Previously on JAD:
"Ashley, you should get some rest."
She lifted her head from the crook of my neck and we locked eyes.
"Can I sleep with you?"
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
She pushed closer against me, straddling me and bring our bodies together. I gasped at the contact.
"Please." She whispered quietly in my ear.
"...Okay."
Chapter 7: Remembering Fruits
...
"Hi what's your name?"
Do you know one of out of body dreams you sometimes experience and you are looking at yourself from a memory or something? That's what this feels like, except I don't think this has happened to me before.
I found myself lying in a vast sea of strawberry fields, as far as the eye can see. The humid day smelled like sweet strawberries mixed with fresh earth. It was beautiful, picturesque with every object of my view saturated with vibrant color. I was wearing a wide straw hat wearing a simple white dress and barefoot. I wiggled my toes in the warm dirt. Probably the biggest difference was that I was about 7 years old I'm guessing, a mini-me.
A little girl with brown hair and chocolate eyes stood next to me as we faced a strawberry bush.
"Knock knock, anyone in there?" The brunette girl tapped my head playfully with a sing-song voice. I giggled at her silliness and remembered that she asked a question.
"Hi, I'm Spencer."
"What a pretty name" she smiled, crinkling her nose in the cutest way ever. Her brown eyes sparkled and caught the sun. "What cha doin' here?"
"I dunno."
She looked concerned, "Are you lost?"
Was I? I didn't know where I was.
"I think." I felt scared and little, so small and powerless, I had no control over anything.
"Aw, don't cry Spence," the girl looked genuinely concerned and tried to comfort me. But I cried harder because I was scared and I didn't know where I was or why I was here. She began to look hopeless as I bawled my eyes out, scared and lost.
"Oh I know!" She grabbed my hand and motioned for me to squat down with her.
"My daddy owns these strawberries, so I got to learn some awesome stuff!"
She picked a huge strawberry off the bush. "Hey look Spencer! Look at this one!"
"...W-what is it?" I sniffled.
"It's a double strawberry! These are the bestest!"
I'd stopped crying by now and was fixated on the strawberry girl before me.
"Why?"
"Cause my daddy says that if you split a double strawberry with someone, you'll fall in love with them! Isn't that yucky? I wouldn't wanna fall in love with anybody!" She huffed out childishly. I giggled in return, it was yucky!
"But I think you could share em with your friends too." She looked over to me with a toothy grin before splitting the double strawberry in half. The ripe red juice gushed all over her fingers and we both shrieked and giggled.
"Here ya go, Spencer. You're my friend now, so don't cry." She handed me the other squished up half. I gave her a huge grin that even hurt my face and we both ate our strawberries in one bite, all smiles and laughter now.
...
"Mmm." The body engulfed in my arms began to rustle the sheets. I slowly blinked my eyes to small rays of sunlight filtering through thick velvet curtains before closing them again. Maybe if I slept a little more I could find out what happened in my dream.
Ashley moved herself out of my arms and propped herself on her elbow, facing me and blocking the sunlight. I could feel her eyes on my face and almost flinched when I felt a fingertip touching my lips. I fought to keep the blush washing over my face that will no doubt reveal me awake. She traces my lips with her soft fingers and before I knew it I could feel warm breath from her mouth on the corner of my mouth. It was incredible and I felt the fine hairs on my skin shiver, my neck sprouted goosebumps. Inwardly, I shivered from her delicious breath. She was driving me mad, for however long she stayed there.
Suddenly, she leaves all traces of herself off the bed. But the effects she left on my skin would stay for a while, it left a warmth in me I couldn't ignore. I heard the closing of the door and laid in bed for a few moments, just enjoying the peaceful hours of the morning.
Finally deciding to get up, I entered the bathroom to find that someone had replaced my soiled clothes with a fresh light gown. There was also warm water to wash myself.
By the time I was done freshening up, Kyla had invited me down for breakfast with the Davies. No good news of Aiden, he still hadn't woken up yet.
Entering the hallway outside my room, I see Ashley leaving hers and she glances my way.
"Thank you. For last night," she smiled shyly, "I really needed that."
"Your welcome, Ashley."
Her smile grew more confident, and she gestured to the stairs, "shall we?"
I couldn't help but grin at her adorable demeanor, "we shall."
We fell in step descending the wide staircase as the first rays of sunlight in quiet pinks and yellows began peeping through the windows. Ashley's profile was alit, and she turned her head to smile at me. It was in comfortable silence that we reached the bottom of the stairs and began to make our way to the dining room.
It was quite the opportune moment to get some serious answers.