we ordered pancakes with fruit and cream, along with orange juice and coffee.
I spent the time we were there eating and listening to her as she told me all she had been through that week we've been separated. I just loved hearing her talk, feeling her so close to me. When we were done she took me for a walk around town, showing me her house and her school.
"I'm not inviting you to my house." She warned me.
"Why not, is there a problem?"
"I had a fight with my mother last night over your visit. Besides, I don’t want you to meet her. She's not important in my life and I rather keep you away from her as much as possible."
I could see this situation tensed her, so I didn’t insist. I had no desire in meeting a woman that had made Ashley's life a living hell when she was just a child.
For lunch, we bought some bread, cheese, roast beef, tomatoes and apple juice; and we went to a park for a picnic. It was a bit cold but the sun was up, and we wanted to be alone, out in the open, not locked up in a room or in a restaurant surrounded by strangers. We needed to feed our souls with each other's presence so that we could cope with the weeks we had ahead of us.
"Have you seen Lindsey?" Ashley asked me. I was sitting under a tree and she was lying on the grass, with her head over my lap. We had just finished eating.
"Oh, yes… she comes every other day to check on me, while I'm training. She says someone has to keep an eye on me." I told her, amused.
Ashley laughed. "Oh, yes, that's so like Lindsey. Does her presence bother you?"
"Of course not, I know she's your best friend and I understand her concern."
"Good."
The rest of the weekend went by too fast for my taste. We spent all the time we could together. When the moment of saying goodbye arrived, my heart ached too much.
"I'll try to come back as soon as possible." I promised, holding her tight in my arms.
"I know you will."
"But you can be sure I'll be here on Sunday, after Thanksgiving. Maybe we'll be able to go back home together on Monday, your birthday."
"That sounds like a perfect plan to me." She hid her head on my chest and sighed. "It's only for a few weeks. I'll make it."
"Of course, you will. You're the strongest woman I know." She chuckled amused and I kissed her. Moments later, the last call for my bus was heard all over the bus station. "I have to go. I'll call you as soon as I get home. Take care of yourself and don’t go falling in love with another guy." I warned her, in a teasing tone.
She punched me in my stomach and gave me one last kiss before we said goodbye.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ashley's POV
I saw Andy disappearing inside the bus and sighed, sadly. The weekend had been amazing but saying goodbye was terrible. We had such great moments throughout the weekend, but it hurt too much saying goodbye. Right now, I hated my mother with all my guts for making me go through this on a whim.
But I was going to survive this and my relationship with Andy would be even stronger than it already was.
Days and weeks slowly scurried away. Dad called me on Thanksgiving, and I was able to hide from him the fact that I was alone. Mom had left for a long weekend with her friends and left me home alone. Of course, I wasn’t upset with it. I preferred to be alone than having to put up with her changing moods.
"You have been winning a lot of games, lately." I teased my father.
"Yes, Andy is a great captain and he has a big future ahead of him. But he is exhausted, baby." Her father replied. "He has been working really hard."
"Why are you telling me this?" My frown was deep now.
"Convince him not to go down to Oklahoma. Use the emergency credit card I gave you and take a plane home on Monday and avoid him the long bus ride, baby." Dad's tone showed real concern and I got worried.
"I see. Don’t worry, Dad I'll tell him that I don’t want to ride back home on the bus, that it's insane for him to come down to
I spent the time we were there eating and listening to her as she told me all she had been through that week we've been separated. I just loved hearing her talk, feeling her so close to me. When we were done she took me for a walk around town, showing me her house and her school.
"I'm not inviting you to my house." She warned me.
"Why not, is there a problem?"
"I had a fight with my mother last night over your visit. Besides, I don’t want you to meet her. She's not important in my life and I rather keep you away from her as much as possible."
I could see this situation tensed her, so I didn’t insist. I had no desire in meeting a woman that had made Ashley's life a living hell when she was just a child.
For lunch, we bought some bread, cheese, roast beef, tomatoes and apple juice; and we went to a park for a picnic. It was a bit cold but the sun was up, and we wanted to be alone, out in the open, not locked up in a room or in a restaurant surrounded by strangers. We needed to feed our souls with each other's presence so that we could cope with the weeks we had ahead of us.
"Have you seen Lindsey?" Ashley asked me. I was sitting under a tree and she was lying on the grass, with her head over my lap. We had just finished eating.
"Oh, yes… she comes every other day to check on me, while I'm training. She says someone has to keep an eye on me." I told her, amused.
Ashley laughed. "Oh, yes, that's so like Lindsey. Does her presence bother you?"
"Of course not, I know she's your best friend and I understand her concern."
"Good."
The rest of the weekend went by too fast for my taste. We spent all the time we could together. When the moment of saying goodbye arrived, my heart ached too much.
"I'll try to come back as soon as possible." I promised, holding her tight in my arms.
"I know you will."
"But you can be sure I'll be here on Sunday, after Thanksgiving. Maybe we'll be able to go back home together on Monday, your birthday."
"That sounds like a perfect plan to me." She hid her head on my chest and sighed. "It's only for a few weeks. I'll make it."
"Of course, you will. You're the strongest woman I know." She chuckled amused and I kissed her. Moments later, the last call for my bus was heard all over the bus station. "I have to go. I'll call you as soon as I get home. Take care of yourself and don’t go falling in love with another guy." I warned her, in a teasing tone.
She punched me in my stomach and gave me one last kiss before we said goodbye.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ashley's POV
I saw Andy disappearing inside the bus and sighed, sadly. The weekend had been amazing but saying goodbye was terrible. We had such great moments throughout the weekend, but it hurt too much saying goodbye. Right now, I hated my mother with all my guts for making me go through this on a whim.
But I was going to survive this and my relationship with Andy would be even stronger than it already was.
Days and weeks slowly scurried away. Dad called me on Thanksgiving, and I was able to hide from him the fact that I was alone. Mom had left for a long weekend with her friends and left me home alone. Of course, I wasn’t upset with it. I preferred to be alone than having to put up with her changing moods.
"You have been winning a lot of games, lately." I teased my father.
"Yes, Andy is a great captain and he has a big future ahead of him. But he is exhausted, baby." Her father replied. "He has been working really hard."
"Why are you telling me this?" My frown was deep now.
"Convince him not to go down to Oklahoma. Use the emergency credit card I gave you and take a plane home on Monday and avoid him the long bus ride, baby." Dad's tone showed real concern and I got worried.
"I see. Don’t worry, Dad I'll tell him that I don’t want to ride back home on the bus, that it's insane for him to come down to
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