gasped. “Holy crap, that’s
awesome!” he cried suddenly, picking up my sketchpad.
I looked down
too; I had no idea what I had drawn because I wasn’t really paying
attention. I looked at the page. It was the deck on the lake with
the little row boat tied to the side of it; Ashton was standing on
the deck running a hand through his hair. I gulped, embarrassed
that I’d drawn a picture of him, half naked, and he’d seen it.
“This is
incredible. You’re really talented, Anna. You want to be an artist
or something?” he asked with wide eyes.
I nodded. “Yeah
I guess.”
He was staring
at the picture in apparent awe. “I’ve never had anyone draw me
before.”
“You can have
it if you want,” I offered, shrugging.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah sure, why
not,” I said dismissively, taking the sketchpad and tearing it
out.
He took it,
smiling gratefully. “How come you’re not in it?” he asked, looking
down at it again.
I shrugged.
“How could I be in it? That’s my point of view, I can’t see
myself.”
He smiled.
“Right yeah, didn’t think of that. I wish you were in it though,
that’d make the picture better.”
“Of course it
would because I’m so beautiful,” I joked, shaking my head in
amusement.
“Yeah, that’s
right. Anyway, I’d better get going to bed, it’s getting pretty
late.” He pushed himself up and was almost at the door when I
remembered the photo that he was using as a bookmark.
“Oh, Ashton,
wait, I’ve got something for you.” I crawled over to my desk drawer
and pulled out the photo frame and bookmark that I sorted out for
him earlier so that he wouldn’t have to ruin his photo. “Here.” I
plopped the two items into his hands.
He looked down
at them for a long time but didn’t speak.
I winced. He
doesn’t like the frame. “Sorry it’s a bit girly. You don’t have
to use it, I just thought it’d keep your photo safe, it obviously
means a lot to you for you to bring it with you, so…” I trailed
off, wishing I hadn’t given it to him in the first place.
His green eyes
met mine, seeming like he was struggling to understand something.
“This is great. Really thoughtful. Thank you, I love it.”
“No problem,” I
replied uncomfortably, looking away from his intense gaze.
“Well, I’ll see
you in the morning,” he mumbled as he walked out of the door.
“Yeah, good
night, and thanks for the cake,” I called, smiling gratefully.
After changing into pyjama shorts and tank top, I climbed into bed,
exhausted.
I’m sitting by
the side of the pool. My arm aches. I look down at the enormous
bruise that spreads across the top of my arm and covers my
shoulder.
“ There you
are, Princess,” Carter says. My insides squirm as he sits down
behind me on the lounge chair I’m stretched out on. “Mmm, you look
good today,” he purrs, slipping his hand inside my bikini top to
cup one of my breasts.
“ Carter,
please, my shoulder’s sore.”
He sighs
dejectedly and pulls me back so I’m leaning against his chest. His
other arm wraps around me, pinning me to him. “I love you,
Princess,” he whispers in my ear.
Disgust washes
over me and I struggle not to show it. “Love you too,” I choke out.
I hate saying the words; each one feels like it rips my heart out.
His arm tightens on me as he lets out a contented sigh and lies
back to soak up the Miami sunshine. I take a deep breath, knowing
this probably won’t end well, but I have to ask. “Carter, can I
call my mom? It’s her birthday today. Please, baby?” I beg, closing
my eyes.
His body
stiffens and he pulls his hand out of my bikini top quickly.
“Princess, for fuck’s sake, why do you have to ruin a perfectly
good moment by talking about them? I’m your family now, they’re
nothing to you! Why can’t you just be happy? I make you happy,
don’t I? I give you everything, but you’re so fucking ungrateful!”
he shouts, pushing me away from him and climbing off the sun
lounger.
awesome!” he cried suddenly, picking up my sketchpad.
I looked down
too; I had no idea what I had drawn because I wasn’t really paying
attention. I looked at the page. It was the deck on the lake with
the little row boat tied to the side of it; Ashton was standing on
the deck running a hand through his hair. I gulped, embarrassed
that I’d drawn a picture of him, half naked, and he’d seen it.
“This is
incredible. You’re really talented, Anna. You want to be an artist
or something?” he asked with wide eyes.
I nodded. “Yeah
I guess.”
He was staring
at the picture in apparent awe. “I’ve never had anyone draw me
before.”
“You can have
it if you want,” I offered, shrugging.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah sure, why
not,” I said dismissively, taking the sketchpad and tearing it
out.
He took it,
smiling gratefully. “How come you’re not in it?” he asked, looking
down at it again.
I shrugged.
“How could I be in it? That’s my point of view, I can’t see
myself.”
He smiled.
“Right yeah, didn’t think of that. I wish you were in it though,
that’d make the picture better.”
“Of course it
would because I’m so beautiful,” I joked, shaking my head in
amusement.
“Yeah, that’s
right. Anyway, I’d better get going to bed, it’s getting pretty
late.” He pushed himself up and was almost at the door when I
remembered the photo that he was using as a bookmark.
“Oh, Ashton,
wait, I’ve got something for you.” I crawled over to my desk drawer
and pulled out the photo frame and bookmark that I sorted out for
him earlier so that he wouldn’t have to ruin his photo. “Here.” I
plopped the two items into his hands.
He looked down
at them for a long time but didn’t speak.
I winced. He
doesn’t like the frame. “Sorry it’s a bit girly. You don’t have
to use it, I just thought it’d keep your photo safe, it obviously
means a lot to you for you to bring it with you, so…” I trailed
off, wishing I hadn’t given it to him in the first place.
His green eyes
met mine, seeming like he was struggling to understand something.
“This is great. Really thoughtful. Thank you, I love it.”
“No problem,” I
replied uncomfortably, looking away from his intense gaze.
“Well, I’ll see
you in the morning,” he mumbled as he walked out of the door.
“Yeah, good
night, and thanks for the cake,” I called, smiling gratefully.
After changing into pyjama shorts and tank top, I climbed into bed,
exhausted.
I’m sitting by
the side of the pool. My arm aches. I look down at the enormous
bruise that spreads across the top of my arm and covers my
shoulder.
“ There you
are, Princess,” Carter says. My insides squirm as he sits down
behind me on the lounge chair I’m stretched out on. “Mmm, you look
good today,” he purrs, slipping his hand inside my bikini top to
cup one of my breasts.
“ Carter,
please, my shoulder’s sore.”
He sighs
dejectedly and pulls me back so I’m leaning against his chest. His
other arm wraps around me, pinning me to him. “I love you,
Princess,” he whispers in my ear.
Disgust washes
over me and I struggle not to show it. “Love you too,” I choke out.
I hate saying the words; each one feels like it rips my heart out.
His arm tightens on me as he lets out a contented sigh and lies
back to soak up the Miami sunshine. I take a deep breath, knowing
this probably won’t end well, but I have to ask. “Carter, can I
call my mom? It’s her birthday today. Please, baby?” I beg, closing
my eyes.
His body
stiffens and he pulls his hand out of my bikini top quickly.
“Princess, for fuck’s sake, why do you have to ruin a perfectly
good moment by talking about them? I’m your family now, they’re
nothing to you! Why can’t you just be happy? I make you happy,
don’t I? I give you everything, but you’re so fucking ungrateful!”
he shouts, pushing me away from him and climbing off the sun
lounger.
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