TWENTY ONE

Ashley’s dull gait was already approaching the entrance of the beach house when she noticed a familiar figure afar, seated by the shore. Pulling up the loose arm of her cotton jacket, she took off her shoes and decided to join him.

She needed to talk to him anyway. *About things and more things*.

Ashley thought she could escape the realization that had suddenly dawned on her after days of denial by a simple outing to a club. But that turned out to be a mistake. She should have just declined Mark’s offer when he showed up at their door the previous night.

Eyes trailing the outline of his back which was a bit bent due to his sitting position, Ashley could not help but smile to herself as she thought he looked so peaceful. As his hair danced with the bright night’s breeze, his chest rose and fell with a predictable rhythm.

“Hi,” she said quietly, drawing his sight off the playful body ahead. As she sat beside him on the soft mat he had laid down, she wondered what was on his mind.

*‘Probably business stuff.’*

“You are back early,” he stated, his head going on to rest on the side of his arm. Ashley noticed how soft his eyes were looking thanks to the unexpected bright light. Maybe he wasn’t thinking about business. It must have been something personal.

Ashley crossed her legs and threw her hands behind her for support. “It got boring.”
Images flashed through her head. *He was talking to her, she gave him no response. She had gotten angry*.

“Really? She gave a heavy sigh that gave her away. “What happened?”

*He groped her ass. He said he thought she wanted him to do it.*

“Well, Mark turned out to be a boring guy which is surprising because I don’t recall him to have been so in college. He kept talking about himself and it got on my nerves. I got angry and left.”
*He pulled her closer, glued her to his chest, he said he wanted her*.

Dave sat up face her properly. “Are you fine?”

Shaking her head slightly, a little frown on her face, “Yes, I am. Does something seem off?”

*She wasn’t fine for the first few minutes after she had left the club. Though she had told Mark off strongly, embarrassed him even, she still felt a little heavy. But a quick recall of Dave’s smile and she was okay.*

“Not really. I am actually glad you are back, I was getting really bored.”

Pushing away the ugliness of her outing with Mark, Ashley allowed a full smile on her lips without hesitation. That was what was missing when she was at the club. That smile. The feeling of being appreciated, of being admired by someone. Dave. She was missing Dave.

“Dave…”

“Yeah?”
*‘I think I love you.’*

“Do you really think I need to forgive my mother?” Something inside her had decided against her initial statement. That something felt like fear and doubt.

Dave obviously did not expect that question as his head swift tilted in her direction. With concern all over his face, he reached for the side of her face and caressed her skin before responding, “Yes, I do.”

Ashley suddenly felt like crying. His voice. Damn, his voice was so gentle and soft, it made her yearn for him. A sudden ferocious need for his presence washed over her. She wanted their moments to be forever.

Opening the eyes that she had kept shut to keep away the stinging tears, she asked further, “Why?”

“If you don’t learn to forgive her now, memories of her will come back at some point to remind you of that one thing you have been refusing to acknowledge. You have to try to forgive her so as to sustain that peace of mind and happiness you are searching for.”

“How come you are not telling me to forgive my ex-husband?”

“That man is not important at all, your mother is. Why? Because she is the main reason you got so disturbed by what you saw that day. Ashley,” he reached for her arms. “, forgiving your mother will relive you of this burden the divorce has put on you. When you have a long talk with her…”

“Talk? With her?” Ashley was beginning to think Dave was going too far with his *inspirational* talks. His words were not only sounding ridiculous, they were getting a bit annoying.

“How do you expect to forgive her if you don’t have a long talk with her first? If your mother means well, she will explain herself trust me.”

“Why should I approach her for an explanation? Isn’t she the one meant to be all sober and apologetic? Heck! She could have called over the past few weeks or visited to explain herself, but she did not. And you expect me to forgive that woman!” Ashley was really starting to lose her cool.

“If she had showed up at your doorstep few weeks ago to explain herself, would you even have let her in?”

Recalling her reaction when she saw Kevin in her kitchen, she saw Dave’s point. She was too much of a mess back then to even entertain her assistant not to talk of her mother that slept with her husband.

“If your mother is any bit human, I am sure she would be itching to explain herself. But she can’t because she isn’t sure if you are ready to talk to her. Nobody wants to tick off a timed bomb you know. So, Ashley, when you are ready, go have a talk with your mother and try, even if it is not easy to forgive her.

Forgiving her will help lift a great part of the sadness you carry within you. Trust me.”

“Honestly, all you have just said makes absolutely no sense. If you were a stranger I just happpened to meet sitting here, I would think you are nuts. But,” she flashed him a grin. “since, you have found a way to make me see myself in a different light in these past few days, I guess I will find time, a convenient time to visit her and have the long talk.”

“But…” Dave assumed a jovial look as he drew closer to her side. “If that women acts like a bitch, please, please make sure you show her that you take no crap. Okay?”

“Okay.” She punctuated her word with a smile.

Pulling his arm around her shoulder, Dave drew her closer. “I also need you to remember that life is all about the good and bad. The next time you find yourself in a bad situation, don’t go all weak and drink all the beer in your refrigerator.” Ashley gave a loud laugh as she dissolved into his hold. “Bad times are moments where your strength is really needed. Just fight, fight till you pull yourself out of the situation.”

Snuggling into his chest, she asked, “Why are you suddenly giving me a crash course?”

“Well, since this is our last night here, I…”

Abruptly, she sat up, an unknown feeling rushing through her. “This is our last night?”

“Yeah,” his forehead formed a small frown. “Didn’t I tell you?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Oh. Hm. Well, we are leaving tomorrow morning because I have an important meeting to attend in the afternoon.”

“Oh. Does this mean we are done fixing me?”

“Do you still need to be fixed?”

“Well, since I am like a bomb, I can explode anytime, then I will need fixing.”

Obviously amused by her words, he went on to plant a quick kiss on her exposed forehead. “Don’t worry,” he said. “,I will gladly be here to fix you again.”

“Oh, Dave.”

“What is it?” She had fallen into his chest as his words reminded her of her feelings. The truthfulness his voice carried anytime he was speaking always sparked something in her day in, day out.

“Nothing, I just want you to hold me.”

“How about I do you one better?”

“Yeah?” she mumbled into his shirt.

“You can satisfy this hunger I have right now…” she looked up at him, her body immediately reacting without even hearing what he wanted to say properly. Ducking his head closer, he continued, “I want to taste you, all of you.”

Propping herself higher, her lips barely inches away from his, she replied his whispered request. “What are you waiting for?”

As soon as he claimed her awaiting lips, drops of rain began to fall. Instead of pulling away so they could go inside like she expected him to do, Dave increased the pace of his kiss, he explored deeper to her delight. But the rain was getting a bit heavier, so she pulled away.

“I think we should go inside.”

Dave shook his head. “No, I want to taste you right here.”

“But we will get drenched.”

He kissed the skin her fallen jacket exposed. “It will make it more fun.”

“But we might catch a cold.”

He trailed his lips all the way up her neck. “Who cares?”

With water on her skin, his teasing became more and more intense and it ignited her in a way that made her forget her fear of catching cold. She forgot the fear that didn’t want her confessing how she felt. She forgot all her fears and all that mattered at that moment was her and the man that was satisfying her in ways she loved.

As Dave laid her down onto the mat, her jacket and top disappeared thanks to his frolicking hands, exposing her to the coldness of the environment. Assuredly, Dave took her lips again and he told her he was going to keep her warm. Ashley relaxed properly, she knew he really was going to.

So, in that position, she reached for the built man and invited him to continue what he had started. And that he did to her delight. As he took and measured and felt her slowly and carefully under the caress of the rain fall, Ashley let out a huge sigh of relief.

There was no doubt, she really was in love with him.