Page 35 of Off the Rim
"Not as much as I'd like, but I try."
"How did you get into it? Have you, like, had to do community service before?"
“Have you never volunteered before?”
“I’ve never been in trouble like that.”
"You know, some people volunteer their time even when they aren't forced to." I gesture around at the group of people milling about. There's over two dozen people here today, which is a bigger group than usual, but Randall did a phone and email blast to call people out to help. The storm that came through here did a lot of damage to the houses in this small neighborhood. There are plumbers and electrical crews helping restore service, carpenters leading repair jobs, and plenty of people simply picking up garbage and debris.
Ashton lowers his voice. "I kind of assumed everyone here was court ordered or something."
Shaking my head, I can't help but give him a sad laugh. "I'm sure everyone here looks rough by your standards, but these are good, hard-working people. Everyone here is working-class, and maybe to you that makes them seem less-than, because they don't have a lot of money or fancy cars or nice clothes. But if you ask me, it means that their time and effort is even more meaningful because they have less to give."
"I never thought of it that way," he says thoughtfully, eyes roaming around the group of people gathered like I've opened his eyes to a new perspective. It should make me angry to know he finds volunteer work to be below his station, but instead I find his blatant awe a bit endearing.
"You're such a princess."
"Oh, shut up. I am not."
"You so are. Just look at you," I say, gesturing to his crisply pressed jeans and polo shirt. "You're afraid to get dirty."
"I think I've proved that I'm absolutely not afraid of getting dirty." He chuckles and gently flicks the bottom of my earlobe with the pad of his index finger. "I fucking love it when you get all flustered."
"I'm not flustered. And I thought we agreed?—”
"I know, I know. But just because the past won't be repeated doesn't mean we can't use it as a reference point for hard truths."
"Hard truths?"
He rolls his lips in and nods sagely. "At some point, you're going to have to admit that maybe you've gotten some things wrong about me."
I laugh at that. "You're ridiculous."
The smile that takes over his face is radiant. It transforms his entire face, like the sun came out from behind some clouds. Ashton is always a smiley guy, but it's never felt sincere. It's a facade he puts on for the masses of admirers, one that I'm starting to see is something he does because of expectations. Heavy is the crown, and all that…
"Are you just going to stand there and ogle me, or are you actually going to do some work?"
He dodges me as I swat him with my hat.
Ashton attacks the rest of the day with a new energy. He jogs from house to house, asking how he can help, putting his ridiculous height to use holding up support beams, placing siding on houses, and handing heavy materials up to the guys working on roofs. At lunchtime, enough pizza to feed the entire neighborhood shows up, and even though he doesn’t say a word, I know he’s responsible.
He's probably the most enthusiastic and useful member of the crew. He even gives his information to Randall so he can be part of the next volunteer round up.
I see a different side to Ashton James III than I’ve ever seen before. He’s not the pompous prince holding court among his sycophants, or the duplicitous tease he sometimes is when we’re alone. He’s just an average guy, doing his best.
And I hate how much I like this side of him.
CHAPTER 20
ASHTON
"Where have you been?"
My father's deep voice echoes in the lobby of the basketball complex. What is he doing here?
I'm supposed to be meeting Marcus in ten minutes for practice, and I do not want my dad around when he gets here. We've been getting along, playing one-on-one and practicing nearly every day despite being well over our mandated eight hours, and I don't want to burst the bubble we've been in. I was hoping to talk to him about volunteering with Randall's crew again on Sunday. I never thought I'd enjoy manual labor this much, but I've never felt more fulfilled than I have the last two days volunteering alongside Marcus.
Ashton James II wouldn't understand that, though. All he'd see is Marcus bringing me down, taking my focus away from the things he thinks matters most.
