Page 69 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

I feel whatever was squeezing my chest give up the fight. Ash orders a beer and a coke, and we all find a booth and manage to squeeze in. Ash keeps me by the wall and stays against me. They talk about work, give him shit about the fight, telling him they signed up to support someone who knew what they were doing, not someone confused.

“Blame this one.” Ash rubs my neck.

“What?” I blink and unwrap my mouth from my straw.

“You had me all frazzled and worried after that fight of ours,” he sighs. “Couldn’t focus on the fight when I had you on my mind.”

“Aww,” Nate says, patting his chest. “My boyfriend says that kind of thing to me all the time – not about fighting, though. He blames me for not being able to focus while working from home.”

“How is Ash at work?”

“Focused.” Kenny snorts. “Only shoots the shit on break. As if he’ll get fired for not working nonstop.”

“He has to as he’s the Boss’s son. Has to be a role model.” Tyler barks out a laugh and nearly falls out of his chair.

I’ve never seen Ash so quiet. He seems to listen more here, flashing a smile, joining in on a laugh and sometimes getting a comment in, but he’s the least rambunctious of the bunch. Occasionally, he’ll rub my leg, adjust my cup for me, or pet my hair without even looking at me, which makes me feel even more sparkly. But these guys don’t urge him to chug drinks, don’t treat his quietness as anything other than normal.

Is this who he is when people give easy answers? The real ‘at ease’ Ash?

“What do you do, Sky?” Kenny asks.

I talk about collecting bugs and how I’m taking a semester off before college, then bring up my budding photography career and my blogsite. Ash happily shows the photos I’ve taken and leans back with a wide smile.

Nate is just staring at me. “I’m still stuck at you collecting bugs.”

“Well, she can’t be perfect.” Kenny chuckles. “What do you do with them?”

“Pins them to scare me.” Ash nudges me. “Just like the spider.”

I gape and instantly get to defending Dracula, which gets me involved in the conversation a lot more. When some girls come by, looking for a dance partner or some ‘friends’, I expect at least one of the guys to hop up.

Kenny flashes his wedding band and gives his apologies, even though none of them are looking at him. Nate says they’re not his type, making me snicker. Tyler says he’s taken and still the girls linger. One of them leans over to flash everything but her nipples, and my hand tightens on Ash.

I can’t compete with those boobs, but it’s taking a whole lot of restraint to keep jealousy from getting out of my throat.

Ash rubs my thigh again. “I’m very happy where I am.”

“I bet you’d be happier on the dance floor,” the redhead pouts. “I’m sure you have moves on moves. Let your little sister stay here.”

“Girlfriend,” Ash corrects, voice harder than necessary. “And I’m not interested in dancing when I’m hanging out with my friends.”

She snorts, says he’s missing out and walks away. I kiss his shoulder, over a particularly bad bruise. He doesn’t know how much that ‘girlfriend’ come back means to me. And I can’t remember why I didn’t want the position to begin with.

He beams and tucks my hair behind my ear. “Not the jealous type?”

I stick out my tongue.

“Come on, sweetheart, give him a real kiss,” Tyler encourages.

“Yeah, stop being so formal. We can handle it,” Nate encourages.

I gape, turn red and feel Ash looking at me almost expectantly. Instead, I finish my soda in one go.

That gets everyone laughing again. Tyler and Nate get up to get another round, and Kenny motions to us. “More?”

“Water,” we both say.

He grins. “Sky, don’t let these idiots intimidate you. Tell them to shut their traps whenever you want. You don’t owe anyone a thing.”

---