Page 14 of When love and Hate Collide

“Ugh fine!” I gripe as we pull apart. “But you’ll have to pick your own outfit because I’m going home to take a long nap. Please be ready by nine. I’ll meet you at mine?” I say as I make my way to her bedroom door.

Ashlyn chuckles. “Yep, I’ll be sure to be on time.” She jests teasing me about my rhyming. I flip her off and walk out of her room, shaking my head when I could still hear her cackling to herself.

“Jeeeey,” I stop at the bottom of the stairs when I hear her call my name.

“What?” I reply leaning over to look up from where I’m stood at the bottom of the staircase.

“I forgot to mention,” I hear her voice before I see her head pop over the wooden balustrade, and by the look on her face I already know I’m not going to like what she’s about to say. “Dean’s back.”

See, I told you.

Fuck.

And just like that my good mood from before sours instantly at the mention of the devil’s spawn. I scowl up at her, a gradual torrent of annoyance travels from deep within my gut while she grins down at me. “What?” I grit out through clenched teeth. “You said he was stuck at base and not coming back till October?” I whisper shout so Aunt Taylor doesn’t hear me.

Ashlyn shrugs, smiling apologetically and looks over at his door and back at me again. “Hewas,he wasn’t supposed to be back, but he decided to surprise us all by coming home earlier.” She quickly elucidates and I roll my eyes, balling my hands to fists by my side.

Well, isn’t this just the cherry on top of my cake. There isn’t a snowballs chance in hell that I’ll avoid running into that cockhead for the entire summer.

“I love you.” Ash sings and I shake my head.

“Shut up.”

* * *

After a much-needed shower and a nice long nap, the throbbing in my temples finally eases off. Five minutes past ten that evening a cab pulls up on the very street I spent countless days hanging out with the kids I went to school with. Outside, the house is crowded, people everywhere and music thumping at a deafening volume from inside. How has no one shut this party down yet? Ashlyn and I step out of the car and look at the house and then each other. We smile fondly and coil our arms as we walk to the door together.

After way too much deliberating, I settled for a pair of white ripped shorts and a white lace crop top showing off my midriff. My long dark hair is curled and left to flow freely down my back. Ashlyn, had on a black denim button down dress, her hair straightened and pulled up into a ponytail.

Shane’s place looks the same, only difference is the colour of the walls. Gone is the tacky sunflower wallpaper and replaced with brilliant white paint and modern furniture. Ash mentioned on the car ride that he bought his parents place after they decided to up and move to Spain to retire.

I could feel the eyes of the men around us, leering as we manoeuvre through the crowd of people toward the kitchen. I smile at a couple of the guys when they greet me with a nod. I’m already dreading the small talk I’ll be forced to make throughout the night.

“Jeez, that’s a lot of people crammed into one house.” I point out as we squeeze through a group standing by the kitchen door conversing and drinking from their white plastic cups.

“Of course, it’s a Shane Owens party, what did you expect? Oh shit, there’s Shane. Fuck, how do I look?” Ashlyn says looking down at herself and then at me for validation. “Do I look all right?”

“You look to die for, chick.” I assure grinning at her encouragingly. “Oh, uh, don’t spaz out, but he’s seen you and he’s making his way over here,” I inform her discreetly and her green eyes grow wide.

“Ash T?” he intones, his blue eyes wide as he takes her in, inch by inch when she spins to face him.

“Shane,” Ashlyn purrs sultrily up at the handsome brunette towering over her small frame. God damn, the rumours Ashlyn heard are absolutely on point. Shane has certainly grown into his looks. I mean, he was hot before, but puberty sure did wonders for him.

For a good thirty seconds neither of them says anything and only stare at one another smiling, seemingly having a silent conversation between themselves whilst I awkwardly stand behind Ashlyn trying not to choke on the sexual tension coming off them in waves.

“It’s been a minute,” Ashlyn finally says, her eyes openly sweeping over the length of him with absolutely zero subtlety in sight.

Shane’s lips curl, flashing her his trademark grin, his eyes never leaving hers, “It sure has. You look…” He trails off smiling down at her and licking his lips appreciatively before his eyes lift over her shoulder, finally noticing me standing there. “Jeykins,” he greets amiably, and I roll my eyes playfully at the nickname. “What a treat the two of you are to the eyes,” he drawls flirtatiously, taking Ash’s hand and brushing a kiss over her knuckles.

I grin while Ashlyn turns a lovely shade of pink. “Only the eyes?” she probes, and he grins, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth and pinning her with an unruly look that even gets me a little weak in the knees.

“You tell me,” he burrs, pulling her hand until she’s pressed up against him.

“Okay! I promised myself I wasn’t going to drink, but now I need one,” I pipe up eyeing them with distaste. “Orfive.” I shudder and excuse myself, leaving them to eye fuck one another in peace. I’ve lost her for the night anyway.

I walk over to the drinks laid out on the kitchen counter and couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. You’d think she would at least make it a little bit of a challenge for him. Ashlyn isn’t one to fall at some boy’s feet heedlessly, but Shane for some reason short circuits her brain and she can’t think straight.

I suppose, when you like someone so much it’s easy to overlook your pride. I admire her though, unlike myself, she’s the type that will go for looks over personality. As far as she’s concerned if a boy doesn’t make her eyeballs sweat with one glance, he’s absolutely not going to make her moist between the legs. So far, that tactic has worked for her. I can safely say till this day she’s never let any boy close enough to hurt her. However, I see something different in her when she talks about or is even around Shane Owens.

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