Page 64 of Into The Darkness

“What? We haven’t even—” He shut the door in my face, and I slammed on the window while pulling my dress down.

“Asshole,” I muttered.

Ash went over to where Rain and the other guy were getting into their car. They bumped hands—ew, my vagina juices were on there—before he came back to the car.

“I’m taking you home now. I need to go to the house to manage the fallout with the guys.” I nodded before Ash pulled away.

“Is that weird? That we just like had sex in front of your best friend?”

Ash laughed to himself. “No. It’s happened a few times,” he confessed. “I told you, I don’t mind if people admire what is mine as long as they know I am the one you dream of at night, the name you cry out when you come.”

I could have fucking melted into the seat right then. That was the hottest thing I had ever heard in my entire life.

“Oh” was my response, and his low chuckle reverberated in the quiet car.

We were silent until I saw my apartment building.

“Are you going to be okay by yourself tonight?”

“What are we doing?” We asked at the same time.

“I’ll be okay. I feel better honestly—more sober.” I waited to see if he would respond to my question, but I had to shake my head as if to encourage him to.

“I don’t know, Ember. I told you that you shouldn’t fall in love with me. It’s fucking complicated.” He ran his hands through his hair, pulling his curls back off his forehead.

“So are we friends with benefits?” I asked.

“Fuck no.”

“But we aren’t dating?” He cracked his knuckles.

“I can’t do that right now. There is a whole thing with the Den—”

“Oh, right. It is always business first. You always tell me that you are different from Dad and Walsh, but honestly, this shit is what makes me realize you are the fucking same.” I could feel the steam billowing from my ears. So. Fucking. Mad.

“Ember, I saved your fucking life tonight. Do not compare me to—”

“And you think they wouldn’t do the same thing? You don’t even know them, Ash. My dad would stand in front of a bullet for me.”

“Ember please . . .” he begged, but I opened the door, got out, then slammed it. I was half hoping he would run after me, but he didn’t. He just peeled out and drove away.

“Fuck!” I screamed into the darkness.

The unshed tears from hours ago finally reached my eyes, and I dropped onto the ground in a fit of sobs. I was curled up on the curb of the street, bawling well past midnight.

“Ember?” I heard my roommate’s voice from the other side of the street, then she was running toward me.

“Are you okay?” I thought about telling her I was fine, but I just shook my head.

“No.”

“Jesus, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“It’s just been a long night,” I said, not wanting to get into the details. She dropped to my side and shooed the guy she was walking home with away.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I said, and she dropped her head on my shoulder.

“Ember?”

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