Fighting Shadows (On the Ropes #2)(74)

“What I think? I think you’re an amazing person who deserves more than I will ever be able to give you. But, dammit, I’m going to try anyway. That shit I spouted before you left was about me and my issues. Never you. If you’ll just stay with me, I’ll spend a lifetime proving that to you. Ash, I’m so f*cking sorry.”

He reluctantly released me as I stood up. I didn’t go far though. Spinning to face him, I climbed back onto his lap, locking my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.

“It’s okay. I forgive you.” I kissed him then whispered, “I may have overreacted. I mean, who runs away for three years?” I winked, and a small smile quirked the side of his mouth. “I’m sorry about this morning too. I wanted to look nice for our fresh, new start as a couple. No one’s really worried about where I was before. I didn’t even think about letting you know where I was going.”

He nodded, chastely touching his lips to mine before leaning away to catch my eyes. “Why’d you take my book? That’s what freaked me out the most.”

I laughed. “First off, it’s my book, not yours. I stole that fair and square before I reformed my ways.” He rolled his eyes. “But I wanted to write. I had a lot to catch up on over the last few days.”

“What color?”

I knew exactly what he was talking about. I just didn’t know how he knew what he was talking about. “Excuse me?”

“Pink or green? If it was blue, I’m gonna be pissed.”

I slapped his chest. “You read my book?”

“No, I read my book . . . that you graffitied with highlighter.”

“It’s not your book! It’s mine.”

He thought I was joking, even as I jumped off his lap.

He pushed to his feet, snapping the condom off and knotting it before settling on the edge of the bed. “Ash, I’m not a total *. You can borrow it anytime you want.”

I gave him an evil side eye. “Wheels, I just told you that I love you. Do not make me regret it. That book is mine.”

“Come here.” He grabbed my hand and tugged me to stand between his legs. “Say it again.”

“It’s mine,” I told him.

He gave me an unimpressed glare. I knew what he wanted to hear; I just really liked f*cking with him.

“The other thing, smartass.”

I wanted to keep going, but as he looked up at me through his thick black lashes, I wanted to hear him say it again too. “I love you.”

“And,” he prompted.

“And no more running.”

His lips split into a smile, and the corners of his eyes softened.

Lifting my arm, he kissed the Flint tattoo on my side. “I love you too.”

I closed my eyes as he repeatedly whispered it against my skin.

I was so genuinely happy for the first time in my entire life that I couldn’t even pretend to stop the awkward bubble of laugher that escaped.

He looked up at me with a questioning expression that I only answered with a shrug as I continued to laugh.

He loves me.

Shaking his head, he said, “Fine. You can have the book, but only if you don’t give me shit about reading it.”

“You can take your deal and shove it. That’s my book, I don’t need you to give it to me.” I backed away and crossed my arms over my chest.

He barked out a laugh, retrieving his crutches off the floor. “Get dressed, baby. It’s date night.”

“It’s my book,” I repeated because, well, he needed to understand.

“Absolutely,” he confirmed, walking to the bathroom. “For as long as I let you borrow it.”

I could hear his laughter continue as he shut the door.

I wasn’t mad. I couldn’t have cared less that he was delusional enough to think it was still his.

I was staying.

Forever.

With Flint.





IT WAS TRULY INCREDIBLE THE way one weekend changed the trajectory of my entire life.

Ash and I had skipped our date in exchange for takeout food and the weed garden. It was far better than whatever cheesy and clichéd date I could have taken her on. It was us. And with her promise to stay, there was officially an us again.

Ash spent the entire night tucked into my side, never letting me stray out of her reach—even while we were eating.

It was incredible. For the first time in my entire life, I wasn’t nervously waiting for the sky to crash down on me. The world could have slipped into another Dark Age and I would have been fine. I had a home, a job, money in the bank, and a woman who didn’t need any of it.

She just wanted me.

My life had officially begun.

And it was gloriously uneventful.

Ash and I quickly fell into an easy routine. I drove her to work at the salon in the mornings then picked her up at lunch only to drop her off at the college, where she had enrolled in a high school refresher course. She didn’t need it. She was insanely smart. However, she was nervous about failing the high school equivalency exam she needed to take in order to start college courses.

I was proud of her for going back to school. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to major in, but she was so excited about attending actual classes that it didn’t matter. The only problem was she needed an ID before she could enroll and Ash had nothing. We spent weeks tracking down her birth certificate and then her social security card before she finally went to the DMV to get a driver’s license—something else she was excited about. Her newsie list was dwindling as she crossed things off left and right.