Page 59 of Beautifully Broken
"Yep." I pop the P for emphasis.
"You said ‘scrubs’. What's he do for a living?"
"He owns a pet shelter. That's how I met him. I found puppies that were dumped in the river and took them to his shelter. I was instantly drawn to him. When I went back a few days later, I said it was to check on the puppies, but I just wanted to see Ash again."
"Aww, I love that for you, big brother. Why not just do the typical dinner but maybe make it a picnic? Then you don't have the added pressure of being surrounded by people and all the extra noise, so you can relax."
Damn, why didn't I think of that? Being in a restaurant with my PTSD is still pretty hard. If it's not super busy, it's not bad, but when it's packed and loud, it can easily trigger me.
"That's brilliant. Thanks, Raven. I think I know just where to take him."
"Glad I could help. I'm proud of you, Talon." Her voice grows quiet at the end, and I can tell she's trying to hold back tears.
"Thanks, Raven. And thanks for always staying by my side, even when I'm being a stubborn ass or my brain is being a dick and I don't treat you the way I should."
"Always. Okay, enough of this heavy shit. Have fun on your date, and let me know how it goes."
"Will do. Love ya, punk."
"Love you too, big bro."
As soon as I hang up, I text Ashley and tell him to wear shoes he can walk comfortably in the woods in, along with warmer clothes. I'll be able to build a fire where we're going, but it's higher up the mountain and it can still be pretty chilly this time of year.
All I get back is a winky emoji, so I assume that means he's down with the plan.
I've got about an hour before I have to go pick him up, so I jump in the shower, shave all the important parts, and throw on some of my warm yet nicer clothes. I round up some blankets and pillows, and make sure I have my pack with everything I'd need to start a fire and spend a few nights in the woods.
As ready as I can be with my jeep packed up, I head towards Ashley's. I might be early, but hopefully, he won't mind too much.
Chapter 8
Ashley
"Fuckity-fuck nuggets," I cry as I toss another shirt on my bed.
"Uhh, everything okay?"
"Aaah!" I scream and trip over the sequined crop top lying on my floor, startled by my friend, Keagan, standing awkwardly in my doorway. I go down hard with a grunt.
"Shit. Are you okay?"
"Just great. What are you doing here?"
"You told me to drop by, remember? You thought you had a new otter family moving in on your corner of the lake, and you wanted me to scope it out and said today would be a good day."
"Oh, for fuck's sake. I did tell you that, but then the bear asked me out and everything fled from my brain. And then he tells me to dress warmly and wear comfy shoes. Like, who does this man think I am? Comfy shoes are my five-inch pumps instead of my six—"
"Whoa, why don't you take a breath? First off, who's the bear?"
"Umm, I don't want to say in case I jinx it."
"I get that, but it's me you're talking to."
"Fine. His name is Talon Connely."
"No shit." Keagan's eyebrows shoot up as disbelief floods his face.
"Shit, I knew this was too good to be true." I flop dramatically back on my bed, onto the mountain of clothes from trying to decide what to wear on our date.
