Nothing Left to Lose (Guarded Hearts 1)

“Right, I guess soggy cardboard walls wouldn’t be too good.”

I smiled, leaning in closer to him. “But I’d love that box if you came home to me safely every night. That’s the only thing I need from you,” I said honestly.

“Well then, that I can do,” he replied, smiling now.

I nodded, satisfied that he was happy, and then turned my attention back to the food that was laid out before me. “So, I guess I’ll be needing to find a new school soon,” I said casually, as I popped a couple of grapes into my mouth.

“A new school? Why’s that?” he asked, sounding confused.

“Well, I’m not staying at ASU if you’re in LA.” I frowned, horrified at the thought.

“LA? Where did that come from?”

“Well, you’ll go back to LA once your sick leave finishes. I figured you’d ask me to come…” I swallowed awkwardly as panic gripped my chest at the thought of being without him. Was he expecting us to have a long distance relationship until my schooling was finished? I couldn’t do that. “Oh God, you do want me to come, right?”

He scoffed and stroked the side of my face soothingly. “Anna, calm down! Jeez, I can almost hear your heart speeding up,” he scolded. “I’m not going to LA; I’ve asked your father to find me a position that’s closer to you. He’s found me a great placement in Arizona so I’ll still get to live with you while you’re at school, just like I always planned.”

He was staying with me? But what about his friends? His dream job? “Ashton, no! I’ll come to LA with you. Your friends are there, you’ve been living your dream job; I can’t take that away from you. I can’t ask you to give up your life for me,” I argued desperately.

He smiled. “You’re my life, Baby Girl, and there’s no way I’m giving you up,” he smiled at me wickedly.

My heart melted into a puddle. He truly was incredible. “But I have nothing tying me to ASU,” I countered, trying not to think of the friends I’d made, or the year I was almost through this time, or the way that people treated me like I was a normal person even though my father was the President. I didn’t care about any of that; I just wanted him to be happy.

“Anna, it’s done. I want to stay with you and I want you to finish your course with people that have been good friends with you since before your father’s election,” he said seriously.

“You really are the sweetest, most thoughtful, romantic, special boy in the world.” I looked at him in awe. I had never met anyone like him in my life, and I was honestly the luckiest girl alive to have him love me like he did.

He laughed. “Boy? Baby, I’m all man,” he corrected, faking hurt.

Jeez, don’t I know it! Damn badass! “Oh no, you’ll always be my Pretty Boy,” I teased.

“Oh yeah? Even when I’m old, wrinkly and grey?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah. You’ll always be pretty to me,” I promised, stroking his bruised face lovingly, tracing the lines and bruises carefully before pressing my lips against his. He kissed me back with so much love and passion that if I had been standing, it would have knocked me clean off my feet. I closed my eyes, and all I could think about was how this boy was mine, how he wanted to be with me forever and how he was my perfect other half.

For ages, we just lay on the blanket that was sprinkled with rose petals, looking at the stars, holding hands. Nothing needed to be said. Everything was perfect and incredible, and I knew that with Ashton at my side, it always would be.

Epilogue

~ Ashton ~

Anna had been named sole beneficiary of Carter Thomas’ will. He left everything to her – his cars, houses, money, and shares. Of course, the police knew that it was all obtained through illegal means, so they petitioned the courts to impound it. However, to be able to confiscate the money, they had to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the money had been obtained by breaking the law. The trouble was that Carter was incredibly proficient at covering his tracks.

It took over three years for them to build their case and prove the money had been made through illegal businesses. Just over a half of it was confiscated by the state; the rest had been laundered again and again to make it appear clean even though everyone knew that it wasn’t. Anna was, therefore, issued just over twenty-nine million dollars of Carter’s money.

Anna being Anna, hadn’t wanted anything to do with him, even after death. So she gave two million dollars to each of the agents’ families that died whilst guarding her, and two million to Jack’s family. Then she gave just over ten million dollars to AWC, a charity called Abused Women and Children that helped victims of domestic violence. Her final icing on the cake? She gave five million dollars to a cat charity because Carter had a real hatred for cats. She said he would be turning in his grave, and had actually laughed when she signed the bank transfer order.

Lots of other changes had happened in the five years since Carter’s death. The biggest change: we were now married. Just like I had promised her, I’d taken her back to the Maldives. Our wedding had been held in secret, on the beach, with just very close family and friends in attendance. That was the proudest day of my life, the day I got to change the only thing that I didn’t love about her – her surname.

Some things remained the same though. The press still loved us. Annaton fever still gripped the nation but, knowing there was nothing we could do about it, we just got on with our lives and tried not to focus on it too much. President Spencer remained in office; he’d been re-elected and had another three years left to serve his country.