Chapter 48: Epilogue

ADDY

Two hands wrap around my waist, pulling me against a firm chest.

I tilt my head back to see Asher, his face lit up with a grin that’s too big to be anything but mischievous.

“What’s got you so happy?” I ask, twisting around in his arms.

“Just the fact that you’re here, in my arms.” He plants a kiss on my cheek, making me giggle.

“You’re such a cheeseball,” I say, fumbling with the hem of his shirt.

“Only for you, Buttercup. Only for you.”

I’m about to lean in for another kiss when two voices interrupt us.

“Not in my kitchen, you two!” Kaylee throws us a disgusted look, while Blake smirks.

“I knew you were following her like a lost puppy, even when she was just going to wash her hands.

“You two have been inseparable since the day you both came to your senses. I want my best friend back!”

“She’s mine now. You’ve got Blake!” Asher plants another kiss on my cheek.

I roll my eyes at the two goofballs in front of me.

“We’re not together all the time. And for the record, you two can’t complain. You were making out on Asher’s couch yesterday. Don’t think I didn’t see.”

Kay blushes a deep red at my words before retreating into Blake’s arms.

“Don’t tease my girl, guys.” Blake wraps his arms around Kaylee, smiling.

“You guys are gross,” Gabe rolls his eyes as he walks into the kitchen, holding two glass cups.

“I told you to bring Irin over. You’re the one who said no.” Asher chuckles.

“Why would I bring her?” Gabe grumbles, hopping up onto the counter.

“Because you can’t take your eyes off her whenever she’s around.”

My words seem to catch him off guard.

“I do not!” he protests, sounding like a child. He jumps down from the counter, throws us all a glare, and stomps out.

He’s been like this ever since they broke up right before graduation. It’s been three weeks and he’s still moping around, trailing after her like he did before they got together.

“Who broke up with whom again?” Asher whispers in my ear.

“Irin did. Something about not wanting to do long distance. But he’s still hung up on her, even if he pretends to hate her now. It’s kind of funny.”

“Good thing she came to her senses, then,” Asher says, and I nod.

We all follow him out of the kitchen, leaving Blake and Kaylee behind, and settle on the couch. Gabe disappears up the stairs and I watch him until he’s out of sight.

“He’s going to kill us,” I whisper in Asher’s ear, glancing at the clock.

“Nah, he’ll thank us.”

I kiss his cheek, smiling.

“God, you make me so happy.”

I grin as I hear his words, snuggling against his chest.

He kisses my cheek.

“You are so beautiful!” He plants another kiss on my cheek.

“God, I’m so lucky!” Asher tilts my head up to kiss my lips, and I kiss back, laughing at him. His hand on my waist slowly travels down, cupping my butt firmly.

I gasp, slapping his hand away before giving him a stern look. “Not here!”

His hands find my butt again as he lifts me up onto his lap, ignoring my protests.

I scramble off quickly, moving to the other side of the couch. Asher whines.

“Later!” I say, winking at him before lying down on the couch, putting my feet in his lap.

He groans, grabbing my small feet with his big hands and massaging them.

“Asher?”

“Hmm?”

“I never asked you. Why did you have those videos of me? I thought you never noticed me.”

Asher’s hands freeze.

“Buttercup…”

“Tell me!” I demand, and he sighs.

“Of course I noticed you—you were my neighbor. At first, I didn’t really care. I wasn’t into having girls in my life, even if that sounds strange.”

“Sure, Jalina started hanging around me when we started high school, but I didn’t really care about that either. I fought a lot, kept mostly to myself, you know…”

I listen to him speak.

“But that was also when I started getting interested in you.”

“When we started high school? Three years ago?” He nods at me. I stare at him, blushing.

“Also the time when you started doing weird things…”

I kick him with my left foot and he laughs.

“The video?”

“Yeah, right. It was just one of the nights you were planning to go out again. I couldn’t sleep that night and I heard strange noises coming from outside my window, something I’d been hearing for weeks.”

“You’d been sneaking out for years and I don’t know how I didn’t notice until then. Anyway, every time I looked out of the window there was nothing…”

I start laughing.

~Holy crap.~

“So you set up your phone to see what it was?”

He nods at me.

“I was shocked after seeing you in the video the next day—it made me even more curious about you.”

“You’re joking!”

He shakes his head at me.

“How come you didn’t follow me into the woods, then?”

“I don’t know. All I did was watch you from my room after that.”

I push him with my feet again.

“Creepy!”

“Shut up. You can’t talk. You were spying on me every chance you got. It was hilarious to watch.”

I let out a groan, making another attempt to kick him. But he’s quick, grabbing my legs and pulling me back towards him. I find myself sitting up next to him once more.

“You were there that day I messed up my hand!” I point an accusing finger at him, and he gives me a sheepish grin in return.

“How was I supposed to know you’d start stripping!”

“I wasn’t stripping, I was just—” I reach out to pinch his cheek, and he bursts into laughter again.

“And then what happened?”

“And then—” He pulls me back into his lap, my legs draped over the right side of his.

“I started paying more attention. I looked for you at school. I laughed at the goofy things you did. I started to like you, but I never found the courage to actually talk to you.”

“If only you knew I had the biggest crush on you.”

“If only I knew. And then you kissed me at that party, and I saw it as my chance to make a move.”

“You mean threaten me!”

He chuckles.

“I’m glad it was you, even though I still don’t understand why you ran off that day.”

I roll my eyes at him. “You shouted before you turned away, and it scared me.”

“I was surprised. It was my first kiss, after all.”

I giggle, leaning in to kiss him again, my hand slowly creeping under his shirt.

“Let’s wait until we get home,” he murmurs, lightly biting my ear. His words send a flush to my cheeks.

“OMG, my eyes!”

I jump away from Asher, turning to see Kaylee and Blake standing right in front of us. I cough, avoiding their gaze as I scoot away from Asher.

“Irin’s here.” Blake points towards the door, and I can’t help but grin.

“Really?”

“Yeah, she just texted me!” Kaylee waves her hands around excitedly.

“Gabe is going to kill us.”

We all burst into laughter.