Hey friends! I'm so sorry for not updating in like 3 or 4 days. This time of year always gets a little crazy for me. But I told you I'd never leave you guys hanging :) I really miss Spashley...I think I've already rewatched over half the episodes. Haha I can't help it, those girls are addicting! To be honest, this fanfic is the only thing keeping me Spashley-sane right now. So thank goodness for that :)
Some shoutouts!!!
Hotcutii3: You, my friend, are my hundreth reviewer. Big feat for me, and if I actually knew you, I'd shake your hand. Or hug you or something. So...*virtual hug* lol. You're fierce. :)
LoveAsh87 and ElloEllo9: I gotta tell say, your reviews seriously make me smile or laugh, every time. I love the fact that you review for each chapter, it really keeps me motivated!! Thank you, please keep it up! THIS CHAPTER IS FOR BOTH OF YOU!
Love you guys, enjoy!
***
Oh. My. God.
Let me repeat.
Oh. My. God.
It's pitch black in Biology, the only light source being the projector up at the front of the room, displaying some scientific, educational movie that Mr. Banner had deemed "enjoyable."
As if.
But what I was hyperventilating about was the fact that for the first time since Ashley and I had developed regular speaking habits, she sat as close to me as her apparent limitations allowed. Her toned arm grazed mine, feather light against my skin, and I involuntarily shivered. A fresh batch of nerves unfurled in my stomach, and I clenched my hands into fists, shoving them beneath my crossed arms. The crazy impulse to reach out and trace her perfect face beneath the cloaked, safe cover of darkness was almost unbearable.
Ashley Davies was gaining control of my mind. And I was gradually losing it.
I chanced a glance in her direction, sheepishly biting my lip, only to be met with her smoldering, golden eyes staring back at me. Her flawless body was contorted into the same position as mine, and I allowed myself to think for a moment that maybe, just maybe, she might be experiencing my same problem.
The movie seemed like it went on for days. Week, even. It was almost as if an electric current radiated from Ashley. It was absolutely ridiculous that I should feel dizzy, but I did. I mashed my fists against my ribs, attempting to think about anything other than touching the beautiful girl sitting less than an inch from me. I allowed my eyes to flicker in her direction, taking in as much of her angelic face as my vision permitted, and noticed her observable concentration on the movie. Her symmetric eyebrows were creased, and it was then that I knew how she felt.
The desperate need to know every thought dancing through Ashley's mind overwhelmed me.
"Well, that was interesting," Ashley murmured, smirking at me. I looked away, a blush coating my cheeks, and noticed that Mr. Banner had turned the lights back on. I said nothing, just reached out and slowly flexed my numb fingers.
Ashley rose from her seat fluidly, and strode to the door. My eyes were glued to her retreating form, and she smirked playfully again, shaking me from my reverie.
This girl could distract me.
"After you," Ashley stepped aside graciously, and my cheeks burned red again. I shyly ducked my head, and smiled as she walked me to Gym.
Well, that's not true. I walked. Ashley…she was gliding along smoothly beside me. I doubt the way vampires move is just walking.
My goodbye stuck in my throat as I fought the staggering urge to touch her again. Her eyes were pained, expression torn as she held up a cautious hand.
And yet, even though her face resembled a cross between a frightened puppy and a burn victim, she still looked incredible.
Ashley stepped a bit closer, to my surprise, and brought her icy hand to my face.
Suddenly, nothing else existed.
She ran her steady fingers along the length of my cheekbone, and slowly down my jaw line.
It was a wonder I hadn't fainted yet.
Her lips twitched, and I was hyperaware of the fiery trail her frozen fingertips left on my skin. She turned, and quickly strode away when the bell rang, and I walked in the locker room.
I stayed in my fluctuant, blissful daze all the way up until Coach Stanley handed me a racket.
Time to come back to Earth, Spencer.
My team mates shot many apprehensive looks in my direction, and in that moment, I wished the ground would swallow me whole. More than anything, I just wanted to be back in that safe, impenetrable world I lived in when I was with Ashley.
Thankfully, Ethan approached me, his startling blue eyes as welcoming as ever.
"Why don't you be on my team, Spence?" he asked, tugging on my sleeve. I smiled; sometimes I thought I wasn't as nice to Ethan as I could've been.
"You don't have to do this, you know," I didn't want anyone to have to suffer at my expense. I also didn't want to put anyone in the emergency room.
"I know. But I want to," Ethan grinned, his eyes twinkling behind his stylish black frames. I decided to ignore the double meaning behind his comment.
"So," Ethan started.
"So," I repeated, watching as he skillfully deflected an advancing tennis ball.
"You and Davies, huh?" Oh, here it comes.
"Yeah," I told him, smiling confidently, "and she does have a name, Ethan. It's Ashley." He jumped in front of me, whacking the ball away from my exposed form.
"Right, Ashley, whatever. I don't like it," he admitted, his blue eyes cold.
Yeah, all previous affection I might have had for this boy is now gone.
"I'm sorry," I tried to sound sincere. Not successful.
"She just…looks at you like you're something to eat."
I nearly choked my own breath, laughing at the irony of it all. Ethan frowned, facing me now, and completely missed the ball that bounced between us, creating a symbolic, dividing line.
"It's really none of your business," I grinned, still giddy from his previous comment, and fled to the locker room at the sound of the bell.
I felt reckless as something stronger than nervousness banged against my insides. As I dressed, several thoughts occurred to me at once.
Was Ashley going to drive me home?
Would she be waiting with her family instead?
Did they know that I knew?
Was I even supposed to know about them at all?
Why did Jake always look like he wanted to attack me?
However, all of these wandering questions dissipated as soon as I glimpsed Ashley's now peaceful face, staring off into the distance as she leaned against the wall of the gym, customary Ashley-stance intact.
God, I'm cheesy.
"Hello, Spencer," she greeted me, smiling. My heart fluttered, and I felt my knees buckle.
"Hi," I breathed as we began walking in the direction of her Porsche. I wasn't really paying any attention to where I was going, and as a result, stumbled right into someone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," I apologized furtively, embarrassed that Ashley had witnessed my clumsiness, and stared up into Ethan's face. He glowered at me, his eyes swinging back and forth between me and Ashley.
"Ethan!" Sherry shouted from a distance, but I didn't look. Ethan's unwavering eyes were daunting, and I unconsciously moved closer to Ashley. He took one last look at her, turned on his heel, and stomped away.
Ashley's perfect face was twisted into a sneer of deep frustration, and she put her arm around my shoulders, steering me toward the Porsche.
Our little silent confrontation with Ethan had now been replaced with butterflies.
"Marx is irritating me," Ashley gritted her teeth, not looking at me.
"How come?"
"I feel very…protective of you, Spencer," she told me quietly, settling her amber eyes fixedly on my blue ones. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks, and once again felt that paralyzing compulsion to touch her, to wrap my arm selfishly around her tiny waist.
But I didn't. Because if this contact was Ashley's boundary at the moment, then I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.
Instead, I focused on Ashley's confession as it ricocheted off the walls of my head, and filed it away in my mental library. Being this close to her, inhaling her scent, and hearing her speak those meaningful words aloud was enough to make me go comatose.
Just then, I noticed a group of adolescent--most likely freshmen--boys huddled around a glossy purple convertible parked next to Ashley's Porsche. They didn't even bother to glance up as Ashley and I got into the car beside them.
"Pretentious," Ashley muttered under her breath, carefully backing out.
"Who's car is that?" I asked.
"Madison's," Ashley answered, a hint of distaste evident in her voice. "It's a BMW." As if that explained it all. I had noticed that only snobby students at Forks High owned BMWs.
From Ashley's tone of voice, it didn't seem like Madison was a far cry from that criteria.
"So, are you still interested in spending Saturday afternoon with me?" Ashley asked as we pulled into the road.
"Of course," I shot her a one-hundred watt smile.
"Excellent. I'll be at your door bright and early," she smiled crookedly, her flaming eyes rollicking with the rapid rhythm of my heart. Suddenly, a dormant thought loomed in my mind.
"And what do you propose I tell Arthur about the expensive Porsche left in our driveway?"
"I wasn't planning to bring a car." I stared wordlessly at her, waiting for an explanation. She glanced at me, and laughed musically.
Cue butterflies.
"Don't dwell on it. I'll be there."
I decided to let that one go for now, but I knew I would try to force it out of her later. Ashley transferred one hand to the gear shift, and I willed my own hand to stay where it was.
"So, is it some other time, yet?" I asked, invoking our earlier conversation. I smiled, but she frowned. I used my recent, most powerful weapon, and tilted my head.
The speedometer increased, and I knew her resolve had broken.
"Yes, I suppose."
She stopped the car, and I looked reluctantly away from her angelic features. I groaned inwardly; we were at Arthur's house, parked in Ashley's usual place behind my truck.
"I apologize for scaring you the other day, Spencer," her jaw clenched as I felt her eyes rove my face. "I would just rather you not see me hunt."
"You didn't scare me," I insisted, "and why would it be so awful if I did?"
Ashley's eyes glinted, and she picked her words carefully. "When we hunt, we give ourselves up to the…the beings we used to be. Before we learned to control our sense of smell, and began to govern with our minds instead. Your scent is so…potent to me, Spencer…and if you were ever near me when I lost control in that manner…" she squeezed her eyes shut, and shook her head.
When her eyes met mine again, jolts of electricity shot through every nerve in my body, effectively causing goose bumps to rise on every surface of my skin. Her honey eyes persistently scrutinized mine, and it wasn't until I noticed black dots flooding my vision that I realized I had forgotten to breathe.
Ashley Davies has once again robbed me of my ability to use my lungs.
Her ocher eyes never left mine, and I licked my lips, unmindfully leaning forward. My hand fell onto her frosty one as I moved forward, and she immediately removed it, breaking the perfect stillness we had been suspended in.
"Spencer, I think you should go inside," Ashley's eyes closed, and I could tell she was struggling to control her voice.
I so shouldn't have done that.
I nodded, not looking at her, and stepped carefully out of the Porsche. I secretly wished she would say something, and as a result, I held the pace of a turtle as I made my way up the path to Arthur's house. I turned a little too vehemently when I heard the whir of the automatic window.
"Spencer?" Ashley called out to me, her voice low and raspy.
Wish granted.
"Yes?"
She beckoned me forward, and my pulse quickened with every step back toward this beautiful girl.
"Tomorrow, it's my turn."
I was generally puzzled.
"To what?" Her nose crinkled a little as she grinned, her voice still quiet.
"Ask the questions."
And for the second time, she was speeding down the street, while I leaned forward into the vacant air, looking like an idiot.
That night, Ashley starred in my dreams again. They were charged with the same electricity that flowed between us that afternoon, and I found that I couldn't sleep peacefully. It wasn't until after I had awoken several times during the night that I finally sank into a state of relaxed dreams, in which all I saw were Ashley's face for miles on end.
Needless to say I never wanted to wake up.
***
"So, about Saturday, Spence…" Arthur began, rinsing off his plate as I munched on my cereal.
"Yes, Dad?"
"You're still going to Seattle, right?"
"That was the plan, yeah," I avoided his eyes, engaging the cereal puffs in my bowl in an intense game of hockey.
My spoon was currently winning.
"Did anyone ask you to the dance?" he asked casually. My spoon froze, and I glared at him, but this time he was the one busying himself so he didn't have to look at me.
"I'm not going, Dad. I don't dance, remember?" I reminded him.
"Oh," he frowned, placing his dish in the washer. "Well, I need to get to work, Spence. I'll see you tonight." I waved him off, and he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges. I went back to my hockey game.
As I dressed, I tried to occupy my thoughts in other places that were void of anything remotely concerning Ashley. I empathized with my father; it must be stressful to think your little girl would meet a boy she liked or didn't like. Unfortunately for him, I wouldn't.
But fortunately for me, Arthur hadn't the foggiest idea of who--or what--I did like.
As soon as I heard the honk from Ashley's Porsche, I bounded down the stairs and flew out the door, not bothering to lock it.
It occurred to me that even the signaling beep from Ashley's car had a musically perfect tone to it.
I opened the door on the passenger side, and breathed deeply before settling inside. One of Ashley's hands was draped lazily over the top of the steering wheel as she smiled effulgently.
"Good morning, how are you?"
"I'm good, thank you," I grinned back. I was always good--more than good, actually--when I was around her.
"You look tired," she remarked, her tawny eyes finding the dark bags under my own.
I was too busy dreaming of you. "I couldn't really sleep."
"Neither could I," she teased, finally taking her eyes from my face, and putting the car in drive. I inhaled the delicious scent that was so uniquely Ashley, and tucked some of my blonde hair behind my ears.
"You have magnificent hair, Spencer," Ashley commented, looking at me again.
"Thank you," I grinned shyly, then tried to change the subject. "What did you do last night?"
She chuckled, her velvety voice vibrating through my mind. I could listen to that sound forever.
"A valiant attempt. Yet, you're fruitless. What's your favorite color?" Oh, right. It's her turn to ask the questions.
"Depends what day it is."
"What is it today?" she corrected herself, gazing at me expectantly.
"Topaz," I blurted out without thinking. She stared at me solemnly, the speedometer climbing.
"And why is that?" she asked. As if she didn't know.
"It's the color of your eyes today," I surrendered inaudibly.
You would cave too. Again, this is Ashley Davies.
"I suppose if you gave me two weeks, it would change to coal black."
She continued to stare, the same expression plastered on her face. Then, she reached forward and gently swept back some blonde hair that had fallen over my shoulder. My pulse quickened, and my breath caught in my throat.
"Mine is blue today," she confided with a slight smile. I looked away, blushing furiously.
The day continued in this manner, all the way until Gym, with Ashley flinging questions at me with such speed that I often forgot what I was answering. Self-control was becoming impertinently difficult, especially when Ashley stroked from my temple down to my chin with the backs of her frigid fingertips, and sauntered away. Just as she had done yesterday.
And just like yesterday, this is elicited a flurry of tingles in my stomach that lasted all the way through Ethan's one-man tennis game. He didn't speak to me, only glanced my way with a polar expression all of about two times.
But my elation from Ashley's touch never slackened.
I repeated the motions of yesterday in the locker room, and found Ashley in the same place, smiling brightly as I walked toward her. I reciprocated the grin, mine a thousand times brighter.
Ashley's hushed, probing questions proceeded. We sat in her Porsche, the heater cranked, outside Arthur's house. She wanted to know everything. I finally opened up to her, telling her about my mother kicking me out to live in Forks with Arthur. She wanted to know why, but I wasn't ready to tell her.
Even though I think she's already inferred it.
She wanted to know impossible things. For instance: what the sunset was like, the colors of creosote, and how the vast sky looked, stretching from red to purple rock. I found myself describing things in detail. Like how the sun looked as though it was hanging on to the sky as it dipped over the rocks, and then disappeared, plunging the sky into a navy darkness.
It was challenging. Somehow, I couldn't quite find the words to explain to her why it was all so beautiful to me.
Why she was so beautiful to me.
But that was entering my private realm of all things Ashley, aka my mind. And I wasn't ready to let her in there just yet.
"It's twilight," Ashley mumbled, gazing past me out the passenger window and through the pelting rain, to the cloud-obscured sky. I took this opportunity to rememorize every contour and plane of her flawless face. Suddenly, her gaze shifted back to mine.
"It's the safest time of day for us. It's quite sad, really. The end of another day, the return of night."
"I don't mind the dark. Without it, we couldn't see the stars."
"Although, you don't get a pronounced view of them here," her full lips broke into a wistful smile, and I smiled.
"So, is it my turn tomorrow, then?" I asked hopefully, trying to catch her off guard.
"Surely not!" she faked outrage, causing me to giggle. She grinned at my obvious amusement, but her face instantly hardened into panic.
"What is it?" I asked, leaning forward a little. To my dismay and mild frustration, she cringed away, not looking at me.
"A complication," Ashley said. Suddenly, headlights flew around the corner and a dark, unfamiliar car pulled up to the curb opposite us.
I'm not going to lie to you, I was a little shaken up. I really didn't want to leave Ashley's car. Just as I thought so, she reached across me and flung the door open. The close proximity, no matter how brief, sent my heart into a state of frenzied throbbing.
"Go, Spencer. Arthur's around the corner," she warned quietly, staring intently through the downpour at the dark vehicle across from us.
I was curious, confused, and angry that this car had interrupted my time with Ashley. I stepped out. This better be good.
As Arthur's cruiser came into view, I saw Ashley, illuminated in the harsh, stark white glare of the headlights. She was frozen, her expression angry and dark, not unlike the first day we encountered each other. Her eyes flickered to me, and her expression visibly softened.
My heart was beating wildly. Just one simple look.
She nodded once, then revved the engine and sped off down the road, tires skidding against the wet asphalt.
I followed the Porsche with my eyes until I couldn't see it anymore. The more the distance between myself and that car grew, the more my heart sank.
"Hey, Spence," called a familiar, husky voice. A smile appeared on my face as I peered through the downpour. Aiden had jumped out of the driver's seat of the dark car, and I forgot about being angry at the vehicle.
"Aiden!" I was genuinely happy to see him. His grin stretched wide across his face, and he shook his hair out toward me. I chuckled, and he reached over to remove a wheelchair from the back of the car. He disappeared to the other side and returned a moment later, pushing a much older version of himself in the wheelchair. The man's black eyes surveyed my face, his nostrils flaring.
Aiden's father, Matt Dennison.
His eyes were wide, as if in shock or fear, and I smiled tentatively.
A complication, Ashley had said. My smile faded. Had Matt recognized Ashley that fast? Could he really believe the absurd myths his son had reiterated, and looked down upon?
I had. And from the look in Matt's eyes as he stared at me, he did too.
***
R&R PLEASE! :)
SPASHLEY FOREVER.