Hold the Forevers

“You didn’t know that, did you?” She smirked that same look she’d given me in the classroom. “Spent all break with him, and he never mentioned that he just likes to fuck and move on because, otherwise, his parents won’t let him see anyone?”

“Doesn’t seem to matter.”

“And he took you on the yacht,” Shelly said with a laugh. “Are you still a virgin after a month spent with Ash Talmadge?”

I glared at her. “That’s none of your business.”

She snickered. “Maybe you should have come with me. Ash isn’t exactly gentle with hearts when he decides to break them.”

I was not going to have her ruin my best memory of break. New Year’s on the water had been a dream come true. Ash had made a move, but it absolutely had not been like what Shelly was talking about. And when I told him I wasn’t ready, he didn’t push it. He said we could go as slow as I wanted, and he’d meant it.

“Just because he didn’t care about you or how he handled your heart,” I said as I headed toward the stairs, “doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about me.”

Shelly followed me. “Delilah, I say this as someone who likes you … you should watch out for him.”

Just then, a Mercedes pulled up to the front of the school. The passenger window rolled down, and Ash Talmadge leaned toward it.

“Lila!”

I grinned with my heart full to bursting. All thoughts of Shelly Thomas fleeing my mind.

“Get in. I’ll take you home.”

I smiled at Shelly. Her lips were pursed at the sight. “Thanks for the advice.”

Then, I dashed down the front steps of the school and into Ash’s car. Shelly crossed her arms over her white button-up and navy-blue blazer and watched us with inscrutable eyes. I didn’t know whether she was planning revenge or what, but I’d won this round.

Ash waved to Shelly as he pulled away. She twirled her fingers at him and raised her eyebrow before he drove out of sight.

I rocked back into the leather seat and blew out a harsh breath. “I stood my ground against Shelly Thomas.”

“What happened? Was she a bitch about the ski trip?”

“Yeah. She said she did it because I was a virgin and couldn’t have handled it.” I rolled my eyes.

“Classic Shelly switch.”

“She said something else interesting though,” I said, cutting him a glance. He looked so cute in his uniform—khakis, white button-up, blue blazer, and his favorite Ray-Bans.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“She said that your parents didn’t let you date.”

He frowned. “She said that?”

“Yeah. I realized that I’ve never met your parents or anything.”

He sighed heavily and pulled the car over to a stop in front of Forsyth Park. He jerked off his Ray-Bans and faced me. “She’s not wrong.”

“Then … what have we been doing?”

“Dating,” he insisted. He glanced down and then back up. “Look, my dad is … he’s an acquired taste. He’s a hard-ass. He hates everything and thinks that I have to be raised the same way that he was. So, I have a job and I have to go to Duke and I can’t date in high school. My mom is on too much Prozac to disagree with anything he says. We’re all a mess, and I didn’t want you to think that I was like them. I didn’t want you to meet them and them to ruin this.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, reaching across the seat and taking his hand.

“I don’t have experience with this, Lila.”

“Experience with what? I’ve heard you have experience.”

“I’ve had sex.” He traced a circle on my hand and then met my gaze. “I’ve never been in love.”

“Ash,” I whispered.

“I love you, Lila. I’m in love with you.”

My throat closed, and I swallowed hard. “I love you too.”

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “I love hearing you say that. God, it’s perfect. And I don’t want anything to come between us. Especially not my dad.” He kissed my hand again. “I’m going to tell them about us I promise. I just have to figure it out.”

“Okay.” I’d wait for it, for him. I wanted this more than anything else ever before. What was a few more weeks before he told his parents that we were together? What was the worst that could happen?

“Thank you,” he said, drawing my lips to his. “I’m going to be the guy that you deserve.”

“You already are,” I insisted.

Then our kissing deepened until I was breathless and the windows fogged up. He unbuckled my seat belt and pulled me onto his lap. Everything felt hot and needy. I should have been heading home. I had to get to the studio tonight. But all I could think about was Ash’s hands on me and his lips trailing kisses down my neck and the feel of him through his school khakis. Heat built in my core like I’d never felt before, and only the friction from his pants could make it stop.