We'll Kiss Again

Finale: Party (Chapter 30)

"Blow out the candles!" Everyone cheered.

Asher grinned. He was celebrating the...well, I guess the cake tells it all.

'Congrats! You're not dead!', the cake read in frosty blue icing.

I winced. It was a little insensitive and too soon, in my opinion, to be celebrating. In fact, I wasn't even in the party mood considering Jason wasn't talking to me and Asher had almost died AND we'd only sent Emma's dad to jail last week. Nevertheless, Asher was hell-bent on having this party, and even if it meant his chest hurt every time he walked, he refused to give up. So, as his girlfriend, it was my duty to make sure he didn't do anything stupid (like tear open his chest while attempting to dance).

Yes, I said girlfriend. He'd officially asked me after the trial and naturally, I'd been elated.

I was currently watching him from the kitchen, distancing myself from the enthusiastic, grinding party-goers. At first he'd actually tried to dance, but that had taken too much effort so he'd resorted to fist pumping. It was endearing how excited he was to just have fun after everything he'd been through. He was so optimistic. It was surprising, considering his parents were splitting up, his dad had to leave for another business trip, and his mom was keeping the baby.

I took a sip from some Pepsi and Asher gestured for me to come over. I blushed because I didn't realize Asher knew I'd been watching him. He tilted his head towards the hallway that led upstairs and started walking, so I quickly exited the kitchen and followed him. He was waiting for me at the top of the stairs. When I reached the top, he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards his bedroom. After locking the door, he led me over to the bed and patted the spot next to him. I moved to sit down.

"Why aren't you having fun?" He asked.

I sighed. I'd been trying to put on a good face for his sake, but he obviously saw right through me. "I'm not really in the party mood," I answered, fiddling with my hands.

"Is this because Jason isn't talking to you?"

Was it okay to talk to Asher about Jason? I mean, Jason was my ex-boyfriend, so I couldn't imagine Asher wanted to talk about him. Especially since he hadn't been dating anyone while I was dating Jason. Asher had explained to me earlier that Emma had been interested in Jason, not him, but she hadn't made her move while I was dating Jason.

Asher glanced at my face. "No...it's not, is it?"

Crap. How did he know me so well? "Well, I'm kind of upset that he isn't talking to me, but I'm not that upset. I'm not an idiot. I understand why he can't."

"Is it because you think Emma is going to ask him out?"

My eyebrows shot up. "She's going to ask him out? Hasn't she already hurt enough people? There's no need to spread it towards the innocent bystanders."

He rolled his eyes. "I know you don't like her-"

"-and with good reason," I cut in.

"But you can't dwell on that," he said. "They aren't part of your life anymore. I am. We're together. You have to focus on us."

"How do you do it?" I asked softly.

He looked me in the eyes. "How do I do what?"

"How do you move on? How can you just forgive and forget? Everyone you know has left you. Your mom, your dad, Emma, even I broke up with you at one point."

He looked at me as though he'd just realized something and smiled a little, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I get it. You think I'm going to leave you, don't you?" He questioned.

I didn't say anything. I just stared at my hands, too embarrassed. Was it wrong to think he would leave me? He'd never actually left me before. I had been the one to leave him when we'd argued. I had been the one who'd dated someone else even when I knew he still wanted me. He'd never stopped fighting for me, but I'd given up on him. So what right did I have to not want him to leave? I deserved it. I deserved to be alone.

"You don't deserve to be alone."

I looked at him, my eyes glazed over with tears. "H-how did you-"

"I know you Ashley. I know everything about you. Your favorite color, your favorite song, that birthmark you have on the side of your hip," I blushed as he looked at me warmly and then I tried to laugh. "Your obsession with Oreo cookies, and most importantly, how you think. You don't deserve to be alone. You deserve to be happy. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now. I won't ever be able to thank you enough for as long as we both live. You deserve everything you want."

A tear slipped down my cheek and he put his hand underneath my chin, tilting my face towards him. Then he kissed me softly and brushed the tears away.

"I love you Ashley and I promise I won't ever leave you," He promised.

"I love you too," I smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOOOOBBBB. IT'S OVER!!! Three years, and we've closed this chapter! PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE END, COMMENT, AND VOTE. So sad :) thank you so much for supporting me and pushing me to finish this story. I couldn't have made it this far without you guys and you mean so much. YOU ARE AWESOME. <3