Ashlyn hasn't spoken a word since the age of eight, and her heart's never felt more protected. But, when the confident and ever so charming Derek stumbles into her quiet little world, her emotions-and forbidden desires-have never been so loud.
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Ashlyn stood from the table and hurried towards the front door, guided by the sound of the laughter; his laughter. Was he really here? Or did her ears deceive her?
"What are you doing here?" Kass' voice bounced with excitement as the person holding her likely moved. Ashlyn smiled in anticipation.
Ashlyn pulled the door open as wide as it would go. Joy sparked within her on confirmation that it was, in fact, him: Zion. Her eyes took in that familiar mop of red sand hair, her ears twitching with the sound of his rumbling laughter. Centimeters from her, Zion stood, squeezing Kass against his chest, her legs swinging above the floorboards. When he lifted his head, and his eyes met hers, Ashlyn's heart warmed at the joy reflected in his expression. Sometimes she forgot just how much she missed him living nearby.
Zion placed Kass down and stepped towards Ashlyn.
"Ash." He grinned, holding his arms wide open, an invitation. It only took a single blink before Ashlyn threw herself into his arms, her arms going around his neck. It felt so right to hold him in her arms again, to smell that cheap cologne that smelled of pinewood, which he always wore, ever since he was a teenager.
What are you doing here? Ashlyn asked, leaning back to peruse Zion, the shock at seeing him still not worn off. She wanted to laugh, and cry, jump up and down with glee and hug him all at once.
"We just saw Abel at the hospital, and he mentioned that you and Kass would be here." He smiled before he stepped around Ashlyn. "Hi, I'm Zion." He held his hand out to Derek, who had come up behind Ashlyn. While Introductions were made, Ashlyn glanced around tentatively when Zion's words sunk in. Did he say 'we'?
Just as she was about to bring it up with Zion, she heard Kass speaking to someone else in the stairwell.
"You're kidding. That Marcus hasn't changed a bit!" The other woman answered with a chuckle. The breath caught in Ashlyn's throat when she stepped around Zion to get a better view of the woman coming up behind Kass.
"Ashlyn, sweetheart." Her mother hurried down the remaining length of the landing, her brown bob cut bouncing, and hugged Ashlyn, her eyes brimming with tears. Ashlyn hugged her mother back, robotically at first, before she relaxed into the contact. The others around them spoke in distant murmurs as Ashlyn sunk into her mother's embrace. She missed this, feeling connected in this way. Ashlyn didn't know she was crying until her mother brushed her cheek.
"How is my darling girl?" her hand was gentle but firm as it cupped Ashlyn's cheek. "We don't talk like we used to anymore. Zion's the one who keeps me updated on you, you know. If you didn't want to talk to me, I wish you'd just tell me." Ashlyn flinched at the shadowed bite in her mothers' words, stepping back from her touch. She wasn't sure her mother knew what she was doing when she said things like that. Even after all these years, it still stung to know that her mother didn't understand how deeply her opinions affected Ashlyn.
