Wish - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I chose silence. Ethan could be incredibly stubborn. Arguing wouldn’t get me anywhere. When we arrived at my building, I thanked him and started to get out. He stopped me. “Your birthday’s next week. Let’s settle things then.”

I wanted to say it wasn’t necessary. This quiet separation was good. We could still be friends, still be comfortable around mutual acquaintances.

“My parents want to celebrate with you while we’re all in DC. You wouldn’t disrespect them, would you?” He’d taken away my excuse. “Fine. Whatever you want.” I got out of the car. He drove off without another word.

The wind was bitter, cutting through my clothes. I hunched my shoulders, hurrying towards the entrance. As I neared the building, I saw him. David, standing in the shadows of a tree, the streetlight casting a long, orange glow around him.

He was wearing a light coat, despite the freezing temperature. He must have been waiting a while.

“David?” I whispered.

He walked towards me as the first snowflakes began to fall, dusting his hair and shoulders. He didn’t seem to notice, gently brushing a snowflake from my eyelashes. It was like that winter night all over again. And then, he did it.

He pulled a warm, roasted sweet potato from his pocket. He broke it in half, offering me a piece. I took it, my fingers numb, the sweet aroma filling my senses. Tears welled in my eyes.

He kept his head down, our foreheads brushing occasionally. We stood there, two fools in the falling snow, eating a sweet potato.

“Ashley,” he said, wiping a smudge from my lip with his thumb. “I…I got kicked out.”

“What?”

“My parents said the Carters have never produced an irresponsible man. So, I’m an anomaly, and I’m homeless now.” He was smiling, but his eyes weren’t. A sharp pang of guilt hit me.

The falling snow blurred my vision. “But David, I don’t need you to be responsible… and besides, it wasn’t my first time…”

He cut me off with a kiss, his lips cold from the snow, yet burning against mine. “Ashley, you know I like you. I don’t care about any of that.”

He cupped my face, kissing away my tears. “I made a bet with myself tonight. If you didn’t come back, I would try to move on. But if you did…I wouldn’t let you go again.” His eyes held a flicker of hope, so fragile and tentative, I couldn’t bring myself to break it.

Before we even made it inside, David’s lips were on mine again. As he helped me off with my coat and scarf, he pulled me close, our bodies flush against each other. I could feel his urgency, so unlike his usual reserved demeanor.

“David, you seem…eager,” I teased. His fingers curled around the hem of my sweater, his warm palm pressing against my skin. He pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. I closed my eyes, rising up on my toes. “Don’t rush, David. We have all night.”

He looked down at me, a genuine smile finally reaching his eyes. He laced his fingers with mine, pulling my hand lower. “Ashley…you promised me all night. Every single second.”

That night, the snow fell and melted, just like us.