But everything was different, especially Erica. The previous evening, they connected on a level that surpassed anything she’d ever felt before. Every kiss, every caress transcended the physical. She prayed it wasn’t, but if that had been their last time together, Ashleigh had given all, and in her heart, she knew Erica had too.
The curtains were drawn in the living room as Ashleigh picked her way through the darkness. She would make breakfast, and hopefully, neither of them would say anything to break the spell they were under. Maybe they could pretend that nothing had come between them.
Ashleigh tripped on something that felt like a magazine, then collided with something hard—something that hadn’t been there before. It felt cool and smooth under her fingertips as she worked her way around it in the darkness to the lamp she hoped was still on the end table next to the sofa. When light filled the room, she felt her knees buckle, then the softness of a chair as she fell into it. How she didn’t notice this the night before or at least bump into it was beyond her.
“It came two days after you left.” Ashleigh looked up as Erica slowly descended the stairs. “I ordered it after the first night I saw you play.”
Stupefied, Ashleigh could only ask, “How the hell did you get it in here?”
“I took the French doors off the hinges. The delivery guys did the rest,” Erica said with a smile as she came to stand by the polished black surface of the baby grand piano.
Ashleigh pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stop the tears that spilled from her eyes. “I was so angry at you for not supporting me in this, and you really were all along.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Erica admitted with an uneasy smile. “I thought my heart was in the right place when I ordered this, but I had to come to terms with the real motivation. I thought if you had this here, you would be satisfied. Your history was foreign to me, and I felt threatened. If I would’ve taken the time to realize that instead of wallowing in self-pity, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out like they did.”
“And if I hadn’t been so self-centered, I would’ve realized that’s where you were at.” Ashleigh laid her head on Erica’s shoulder as she moved into her arms. “So is it really all that simple?”
Erica shrugged. “Simple or not, it caused us both to stumble, didn’t it?”
Ashleigh sighed and nodded. She pulled Erica closer and buried her face in her neck. “I can’t date you anymore, not after last night.”
Erica pulled back and lifted Ashleigh’s chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. “Have I proven that I love you more than anything?” she asked, cupping Ashleigh’s cheek.
“I know you never stopped loving me. What you’ve proven is that you still want me.”
Ashleigh watched as Erica swallowed hard, and her eyes grew moist. “Will you come home then?”
“Did you ever listen to the lyrics to ‘Love’s Someday’?” Ashleigh pulled back from Erica’s grasp.
Erica shook her head as fear colored her face. “The song was fast,” she said with a shrug. “No, I guess I really only heard the chorus.”
“Come sit with me.” Ashleigh tugged Erica’s hand and they moved together to the bench behind the piano. “I don’t suppose it’s tuned, is it?” she asked with a smile.
“It is.” Erica looked more vulnerable than Ashleigh had ever seen her.
Ashleigh ran her fingers over the keys; majestic sound filled the room, making her smile. “Listen.”
The deepest emotion
It’s holding me hostage
Searching day after day
Everyone says it’s gonna take time, but when will love’s someday be mine?
Today or tomorrow
One week or two?
A month, maybe a year.
I want the love that stands the test of time.
I crave the gentle touch
The look that says so much
Everyone says it’s gonna take time, but when will love’s someday be mine?
“You were my love’s someday, Erica, and you always will be. I wish I could add that to the lyrics because you are what I was looking for when I wrote this. I’m home anywhere you are.”
Ashleigh watched in awe as tears filled Erica’s eyes and dripped down her cheeks. She’d seen Erica moved before, but never had she allowed her to witness unabashed raw emotion. Whatever walls had been built between them over the years were gone now, and with each tear, washed away forever.
Chapter Thirty-nine
“Come home to me.” Erica leaned into the window and kissed Ashleigh’s lips.
“I will, I promise.” Ashleigh backed down the driveway and drove away, slowly watching Erica in her rearview as she stood in their driveway with her hands tucked in her pockets. It was Erica’s idea that she go alone. Say whatever she had to say as she packed up her things, but they both knew that today she would finally lay to rest her past with Alex.
Drew’s name was on the caller ID when the phone rang. “Not now, Drew,” Ashleigh said without answering. She tossed the phone into the passenger’s seat and drove toward Baton Rouge.
Ashleigh didn’t hesitate. She knocked on the door before she could change her mind. This had to be done today.
Alex opened the door and smiled. “Hey, I was just about to go for a run. You want to join me?”
“No, I need to talk to you. Can I come in?”
Alex opened the door wider and let her pass.
“Can I offer you something to drink?” Alex asked. “Or will you be staying that long?”
“No, thank you.” Ashleigh took a seat on the couch. “Will you sit with me?”
Alex studied her for a moment and walked over to the mantel. “I don’t think so.”
Ashleigh took in a breath and let it out slowly. “Erica and I have reconciled. I’m moving back home.”
Alex didn’t look her way. Instead she took a seat on the hearth and stared out the window. “I think that’s great.” There was no sarcasm in her reply.
“You were my first love, and you broke my heart. I couldn’t forgive you for that, and even after you were a friend to me while I was going through a hard time, I think I still harbored some ill feelings. I want you to know that I have truly forgiven you.”
Alex didn’t respond. She rubbed her hands together and stared at the floor. Tension filled the space between them, and Ashleigh debated whether or not to leave.
“I have a confession to make,” Alex said as the silence was becoming unbearably uncomfortable. “You were my first, too.”
Ashleigh felt the almost physical weight of Alex’s confession hit her square in the chest. “Why didn’t you tell me this years ago?”
“Wouldn’t have mattered. I was too scared and too ignorant to accept it for what it was. I treated you badly and pushed you away. Things have turned out the way they were supposed to.” Alex sighed and glanced quickly at Ashleigh before looking out the window again. “This…reunion has been healing for me too.”
Ashleigh shook her head in disbelief. “I want to be mad at you.”
Alex moved from her seat and knelt in front of Ashleigh. “I need you to forgive me of this now. You’re not the only one that has struggled all these years.” She took Ashleigh’s shaking hand and squeezed it. “I found you. I used the resources available to me at the firm.” Alex smiled ruefully at Ashleigh’s shocked expression. “I saw you and Erica together working in your yard. You looked happy, so I never told a soul. I figured if you wanted to be found, you would be. And I knew then that there would be no second chances. I knew that too when you came to stay with Vicki and Chantal.”
Ashleigh stared at Alex, trying to comprehend what she was hearing.
“Forgive me for keeping this from you, Ashleigh, and understand why I’ve waited for this moment to tell you.”
Ashleigh took a minute to digest what Alex was telling her. Had she known all of this while she was struggling with her feelings for Erica, she might’ve made a mistake that she would’ve forever regr
etted. When she was at her most vulnerable point, Alex could’ve taken advantage. The old Alex certainly would’ve. “You’ve been a true friend to me. I suppose for that I can forgive you anything.”
Alex laid her head in Ashleigh’s lap. “You are my friend, Ash. It’s more than I could ever hope for.” Then she pushed herself up and away from Ashleigh’s touch. “Now go home. Enjoy what you have and what I hope to find.”
“Can I hug you?” Ashleigh asked as she stood.
“No.” Alex shook her head. “Not today, but when I see you next, I’ll take you up on it.”
Epilogue
The applause was like thunder as the group mustered the strength to take the stage for the encore. The women of Versal moved past Ashleigh as she stood off stage and took their places. Ashleigh closed her eyes as the music began, and she took a deep breath. Reconciled with her past and now her future, she smiled at her luck. She had it all.
On cue, she walked on stage looking for the one face in the crowd she wanted to see. “This is dedicated to Erica, my love’s someday.”
About the Author
Robin Alexander is the author of the Goldie Award-winning Gloria’s Secret and four other novels for Intaglio Publications—Gloria’s Inn, Gift of Time, Murky Waters, and The Taking of Eden. Her short story “Crossing the Line” can be found in the anthology Romance for Life.
Robin spends her days working with the staff of Intaglio and her nights with her own writings. She still manages to find time to spend with her partner, Becky, who she admits is her inspiration.
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