When the fear of isolation pulls Ashton and Ria together, nothing can prepare them for the collision. An anomaly shatters the repetitive fabric of their lives, sending them on a journey of discovering themselves and one another.
Beneath Ashton's gen...
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STREET LIGHTS GLOW through the window. They lie in bed, waiting for the other to speak. Ria has her head upon his chest, listening to his heart as she traces the lines of his abdomen.
"I love your hair," he mumbles. "It's so beautiful." He begins massaging her scalp, running his fingers through her hair.
"Thank you."
"I also love your freckles." He runs his fingers down her arm.
"Ashton, you're stalling."
"I can't compliment you?" He feigns confusion.
She snuggles closer to him and gently entangles their legs. "You always compliment me. You said you wanted to talk, so let's talk."
"Fine, fine. What do you want to know?"
"Your family?"
"No." His voice is sharp and his shoulders stiffen. "I don't want to talk about that."
"Okay... How was your life growing up?"
"It was pretty shitty. Not a lot to talk about there."
"High school? College?"
"Hated high school. Dropped out of college."
"Ashton," she huffs.
"What? I'm just being honest with you."
She wraps her arms around him and listens as his heart picks up. "Why don't you want to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to say, Ria. My life was shit growing up. Remembering it is hard. Talking about it is even worse. There's nothing interesting or good to recall."
"How did you get into art?"
He shrugs and wraps an arm around her shoulder. "I was always fascinated with forms and shapes. More so women. I-I had a girlfriend years ago who kind of brought it out of me. I wanted to be an artist to express my lo-"
Ria's heart freezes. She holds her breath.
Ashton's heart beats even faster and his fingers tremble on her arm. "I-I wanted to express the desires I had for her through my hands, so I started painting with my emotions. That's where it all started."
He's talking about Vivian.
The accusation is at the tip of her tongue, desperate for release. She should ask him about it. She wants to know the woman's story. His story with her. Though the last time Ria brought up that woman's name, everything about his demeanor changed.
"I have a question," she says instead.
"Okay..."
"What are you most afraid of? Your past or your future?"
