Page 71 of Bleeding Hearts

I lay my head on his chest, cuddling into him.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” he asks from where he lies under me.

“Of course I do.” I yawn. “You flirted with Lo to piss Kaden off and then begged me to be your private chef after falling in love with my food.” I laugh softly.

“Yeah, I did.” He laughs. “I also flirted with you,” he adds.

“Mmhmm, for a second. After you flirted with Lo. Also, probably to piss off Kaden.”

“I mean, a little bit. But I always thought you were stunning, Demi. There was something about you that knocked me off my feet the very first time I saw you.” He pauses. “And then you called me a fuckboy and basically said you wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole.” He laughs.

“Well, you were a fuckboy,” I argue. “But I guess the ten-foot pole comment doesn’t really stand anymore.”

“Fucking thankful for that,” he says, pulling me in closer to him. And I have to agree with him.

We lie together in comfortable silence, the rise and fall of his chest matching my own. We just enjoy the closeness of one another.

“Hey, Ash?” I look up at him. “What does all this mean? What does this make us?” I ask, feeling suddenly vulnerable by it being undefined.

“It means you’re mine, Demi. And I’m yours.” He brushes his fingers through my hair, playing with the loose strands. “Boyfriend, partner, the man that fucks you better than anyone ever could.” He smirks and I reach up, slapping his chest with a smile on my face. “You can call it whatever you want, but we’re together. That’s all that matters to me.”

“Me too.” I smile up at him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “So does this mean you’re finally done with the cringy nicknames?” I ask hopefully.

“Never, my little muffin.” He laughs.

“But if we’re in a relationship, it makes them even worse, Ash. Why?” I groan although I’m still smiling from amusement at the ridiculous nickname.

“I originally started with the nicknames because I felt like it put a wall between us. Every time I said your name, I felt like a part of me fell for you a little more, and I was trying to stop that because I was scared. But then they started making you smile and laugh.” He smiles down at me. “And that’s when it became less about me and more about doing anything to get that sort of reaction from you. Seeing you happy made me happy.Makesme happy. And if I have to call you crazy nicknames to do it, then that’s what I’ll do.”

“So you’re telling me all this time you’ve just been trying to make me smile?” I ask, stuck on that part of his explanation.

“You’ve got a really special smile, peachy pie.” He shrugs and I throw my head back in laughter at the name. “There it is,” he adds.

He looks at me like he's mesmerized. Like he’s never seen anything like me. Like I’m something special. Like he loves me, even if he hasn’t said it. And suddenly, I don’t care what he calls me as long as he keeps looking at me how he does.

“Fine, the cringy nicknames can stay.” I lift up, pressing a swift kiss to his lips before cuddling back into him. “There’s just one more thing,” I say.

“And what’s that?” he asks.

“I’m really fucking hungry. Can you order me room service? Maybe fries? Definitely pizza. Oh, and dessert, always dessert.”

“Yeah, baby.” He laughs loudly. “I’ll order it all.” I feel him reach over to grab the phone.

“Thank you.” I smile, nuzzling into him. “Wake me when it’s here, please,” I mumble, sleep already coming over me.

I feel him press a kiss to the top of my head, and my heart flutters at the gesture.

The last thought on my mind before darkness takes over is that, for the first time in a long time, my life feels pretty fucking perfect.

And it’s all because of him.

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Demi

I wake up cradled inside strong arms that make me feel safer than anyone else’s ever has. This weekend with Asher has been a whirlwind of emotions in the very best way.

After Friday night, I had to wake up early Saturday morning for another full day of convention classes.

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