Page 17 of Switched At Birth

I nearly sag in relief. Thank fuck. We’re on the same page. “I do. I sure as fuck do.”

He nuzzles his head into the crook of my neck. “You’re warm. And just so you know, I’m honored you’d share this place with me.”

I don’t know how to respond. “Are you cold? I brought a blanket.”

He sits up, looking at me and then at my bag. “It looks like you brought a lot more than a blanket.”

“Yeah, I thought we could share a bottle of wine and some pastries I picked up at a bakery down the road.”

I lean over and pull out the blanket, covering our bodies, and the heat is instant. “I brought the one bottle I had that was a screw top,” I explain, pouring a fair portion into two red solo cups for the both of us. “Classy, right?”

He takes his drink. “I love it. This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.”

“I’m just starting to be nice. I find there’s a lot I want to do with you, for you, and to you. But warning: some of it is downright filthy.”

The last part I deliver in a very suggestive and seductive tone.

“Oh, yeah. I’m looking forward to it.” He takes a bite of the cheese Danish and begins to moan.

“Watch that. We may not get out of this park if you moan like that again. I’ll attack you, and we’d get arrested for indecent exposure.”

He moans again, a grin on his face as he takes another bite. “So, before we get arrested, tell me, did you grow up around here?”

“Yes. My parents moved from Issaquah right before we were nine. It was obvious to my parents that I had talent in art. There were better opportunities in the city than in Issaquah, plus my dad coached at the university.”

“And does your brother draw?”

I think of all the times I attempted to teach Liam how to draw and the best he could do was a stick figure. “Um, no. His brain works differently than mine. He’s all about numbers and sports. And while I played football, because it made my dad happy, it wasn’t my thing. I’ve always been the happiest with my art.”

“You sound like me.” He finishes the rest of his pastry and washes it down with the merlot I poured. “Tia can’t draw for shit. She enjoys things she can see and make sense of. But, she’s the smartest person I know. I have a feeling she’ll be running a company one day, or the stock market. She’s going far in this world.”

“You’re protective of her?”

“I sure am, but I also know she can look out for herself. Still, if someone hurt my sister, I’d destroy them.”

“Spoken like a true big brother. I guess it’s different when you have a brother. Liam isn’t as big as I am. He’s not small, but I’m built like my dad. And Liam must take after our mom. She’s almost six feet tall and thin as a rail. Liam is 6’ 1” and has a runner’s body. Makes sense since he runs three miles a day.”

The conversation is steady, and we sit and talk until the park closes. We stroll hand in hand to my car. Without my knowledge, he has ordered another fucking Uber and he can see by the look on my face that I’m unhappy about it.

“I live south, on the other side of Seattle. It’s a long drive for you both ways, and it’s not a big deal for me to Uber,” he explains, but I don’t care. I want to take him home, like a proper date.

“Can I please take you home next time?” I ask.

“Let me think on that. But tomorrow night? Are we on?”

I nod, and after making plans for the next day, I hold him close to my body, kissing him, hoping to burn my flavor into his palate. After tonight, I realize I finally know what it’s like to trulywantanother person. I want Ashton Brooks.

10

Ashton

I’m homea half-hour when a text comes in from Noah.

Noah:I like you. Text me. Call me. Fuck,come over to my place. Anytime.

Underneath the text is his address.

I don’t think, I just do, and hit his name, to FaceTime. He answers right away.

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