Run. Just Run.

Chapter 30

Ashley wakes up in the middle of the night. Where was she? Oh, yeah. Sleeping in a tree with James. What woke her up? She hears a sob. Oh, that's what woke her up. She lifts her head off James chest and looks at him. He's crying. He looks so pitiful, crying. Like he was in desperation. Like.....a person who had lost all his family. Like.....herself.

She reaches up and cups his cheek in her hand. He sniffles.

"It's okay Jay. Cry all you want." She whispers soothingly. "I know it helps." She says as she cracks a smile.

James nods as his hands wander up to Ashley's hair and he runs his hands through it. That always helped him calm down. Then he slowly stops crying enough to talk.

"I'm not only crying about my parents." He says, choked up. "I'm also crying about..." He stops as more tears run down his face.

"You don't have to say it, Jay." Ashley whispers as she rubs her hand slowly on his face.

"I'm also crying about you." James says anyways.

Ashley's heart pounds. About her? Why would he be crying about her? Wasn't everything okay between them? Was she reading everything wrong?

"You've lost your parents too. And now possibly your second set of parents." He says, choked up. "You've lost all your family."

Ashley sighs in relief. So there wasn't anything wrong between them. Whew. She lifts his chin and his eyes meet hers.

"No." She says with a small smile. "I haven't lost all my family. I've got you. You're my family." She says, smiling.

James' heart pounds. "But I'm all that's left..." He says, his eyes full of sadness.

Ashley feels butterflies in her stomach. "You are all that's left. We're all that's left." She says slowly. Then, after a moment, she adds "And even though we're all that's left, we'll be a good family."

James mind reels. Did she just say they'll be a good family? As in the two of them? A family? Then a thought hit him. A good family...as in brother and sister, or...something more? Oh how he yearned to know the answer to that question. But he didn't dare ask her, he wouldn't want to make anything awkward!

James nods. "Yeah." He spits out. "We'll be a good family." He says as he smiles a little. Regardless of which way she was talking about, he'd love it. He'd love to be like her brother, and her to be his sister, but...the thought of something more...

He pulls her closer and kisses her on the top of her head. "You're great, Ash. Thank you for everything." Did he really just kiss her on the head? He blushes.

Ashley smiles wide. She snuggles closer to James, she loved the way she felt in his arms. Comfortable. Warm. Secure. ...Loved...