his belt and pants, never once tearing our gaze from one another’s. He kicked off his shoes and allowed his pants to fall to the floor then stepped out of them, as I shimmied out of mine.
We stood there nearly naked for several minutes, never speaking a word but saying so much to one another. Finally, he brought his hands up to cup my face and leaned down until his face was so close to mine I could feel his breath on my lips. “I’m so glad you’re home, butterfly,” he whispered ever so softly. Then he pressed his lips to mine, firmly and with purpose, taking control of my entire body and soul.
Quickly, we stripped out of the minimal clothing we still had on and found our way onto my bed. Beginning with my mouth, Ash took his time kissing every inch of my body. His tender lips caressed my delicate skin as I melted into a pool of lust under his lean, muscular frame. The minute his mouth hit my throbbing clit, I could no longer control myself. As good as it felt when he licked and sucked on me, I needed to feel him inside me. My whimpering turned into begging as I tugged on his hair. “Ash… please… you… me… inside… now.” Those were the only words I could manage to form in between the moans that kept escaping my lips.
Needing to feel me as badly as I needed him, he didn’t torture me long. Moments later, he slid his way back up my body until he was eye-level with me. Hovering over me, the warmth of his love filling my heart, he brushed a strand of my hair off my face and tucked it behind my ear as he lowered his mouth to mine. Gently, he pulled my bottom lip in between his, sucking slightly at the same time he slid his hard cock into my drenched slit, satisfying the ache there.
Completely captivated by the pa
ssion, it didn’t take me long to reach my peak and to take the ecstasy-filled tumble down. Feeling and hearing my orgasm sent Ash over the edge right behind me. My walls clenched tight around him as I felt his body go rigid and then as he released himself inside me. He collapsed on top of me, gasping for breath, as I locked my arms and legs tightly around his body, holding him close. We were a mess of sweaty perfection, and I was glad to be home.
Five
Stay Close, Don’t Go—Secondhand Serenade
Three Little Birds—Bob Marley
The Last Time—Taylor Swift/Gary Lightbody
Mason
Watching Scarlett walk out of my hotel suite was even harder than watching her leave me at the wedding. At the wedding, I had been angry and raw, a bit out of control, but in the hotel, I was just completely devastated. I walked back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, lost in what to do next.
The previous couple months, my life had gone to shit. Ever since I had moved to Austin, in what was supposed to be my huge step toward the life I always wanted, everything had just fallen apart. I lost sight of the things that were supposed to be important in my life—Scarlett, my music, and my brother, and traded them in for cheap fixes in alcohol, drugs, and groupies. I apparently almost died, but I honestly didn’t feel any different physically just days later, so I wasn’t convinced it was as serious as they all made it out to be. The worst part of it all was thinking Scarlett had come back, that we were going to give it another shot, only to be shattered when she walked away again.
I understood what she said about so much happening between us, but I didn’t agree it was more than we could handle. I was willing to forgive her for all she had done wrong, but seemingly she couldn’t do the same. I believed she loved me; regardless of her fuck-ups, her heart was pure and her intentions were good. I always knew Ash had some sort of hold on her, but I truly believed our love was true and we could overcome that. Obviously, I had been wrong.
