disclaimer: I don't own SON/beautiful disaster
Ch11
I awoke on my stomach, naked and tangled in Ashley Davies's sheets. I kept my eyes closed, feeling her fingers caressing my arm and back.
She exhaled with a deep, contented sigh, speaking in a hushed voice. "I love you, Spence. I'm going to make you happy, I swear it."
The bed concaved as she shifted, and then her lips were on my back in slow, small kisses. I remained still, and just as she had made her way up to the skin just below my ear, she left me to walk across the room. Her footsteps leisurely plodded down the hall, and the pipes whined with the water pressure of the shower.
I opened my eyes and sat up, stretching. Every muscle in my body ached, muscles that I never knew I had. I held the sheet to my chest, looking out the window, watching the yellow and red leaves spiral from their branches to the ground.
Her cell phone vibrated somewhere on the floor, and after clumsily searching the crumpled clothes on the floor, I found it in her jeans pocket. The display was lit with only a number, no name.
"Hello?"
"Is uh…is Ashley there?" a woman asked.
"She's in the shower, can I take a message?"
"Of course she is. Tell her that Megan called, would ya?"
Ashley walked in, tightening her towel around herself, and smiled as I held out her phone.
"It's for you," I said.
She kissed me before looking at the display, and then shook her head. "Yeah? It was my girlfriend, what do you need, Megan?" She listened for a moment and then smiled, "Well, Pigeon's special, what can I say?" After a long pause, she rolled her eyes. I could only imagine what she was saying. "Don't be a bitch, Megan. Listen, you can't call my phone anymore….Well, love'll do that to ya," she said, looking at me with a soft expression. "Yes, with Spencer. I mean it, Meg, no more phone calls…Later."
She tossed her phone on the bed, and then sat beside me. "She was a little pissy. Did she say anything to you?"
"No, she just asked for you."
"I erased the few numbers I had on my phone, but I guess that doesn't stop them from calling me. If they don't figure it out on their own, I'll set them straight."
She watched me expectantly, and I couldn't help but smile. I had never seen this side of her. "I trust you, you know."
She pressed her lips to mine. "I wouldn't blame you if you expected me to earn it."
"I've got to get in the shower. I've already missed one class."
"See? I'm a good influence already."
I stood up, and she tugged on the sheet. "Megan said there's a Halloween party this weekend at The Red Door. I went with her last year, it was pretty fun."
"I'm sure it was," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"I just mean a lot of people come out. They have a pool tournament and cheap drinks…wanna go?"
"I'm not really…I don't do the dress up thing. I never have."
"I don't, either. I just go," she shrugged.
"Are we still going bowling tonight?" I asked, wondering if the invitation was just to get some alone time with me that he no longer needed.
"Well, hell yeah! I'm gonna kick your ass, too!"
I narrowed my eyes at her. "Not this time you're not. I have a new superpower."
She laughed. "And what's that? Harsh language?"
I leaned over to kiss her neck once, and then ran my tongue up to her ear, kissing her earlobe. She froze in place.
"Distraction," I breathed into her ear.
She grabbed my arms and flipped me onto my back. "You're going to miss another class."
After finally talking her into leaving the apartment long enough to attend History class, we raced to campus, and slid into the seat just before Professor Cheney began. Ashley turned her red baseball cap backwards to plant a kiss on my lips, in full view of everyone in the classroom.
On our way to the cafeteria, she took my hand in her, intertwining our fingers as we walked. She seemed so proud to be holding my hand, announcing to the world that we were finally together. Carmen noticed, looking at our hands, and then to me with a ridiculous grin. She wasn't the only one, our simple display of affection generated stares and murmuring of everyone we passed.
At the door of the cafeteria, Ashley blew out her last puff of smoke, looking to me when I hesitated. Kyla and Aiden were already inside, and Carmen had lit another cigarette, leaving me to go in with Ashley alone. I was certain the gossip had soared to a new level since Ashley had kissed me in full view of everyone in our History class, and I dreaded walking out onto the stage the cafeteria presented.
"What, Pigeon?" She said, tugging on my hand.
"Everyone is watching us."
She pulled my hand to her mouth and kissed my fingers. "They'll get over it. It's just the initial shock. Remember when we first started hanging out? Their curiosity died down after awhile and they got used to seeing us together. C'mon," she said, pulling me through the door.
One of the reasons I had chosen Eastern U was for its modest population, but the exaggerated interest in scandal that came with it was at times exhausting. It was a running joke; everyone was aware of how ridiculous the rumor mill was, and yet they all shamelessly participated in it.
We sat down in our usual spots with our food. Kyla smiled at me with a knowing expression. She chatted as if everything was normal, but the football players at the other end of the table were staring at me like I was on fire.
Ashley tapped my apple with her fork. "You gonna eat that, Pidge?"
"No, you can have it, Baby."
Heat consumed my ears when Kyla's head jerked to look at me.
"It just came out," I said, shaking my head. I peeked up at Ashley's whose expression was a mixture of amusement and adoration.
We had exchanged the term a few times that morning, and it hadn't occurred to me that it was new to everyone else until it tumbled from my mouth.
"You two have just reached the level of annoyingly cute," Kyla grinned.
Aiden tapped my shoulder. "You staying over tonight?" he asked, his words garbled among the bread in his mouth. "I promise I won't come out of my room cussing at you."
"You were defending my honor, Aid. You're forgiven," I said.
Ashley took a bite of the apple and chewed, looking happy as I'd ever seen her. The peace in her eyes had returned, and even as the dozens of people watched our every move, everything felt…right.
I thought of all the times I had insisted being with Ashley was the wrong decision, and how much time I had wasted fighting my feelings for her. Looking across the table at her soft, brown eyes, and the crinkle in her nose every time she smiled, I couldn't remember what I was so worried about.
"She looks awful happy. Did you finally give it up, Spence?" Chris said, elbowing his teammates.
"You're not very smart, are ya, Jenks?" Aiden said, frowning.
The blood instantly rose to my cheeks, and I looked to Ashley who had murder in her eyes. My embarrassment took a back seat to Ashleys anger, and I shook my head dismissively. "Just ignore him."
After another tense moment, her shoulders relaxed a bit, and she nodded once, taking a deep breath. After a few seconds, she winked at me. I reached my hand across the table, sliding my fingers into hers. "You meant what you said last night, didn't you?"
She began to speak, but Chris' laughter filled the cafeteria. "Holy God! Ashley Davies is whipped ?"
"Did you mean it when you said you didn't want me to change?" She asked, squeezing my hand.
I looked down at Chris laughing to his teammates, and then turned to Ashley. "Absolutely. Teach that asshole some manners."
A mischievous grin spread across her face, and she walked down to the end of the table where Chris sat. Silence spread across the room, and Chris swallowed back his laughter.
"Hey, I was just givin' you a hard time, Ashley," he said, looking up at her.
"Apologize to Pidge," Ashley said, glowering down at him.
Chris looked down at me with a nervous grin. "I…I was just kidding, Spencer. I'm sorry."
I glared at him as he looked up to Ashley for approval. When Ashley walked away, Chris snickered, and then whispered something to Brazil. My heart began to pound when I saw Ashley stop in her tracks and ball her hands into fists at her side.
Brazil shook his head and huffed in an exasperated sigh. "Just remember when you wake up, Chris…that you bring it on yourself."
Ashley lifted Carmen's tray off the table and swung it into Chris' face, knocking him off his chair. Chris tried to scramble under the table, but Ashley pulled him out by his legs, and then began to wail on him.
Chris curled into a ball, and then Ashley kicked him in the back. Chris arched and turned, holding his hands out, allowing Ashley to land several punches to his face. The blood began to flow, and Ashley stood up, winded.
"If you even look at her you piece of shit, I'll break your fuckin' jaw!" Ashley yelled. I winced when she kicked Chris in the leg one last time.
The women working in the cafeteria scampered out, shocked at the bloody mess on the floor.
"Sorry," Ashley said, wiping Chris' blood from his cheek.
Some of the students stood up to get a better look; others remained seated, watching with mild amusement. The football team simply stared at Chris' limp body on the floor, shaking their heads.
Ashley turned, and Aiden stood, grabbing both my arm and Kyla's hand, pulling us out the door behind his cousin. We walked the short distance to Morgan Hall, and Kyla and I sat on the front steps, watching Ashley pace back and forth.
"You okay, Ash?" Aiden asked.
"Just…give me a minute," she said, putting her hands low on her hips as she walked.
Aiden shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm surprised you stopped."
"Pidge said to teach him some manners, Aid, not kill him. It took everything I had to quit when I did."
Kyla slipped on her large, square sunglasses to look up at Ashley. "What did Chris say that set you off, anyway?"
"Something he'll never say again," Ashley seethed.
Kyla looked to Aiden, who shrugged. "I didn't hear it."
Ashleys hands balled into fists again. "I'm goin' back in there."
Aiden touched Ashley's shoulder. "Your girls out here . You don't need to go back in there."
Ashley looked at me, forcing herself to stay calm. "He said…everyone thinks Pidge has…Jesus, I can't even say it."
"Just say it already," Kyla muttered, picking at her nails.
Carmen walked up behind Ashley, clearly thrilled by all the excitement. "Every straight guy at Eastern wants to try her out because she landed the unattainable Ashley Davies," she shrugged. "That's what they're saying in there now, at least."
Ashley shouldered past Carmen, heading for the cafeteria. Aiden bolted after her, grabbing her arm. My hands flew to my mouth when Ashley swung, and Aiden ducked. My eyes darted to Kyla who was unaffected, accustomed to their routine.
I could think of only one thing to do to stop her. I scrambled off the steps, wheeling around, directly in her path. I jumped on her, wrapping my legs around her waist, and she gripped my thighs as I grabbed each side of her face, planting a long, deep kiss on her mouth. I could feel her anger melt away as she kissed me, and when I pulled away, I knew I had won.
"We don't care what they think, remember? You can't start now ," I said, smiling with confidence. I had more of an effect on her than I ever thought possible.
"I can't let them talk about you like that, Pigeon," she said with a frustrated frown, lowering me to my feet.
I slid my arms under hers, interlocking my fingers behind her back. "Like what? They think I have something special because you've never settled down before. Do you disagree?"
"Hell no, I just can't stand the thought of every guy in this school wanting to bag you because of it." She pressed her forehead against
mine. "This is going to make me crazy. I can already tell."
"Don't let them get to you, Ashley," Aiden said. "You can't fight everybody."
Travis sighed. "Everybody. How would you feel if everybody thought about Kyla like that?"
"Who says they don't?" Kyla said, offended. We all laughed, and Kyla made a face. "I wasn't kidding."
Aiden pulled her to her feet by her hands and kissed her cheek. "We know, Baby. I gave up being jealous a long time ago. I'd never have time to do anything else."
Kyla smiled in appreciation, and then hugged him. Aiden had an uncanny ability to make everyone around him feel at ease, no doubt the result from growing up around Ashley and her brothers. It was probably more of a defense mechanism than anything.
Ashley nuzzled my ear, and I giggled until I saw Parker approach. The same sense of urgency I'd felt when Ashley wanted to return to the cafeteria overcame me, and I instantly let go of Ashley to quickly walked the ten or so feet to intercept Parker.
"I need to talk to you," he said.
I glanced behind me, and then shook my head as a warning. "Now is not a good time, Parker. It's a really, really bad time, actually. Ashley and Chris got into it at lunch, and she's still a little raw. You need to go."
Parker eyed Ashley, and then returned his attention to me, determined. "I just heard what happened in the cafeteria. I don't think you realize what you're getting yourself into. Ashley is bad news, Spencer. Everyone knows it. No one is talking about how great it is that you've turned her around…they're all waiting for her to do what he does best. I don't know what she's told you, but you have no clue what kind of person she is."
I felt Ashleys' hands on my shoulders. "Why don't you tell her, then?"
Parker shifted nervously. "Do you know how many humiliated girls I've taken home from parties after they've spent a few hours alone in a room with her? She's going to hurt you."
Ashley's fingers tightened in reaction, and I rested my hand on hers until she relaxed. "You should go, Parker."
"You should listen to what I'm saying, Spen."
"Don't fucking call her that," Ashley growled.
Parker didn't take his eyes from mine. "I'm worried about you."
"I appreciate it, but it's unnecessary."
Parker shook his head. "She saw you as a long-term challenge, Spencer. She has you thinking you're different from the other girls so she could get you in the sack. She's going to get tired of you. She has the attention span of a toddler."
Ashley stepped around me, standing so close to Parker that their noses nearly touched. "I let you have your say. My patience has run out." Parker tried to look at me, but Ashley leaned in hid way. "Don't you fucking look at her. Look at me you spoiled shit stain." Parker focused on Ashley' eyes and waited. "If you so much as breathe in her direction, I'll make sure you'll be limping through med school."
Parker took a few steps back until I was in his line of sight. "I thought you were smarter than that," he said, shaking his head before turning away.
Ashley watched him leave, and then turned around, her eyes searching mine. "You know that's a bunch of bullshit, right? It's not true."
"I'm sure that's what everyone is thinking," I grumbled, noting the interest of those walking by.
"Then I'll prove them wrong."
As the week wore on, Ashley took her promise very seriously. She no longer humored the girls that stopped her on her way to and from class, and at times she was rude about it. By the time we walked into The Red for the Halloween party, I was a little nervous about how she planned to keep the intoxicated co-eds away.
Kyla , Carmen and I sat at a nearby table while watching Aiden and Ashley play pool against two of their Sig Tau brothers.
"Go, Baby!" Kyla called, standing up on the rungs of her stool.
Aiden winked at her and then took his shot, sinking it into the far right pocket.
"Wooo!" she squealed.
A trio of women dressed as Charlie's Angels approached Ashley while she waited her turn, and I smiled as she tried her best to ignore them. When one of them traced the line of one of her tattoos, Ashley pulled her arm away. She waved her off so she could make a shot, and she pouted to her friends.
"Can you believe how ridiculous they are? The girls here are shameless," Kyla said.
Carmen shook her head in awe. "It's Ashley. I think it's the bad-girl thing. They either want to save her, or think they're immune to her wicked ways. I'm not sure which."
"It's probably both," I laughed, giggling at the girls waiting for Ashley to pay them attention. "Can you imagine hoping you're the one she'll pick? Knowing you'll be used for sex?"
Carmen put out her cigarette, and tugged on our dresses. "Come on girls! The one and only Carmen wants to dance!"
"Only if you promise not to call yourself that ever again," Kyla said.
Carmen jutted out her bottom lip, and Kyla smiled. "Come on, Spence. You don't wanna make Carmen cry, do you?"
We joined the policemen and vampires on the dance floor, and Carmen broke out her Timberlake moves. I glanced at Ashley over my shoulder and caught her watching me from the corner of her eye, pretending to watch Aiden sink the eight ball for the game. Aiden collected their winnings, and Ashley walked to the long, shallow table that bordered the dance floor, taking a drink. Carmen flailed about the dance floor, finally sandwiching herself between Kyla and me. Ashley rolled her eyes, chuckling as she returned to our table with Aiden.
"I'm going to get another drink, want anything?" Kyla shouted over the music.
"I'll go with you," I said, looking to Carmen and pointing at the bar.
Carmen shook her head and continued to dance. Kyla and I shouldered through the crowd to the bar. The bartenders were overwhelmed, so we settled in for a long wait.
"They are making a killing tonight," Kyla said.
I leaned into her ear. "Why anyone bets against Aid I'll never understand."
"For the same reason they bet against Ashley. They're idiots," she smiled.
A man in a toga leaned against the bar beside Kyla and smiled. "What are you ladies drinking this evening?"
"We buy our own beverages, thanks," Kyla said, facing forward.
"I'm Mike," he said, and then pointed to his friend, "This is Logan."
I smiled politely, looking to Kyla who made her best go away expression. The bartender took our order, and then nodded behind us, turning to make Kyla's drink. She brought over a square glass full of pink, frothy liquid, and three beers. Mike handed her some money and she nodded.
"This is something else," Mike said, scanning the crowd.
"Yeah," Kyla said, annoyed.
"I saw you dancing out there," Logan said to me, nodding to the dance floor. "You looked good."
"Uh…thanks," I said, trying to remain polite, wary that Ashley was just a few yards away.
"You wanna dance?" he asked.
I shook my head. "No, thanks. I'm here with my—,"
"Girlfriend," Ashley said, appearing out of nowhere. She glared at the men standing in front of us, and they backed away a bit, clearly intimidated.
Kyla couldn't contain her smug smile as Aiden wrapped his arm around her. Ashley nodded across the room. "Run along, now."
The men glanced at Kyla and me, and then took a few cautious steps backward before retreating behind the safety of the crowd.
Aiden kissed Kyla. "I can't take you anywhere!" She giggled, and I smiled at Ashley, who was glowering down at me.
"What?"
"Why did you let him buy your drink?"
Kyla let go of Aiden, noticing Ashley's ' mood. "We didn't, Ashley. I told them not to."
Ashley took the bottle from my hand. "Then what's this?"
"Are you serious?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm fucking serious," she said, tossing the beer in the trashcan by the bar. "I've told you a hundred times…you can't be taking drinks from random guys. What if he put something in it?"
Kyla held up her glass. "The drinks
were never out of our sight, Ash. You're overreacting."
"I'm not talking to you," Ashley said, her eyes boring into mine.
"Hey!" I said, instantly angry. "Don't' talk to her like that."
"Ashley," Aiden warned, "let it go."
"I don't like you letting guys buy you drinks," Ashley said.
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to pick a fight?"
"Would it bother you to walk up to the bar and see me sharing a drink with some chick?"
I nodded once. "Okay. You're oblivious to all women, now. I get it. I should be making the same effort."
"It would be nice." She was clearly trying to subdue her temper, and it was a bit unnerving to be on the wrong side of her wrath. Her eyes were still bright with anger, and an innate urge to go on the offensive bubbled to the surface.
"You're going to have to tone down the jealous girlfriend-thing, Ashley . I didn't do anything wrong."
Ashley shot me an incredulous look. "I walk up here, and some guy is buying you a drink!"
"Don't yell at her!" Kyla said.
Aiden put his hand on Ashley's ' shoulder. "We've all had a lot to drink. Let's just get out of here." Aiden usually calming effect was lost on Ashley, and I was instantly annoyed that her tantrum had ended our night.
"I have to tell Carmen we're leaving," I grumbled, shouldering past Ashley to the dance floor.
A warm hand encapsulated my wrist. I wheeled around, seeing Ashley's fingers locked without regret. "I'll go with you."
I twisted my arm from her grip. "I am fully capable of walking a few feet by myself, Ashley. What is wrong with you?"
I spied Carmen in the middle, and pushed my way out to her.
"We're leaving!"
"What?" Carmen yelled over the music.
"Ashley is in a pissy mood! We're leaving!"
Carmen rolled her eyes and shook her head, waving as I left the dance floor. Just as I spotted Kyla and Aiden, I was tugged backward by a man in a pirate costume.
"Where do you think you're going?" he smiled, bumping up against me.
I laughed and shook my head at the silly face he was making. Just as I turned to walk away, he grabbed my arm. It didn't take long for me to realize he wasn't grabbing at me, he was grabbing for me—for protection.
"Whoa!" he cried, looking beyond me with wide eyes.
Ashley barreled her way onto the dance floor, and plunged her fist straight into the pirate's face, the force sending both of us to the ground. With my palms flat on the wooden floor, I blinked my eyes in stunned disbelief. Feeling something warm and wet on my hand,
I turned it over and recoiled. It was covered in blood from the man's nose. His hand was cupped over his face, but the bright red liquid poured down his forearm as he writhed on the floor.
Ashley scrambled to pick me up, seeming as shocked as I was. "Oh shit! Are you all right, Spence?"
When I got to my feet, I yanked my arm from her grip. "Are you insane ?"
Kyla grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the crowd to the parking lot. Aiden unlocked his doors and after I slid into my seat, Ashley turned to me.
"I'm sorry, Pigeon, I didn't know he had a hold of you."
"Your fist was two inches from my face!" I said, catching the oil-stained towel Aiden had thrown at me. I wiped the blood from my hand, revolted.
The seriousness of the situation darkened her face and she winced. "I wouldn't have swung if I thought I could have hit you. You know that right?"
"Shut up, Ashley. Just shut up," I said, staring at the back of Aidens head.
"Pidge…," Ashley began.
Aiden hit his steering wheel with the heel of his hand. "Shut up, Ashley! You said you're sorry, now shut the fuck up!"
The trip home was made in complete silence. Aiden pulled his seat forward to let me out of the car, and I looked to Kyla, who nodded with understanding.
She kissed her boyfriend goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow, Baby."
Aid nodded in resignation and kissed her. "Love you."
I walked past Ashley to Kyla's Honda, and she jogged to my side. "C'mon. Don't leave mad."
"Oh, I'm not leaving mad. I'm furious."
"She needs some time to cool off, Ashley," Kyla warned, unlocking her door.
When the passenger side lock popped, Ashley held her hand against the door. "Don't leave, Pigeon. I was out of line. I'm sorry ."
I held up my hand, showing her the remnants of dried blood on my palm. "Call me when you grow up."
She leaned against the door with her hip. "You can't leave."
I raised an eyebrow, and Aiden jogged around the car beside us. "Ashley, you're drunk. You're about to make a huge mistake. Just let her go home, cool off…you can both talk tomorrow when you're sober."
Ashley's ' expression turned desperate. "She can't leave," she said, staring into my eyes.
"It's not going to work, Ashley," I said, tugging on the door. "Move!"
"What do you mean it's not gonna work?" Ashley asked, grabbing my arm.
"I mean the sad face. I'm not falling for it," I said, pulling away.
Aiden watched Ashley for a moment, and then turned to me. "Spencer…this is the moment I was talking about. Maybe you should…,"
"Stay out of it, Aid," Kyla snapped, starting the car.
"I'm gonna fuck up. I'm gonna fuck up a lot, Pidge, but you have to forgive me."
"I'm going to have a huge bruise on my ass in the morning! You hit that guy because you were pissed at me ! What should that tell me? Because red flags are going up all over the place right now!"
"I've never hit a girl I care for in my life," she said, surprised at my words.
"And I'm not about to be the first one!" I said, tugging on the door. "Move, damnit!"
Ashley nodded, and then took a step back. I sat beside Kyla, slamming the door. She put the car in reverse, and Ashley leaned down to look at me through the window.
"You're going to call me tomorrow, right?" She said, touching the windshield.
"Just go, Ky," I said, refusing to meet her eyes.
The night was long. I kept looking at the clock, and cringed when I saw that another hour had passed. I couldn't stop thinking about Ashley and whether or not I would call her, wondering if she was awake as well. I finally resorted to sticking the ear buds of my iPod in my ear and listening to every loud, obnoxious song on my playlist.
The last time I looked at the clock, it was after four. The birds were already chirping outside my window, and I smiled when my eyes began to feel heavy. It seemed like just a few moments later when I heard a knock at the door, and Kyla burst through it. She pulled the ear buds from my ears and then fell into my desk chair.
"Mornin' sunshine. You look like hell," she said, blowing a pink bubble from her mouth and then letting it smack loudly as it popped.
"Shut UP, Kyla!" Kara said from under her covers.
"You realize people like you and Ash are going to fight, right?" Kyla said, filing her nails as she chewed the huge wad of gum in her mouth.
I turned over on the bed. "You are officially fired. You are a terrible conscience."
She laughed. "I just know you. If I handed you my keys right now, you'd drive straight over there."
"I would not!"
"Whatever," she lilted.
"It's eight o'clock in the morning, Ky. They're probably still passed out cold."
Just then, I heard a faint knock on the door. Kara's arm shot out from under her comforter and turned the knob. The door slowly opened, revealing Ashley in the doorway.
"Can I come in?" She asked in a low, raspy voice. The purple circles under her eyes announced her lack of sleep, if she'd had any at all.
I sat up in bed, startled by her exhausted appearance. "Are you okay?"
She walked in and fell to her knees in front of me. "I'm so sorry, Spencer. I'm sorry ," she said, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her head in my lap.
I cradled her head in my arms and peered up at Kyla.
"I'm uh…I'm gonna go," she said, awkwardly fumbling for the door handle.
Kara rubbed her eyes and sighed, and then grabbed her shower bag. "I'm always very clean when you're around, Spencer," she grumbled, slamming the door behind her.
Ashley looked up at me. "I know I get crazy when it comes to you, but God knows I'm tryin', Pidge. I don't wanna screw this up."
"Then don't."
"This is hard for me, ya know. I feel like any second you're going to figure out what a piece of shit I am and leave me. When you were dancing last night, I saw a dozen different guys watching you. You go to the bar, and I see you thank that guy for your drink. Then that douchebag on the dance floor grabs you."
"You don't see me throwing punches every time a girl talks to you. I can't stay locked up in the apartment all the time. You're going to have to get a handle on your temper."
"I will. I've never wanted a girlfriend before, Pigeon. I'm not used to feeling this way about someone…about anyone . If you'll be patient with me, I swear I'll get it figured out."
"Let's get something straight; you're not a piece of shit, you're amazing. It doesn't matter who buys me drinks, or who asks me to dance, or who flirts with me. I'm going home with you. You've asked me to trust you, and you don't seem to trust me."
She frowned. "That's not true."
"If you think I'm going to leave you for the next guy that comes along, then you don't have much faith in me."
She tightened her grip. "I'm not good enough for you, Pidge. That doesn't mean I don't trust you, I'm just bracing for the inevitable."
"Don't say that. When we're alone, you're perfect. We're perfect. But then you let everyone else ruin it. I don't expect a one-eighty, but you have to pick your battles. You can't come out swinging every time someone looks at me."
She nodded. "I'll do anything you want. Just…tell me you love me."
"You know I do."
"I need to hear you say it," she said, her brows pulling together.
"I love you," I said, touching my lips to hers. "Now quit being such a baby."
She laughed, crawling into the bed with me. We spent the next hour in the same spot under the covers, giggling and kissing, barely noticing when Kara returned from the shower.
"Could you get out? I have to get dressed," Kara said to Ashley, tightening her robe.
Ashley kissed my cheek, and then stepped into the hall. "See ya in a sec."
I fell against my pillow as Kara rummaged though through her closet. "What are you so happy about?" she grumbled.
"Nothing," I sighed.
"Do you know what co-dependency is, Spencer? Your girlfriend is a prime example, which is creepy considering she went from having no respect for women at all to thinking she needs you to breathe."
"Maybe she does," I said, refusing to let her spoil my mood.
"Don't you wonder why that is? I mean…she's been through half the girls at this school. Why you?"
"She says I'm different."
"Sure she does. But why?"
"Why do you care?" I snapped.
"It's dangerous to need someone that much. You're trying to save her and she's hoping you can. You two are a disaster."
I smiled at the ceiling. "It doesn't matter what or why it is. When it's good, Kara…it's beautiful."
She rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."
Ashley knocked on the door, and Kara let her in.
"I'm going to the commons to study. Good luck," she said in the most insincere voice she could muster.
"What was that about?" Ashley asked.
"She said we're a disaster."
"Tell me something I don't know," she smiled. Her eyes were suddenly focused, and she kissed the tender skin behind my ear. "Why don't you come home with me?"
I rested my hand on the back of her neck and sighed at the feeling of her soft lips against my skin. "I think I'm going to stay here. I'm constantly at your apartment."
Her head popped up. "So? You don't like it there?"
I touched her cheek and sighed. She was so quick to worry. "Of course I do, but I don't live there."
She ran the tip of her nose up my neck. "I want you there. I want you there every night."
"I'm not moving in with you," I said, shaking my head.
"I didn't ask you to move in with me. I said I want you there."
"Same thing!" I laughed.
Ashley frowned. "You're really not staying with me tonight?"
I shook my head, and her eyes traveled up my wall to the ceiling. I could almost see the wheels spinning inside her head. "What are you up to?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"I'm trying to think of another bet."