folded her arms across her chest, not looking pleased. “That’s not the point. You don’t have a clue how to talk to a girl.”
I shrugged and stuck my hands into my pockets. “I’m a rocker, baby. I do as I please.”
“No, you’re a public nuisance and you have noise control issues.”
I grinned at the fire in her eyes. She was so damn cute when she got all heated up like that. “You say tuh-mah-toe, I say tuh-may-toe.”
“Ugh!” she cried, and actually stamped her foot. “You are so frustrating!”
Ash grabbed her bag from the ground and shot me another glare before opening up her front door and storming inside. I chuckled as I headed back to my house, recounting our encounter. Even though she’d said she found me frustrating, I knew that a part of her was fascinated with me, just like I was fascinated with her.
She may hate to admit it, but a part of her liked me. Really liked me. The way she’d stared at my lips had made it so obvious that she was still thinking about our kiss.
At least my teasing had made her forget her problems, even for a moment.
Chapter Nine
Ashton
Damn that Luca Byron! Who did he think he was making me feel that way? I mean, sure he had gotten my mind off the horrible day that I’d had, but he was seriously smoking something if he thought that I would kiss him again. Sure, I’d thought about it, but I was never going to kiss the freak of the school for the second time. I still had my dignity left.
Just because I wasn’t the cheerleading captain anymore didn’t mean I couldn’t date Oliver. It was clear that he was into me, so all I had to do was work my magic on him. I could still be the most popular girl in school if I played my cards right.
There was a tap on my door, and I sat up on my bed. “Come in.”
The door opened a little bit and Blaze’s head came into view. “Ashy, Mommy says dinner is soon.”
“Okay, kiddo, tell Mom I’ll be a few minutes.”
Blaze hesitated in the doorway, his angelic features forlorn. “Are you and Mommy angry?”
“What? Why would you say that, sweetie?” I got up and walked over to where my little brother was standing.
“You and Mommy were yelling before,” he said, his bottom lip quivering.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said kneeling down and smiling at him gently. “Mom and me were just talking about something important. We still love each other and we definitely love you, sweetie. There’s nothing to worry about, okay?”
Blaze nodded and I kissed him on the cheek. “Tell Mom I’ll be down soon. I love you, baby bear.”
“Love you,” Blaze cooed, and then left me alone. I heard his footsteps patter down the stairs and finally fade.
Sighing, I stood up and walked back over to my bed. Getting Blaze involved in this hadn’t been my intention. I knew firsthand what it was like to be a child and have to listen to your family fighting. You felt so helpless and alone, like you were the smallest creature in the world. I didn’t want that for Blaze.
Mom and Bryan had fought on a regular basis when they’d been married. When the screaming matches began, I’d crawl under my bed and cover my ears. Sometimes I’d hear things being thrown around and the next morning when I went downstairs, I’d find a broken vase or a dent in the wall.
I’d hated living in that hell, and when Bryan finally left, Mom had promised me that we would never go through that again. That’s why Mom never yelled at me. Not until today. Not until I’d pushed her to breaking point. I never wanted Blaze to be in a situation where he felt helpless. The least I could do was not put him through something that I’d experienced myself. Something that would stay with me forever and left a bitter taste in my mouth when I thought about it.
My room was suddenly bathed with light and, surprised, I looked around for the source of it. My search led me to my bedroom window and beyond it. What the heck? The light in Luca’s old room was on.
I
I shrugged and stuck my hands into my pockets. “I’m a rocker, baby. I do as I please.”
“No, you’re a public nuisance and you have noise control issues.”
I grinned at the fire in her eyes. She was so damn cute when she got all heated up like that. “You say tuh-mah-toe, I say tuh-may-toe.”
“Ugh!” she cried, and actually stamped her foot. “You are so frustrating!”
Ash grabbed her bag from the ground and shot me another glare before opening up her front door and storming inside. I chuckled as I headed back to my house, recounting our encounter. Even though she’d said she found me frustrating, I knew that a part of her was fascinated with me, just like I was fascinated with her.
She may hate to admit it, but a part of her liked me. Really liked me. The way she’d stared at my lips had made it so obvious that she was still thinking about our kiss.
At least my teasing had made her forget her problems, even for a moment.
Chapter Nine
Ashton
Damn that Luca Byron! Who did he think he was making me feel that way? I mean, sure he had gotten my mind off the horrible day that I’d had, but he was seriously smoking something if he thought that I would kiss him again. Sure, I’d thought about it, but I was never going to kiss the freak of the school for the second time. I still had my dignity left.
Just because I wasn’t the cheerleading captain anymore didn’t mean I couldn’t date Oliver. It was clear that he was into me, so all I had to do was work my magic on him. I could still be the most popular girl in school if I played my cards right.
There was a tap on my door, and I sat up on my bed. “Come in.”
The door opened a little bit and Blaze’s head came into view. “Ashy, Mommy says dinner is soon.”
“Okay, kiddo, tell Mom I’ll be a few minutes.”
Blaze hesitated in the doorway, his angelic features forlorn. “Are you and Mommy angry?”
“What? Why would you say that, sweetie?” I got up and walked over to where my little brother was standing.
“You and Mommy were yelling before,” he said, his bottom lip quivering.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said kneeling down and smiling at him gently. “Mom and me were just talking about something important. We still love each other and we definitely love you, sweetie. There’s nothing to worry about, okay?”
Blaze nodded and I kissed him on the cheek. “Tell Mom I’ll be down soon. I love you, baby bear.”
“Love you,” Blaze cooed, and then left me alone. I heard his footsteps patter down the stairs and finally fade.
Sighing, I stood up and walked back over to my bed. Getting Blaze involved in this hadn’t been my intention. I knew firsthand what it was like to be a child and have to listen to your family fighting. You felt so helpless and alone, like you were the smallest creature in the world. I didn’t want that for Blaze.
Mom and Bryan had fought on a regular basis when they’d been married. When the screaming matches began, I’d crawl under my bed and cover my ears. Sometimes I’d hear things being thrown around and the next morning when I went downstairs, I’d find a broken vase or a dent in the wall.
I’d hated living in that hell, and when Bryan finally left, Mom had promised me that we would never go through that again. That’s why Mom never yelled at me. Not until today. Not until I’d pushed her to breaking point. I never wanted Blaze to be in a situation where he felt helpless. The least I could do was not put him through something that I’d experienced myself. Something that would stay with me forever and left a bitter taste in my mouth when I thought about it.
My room was suddenly bathed with light and, surprised, I looked around for the source of it. My search led me to my bedroom window and beyond it. What the heck? The light in Luca’s old room was on.
I
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