Not edited.

Anastasia's POV

  It took me a few seconds till I got used to the whole situation. It was quite the view.. I mean, I had never seen Ash so casual. Well, not after I accidentally broke into his house last night, and saw him nearly naked.. But, hey, that didn't count. The whole night was more of a blur anyway. Perhaps I thought the picture before me was weird, good weird, because he was always so neat and classy..

  Now, I got to see a different side, with paint on his jeans, and a simple white shirt that exposed his body more. Not like last night, but differently. Why would I even care? His lips moved, but his voice was muted in my ears. I heard words and words and words as he got down the chair, but none of them were available for my brain to register. "Anya," He must've realized I wasn't listening, but when he said my name, I snapped out of whatever was going through my head. Wait, what did he say again?

I blinked a few times, clearing my throat and looking on the side. "Pardon?"

  A beat passed where he just looked at me in silence, and then smiled. "You love sneaking up on people, don't you?" The more I heard his voice, the more I snapped back to reality. Whatever it was going through my head, I left it behind, and focused on his words. And he just decided not to tell me what he was talking about when I apparently wasn't listening.

  True that I sneaked up on him again, but it was definitely not planned. "Right!" I said almost too loudly, distracting myself from the point again, and trying to focus on his eyes and not on him. Generally. "I, uh-, I saw your car in the middle of the road." That should do it. Right? I explained myself.. Now, all I had to do was change the subject on me sneaking up on people, cause he would not believe it was coincidence like I claimed last night too. "This place yours?"

  Once again, there seemed to be humor in his eyes, which was fine, it's just that he was usually a grump. "I started reconstructing it when I got back in Richwood." He took a few steps towards the little bar on the side, taking a cloth and wiping his hands. His back looked really good in that shirt. When he turned around, I lined my lips into a faint smile. "You done with work?"

He walked past me, towards the door, and now behind my back when I started talking. "Yea, I," I stopped for a second, turning to face him again. "You're showing up tomorrow, right? Or should there be another rescheduling?" He was turning on the light on the switch, checking if what he did was working. Apparently not. But was he really planning on getting on and off chair to check the switch the whole time till he fixes it?

"I'll be there" He mumbled without bothering to turn around, still turning it on and off, on and off.. When he was assured that it wasn't working, he turned to face me, taking a few steps in silence and intending to walk back towards his chair. He once again simply passed me, and I was there wondering if he knew how to do this properly. I mean, I knew I thing or two. I could help.

Slowly, I walked towards the switch, knowing that he wasn't paying attention to me while getting back on the chair, and then tried doing what he did. Well, here's the conclusion. It really wasn't working and I definitely caught his attention. "Careful." I heard him say. I didn't mind him working, and he could do that as long as he wanted. I was curious to know if it worked, so I didn't pay much attention. "You should go before you hurt yourself." He added, finally making me glance back at him.

I couldn't help but grin. He really didn't know that I actually knew a thing or two.. "Oh.. Or I can do that for you." I gestured towards the switch, and yea, he was already aware that he needed a hand with this. Let's see if he was going to be stubborn again, or accept it.

Silence fell over for a second, two.. He seemed to be trying to read me in some kind of way, before finally continuing. "Turn it off."

~

Ash's POV

I sat as still as the trees, not totally frozen, simply staring in the endless green in front of me, wondering how damn long it had been since this place was alive. Since there were many voices, jokes and laughs, blowing life to this old crappy place that I seemed to enjoy so much. And I couldn't remember.

Today Anya came and did exactly that. She changed the whole atmosphere, turned the place upside down, and it was just us. There was no need for people to bring such light to the place. The part that had me thinking was that she didn't even try. With every sarcastic statement she yelled out, the spitfire, the advises she gave and thought she knew oh so well, they all made this day pass so quickly, it seemed like minutes..

I took a sip from the bottle, needing every drop of water there was left, before I heard that voice that now seemed so familiar, calming in a way, no matter how loud she was.. I could listen for hours. "So, this is why you ran away today, huh?" I heard her steps from behind, walking outside on the porch before she took a step down the first stair and sat beside me. I looked at her, watching how she closed her eyes against the sun, and a smile stretched her lips. "It's amazing how quiet it is."

I leaned on my knees, glancing back at every green piece the nature created around us. It is. "That's why I love it here." I told her, hearing her release a breath, somewhat making me look at her again. Her long hair was slightly wavy, so thick yet shining so brightly against the sun. You would say that it was black, but in the light it was just the darkest chocolate brown color I've ever seen.

She stared in front of her for a few seconds, before a dry laugh escaped her and looked back at me. "How did you even find this place, Bonner?" Her voice cracked in laughter, once again louder than anyone else that talked to me, but there was nothing unnatural about her and that's what started fascinating me so much. Her eyes were the complete contrast of her hair, the lightest jade-green mixed with ocean blue that seemed so unreal, almost transparent and glossy. But they were so wide, it was impossible not to be drawn by them.

And then I realized that I was about to answer something I would usually refuse, because it was none of people's business. But Anya was something else. I looked back in front of me, took a sip from the bottle, and continued. "It was my aunt's. She doesn't have any kids on her own, so when she left Richwood, she gave this place to me."

"That's not fair. What did your brothers get?" And there it was. Once again, from everything I said, Anya was the only one that could come up with a question like that. No damn faces, no holding back, just honesty. And I couldn't help but let that laugh escape me. "What?" She once again rose her voice in protest, eager to know what made me laugh, and that's what was so admiring about her. She had no idea.

I looked back at her, still unable to wipe that smile off my face. She was grinning slightly as well, and she had no clue how beautiful she looked when she smiled. I wasn't usually the guy to see those I aesthetic parts, but there was no escaping when it came to Anya. Her little nose even moved when she laughed, and I still didn't know she was making it out of this world the way she way. I asked her how she did it, but she didn't seem to know herself. Trusting only herself, she said. And yea, that perhaps that was part of it, but she was something else. It was the only way I could explain it.

"Yea, perhaps it's because I used to love it the most as a kid. Besides, they can still visit." I finally answered, and she rose her eyebrows before looking in front of herself again.

"Okay, fair enough." She leaned her elbows on her knees, pouted her lip for a second, and continued. "And considering the fact that you refuse to hire some workers, if I may say, I'm guessing that this is a little secret-.. ish?"

Oh, and again, with her, it was all truth and even thoughts from the back of her mind, so it didn't surprise me that she asked a question like that. "Yea, Ethan can't know yet." A few seconds passed where she stared in front of her, and I was just wondering when she will realize that I just warned her not to tell. And.. When she looked back at me, her eyes very slightly widening in defense, she rose her hands and shrug her shoulders a little.

"OK, Bonner, don't look at me like that. I won't say a thing." I nodded my head in acceptance, before she smiled again, but unlike before there was this irony to it. She looked before her again, and continued. "Besides, your brother hates me." Right. Well, not completely true. Ethan didn't hate people. He was religious and way to good-hearted to hate someone. But he had his odd ways.

"Ethan is just weird, and insanely traditional."

She titled her head slightly, frowned and looked down for a second. "Yea, well it's what makes Richwood.. Well, Richwood." I watched how she intertwined her fingers together, and I knew there was more on what she had to say. Not just cause of the way she looked at me, but because there was nothing but seriousness on her face, and that was a rare side of her. At least since I met her. "Look, I'm sorry I crashed in last night. I didn't know that-.. Well, that you were there," A slight chuckle escaped her and she looked down. "And sorry I scared you. If I did."

"Yea, I'm sorry I almost broke.. A few of your bones." The sun was starting to hide behind a few clouds, making me look up, but the thoughts going through my head didn't let me keep a straight face. Well, Anya more correctly. I glanced back at her, and she seemed to be following each of my moves, already trying to somewhat read my face. "That's your thing, huh?"

"What?"

"Sneaking up on people." Her lips were plump and once again, just like last night, so damn red, it was insane, before they simply stretched into a faint smile.

"Oh, yea." She looked down, and I couldn't help but think about last night. In the house.. She was there for a reason. And she never gave a full answer. But that's the thing. She wasn't very good with keeping lies. There was too much rawness, pureness in her for that. "I never had a cool thing as a kid." She joked, but there was something else on my mind to keep up really.

"What were you looking for?" I asked, making her glance back at me. "Last night, at the house.. You were looking for something. What was it?"

She shrug her shoulders slightly. "I told you. I just felt homesick."

"Anya,"

With me insisting, it was easier to see what was going on behind her eyes, it was easier to read her, and she wasn't good with lies because she obviously didn't do it often. "I was looking for a book." She finally said, looked back at me for a second then focused back in front of her.

"A book?"

"Yea." She blinked a few times before looking down at her hands. "My mom died when I was 16, and a few days before that she told me that she left one of her favorite books here in Richwood.. She then said that if I ever found myself back here to look for it because it could answer a lot."

Silence fell over for a few seconds. I had no idea that she lost her mother at such a young age. I knew the exact pain and agony you went through when losing someone you love, but a parent.. Perhaps there was still so much I didn't know about Anya. "What book?" I managed to ask, but she remained calmed and simply concentrated on the grass and trees in front of her.

"Pride and prejudice." She turned to face me again, but I already followed how her expressions changed, and I couldn't tell what was going through her mind. But once again, she managed to turn this into a lighter conversation, and keep it for herself. "Which I didn't find, by the way. Don't worry." She gave me a quick smile, and stood up. She turned to look at me, the little of the sun that was left was illuminating her figure perfectly now, and then simply shoved her hands in her back pockets. "You done for today?"

God, Anya. What was she doing to me? She had me completely focused on nothing but her, playing me the way she wanted to and she wasn't even aware of it. I listened to every damn thing she said, saw every little emotion that went behind those greens, losing myself in her completely just like last night.

I would sympathize her, then smile with her, following every mood that either changed her eyes to darker or simply brought some spark in them. Then I would look and see the girl at the club, wild and with not a single worry on her mind. And then the vulnerability she showed last night, the honesty behind her eyes, every single thing she did just swirled my head another time. She fucked up my mind badly.

Now, she swallowed every single word she had to say, and changed the subject. Because I knew. I knew exactly what it felt like losing someone.  Anya was knew no one in this town and I knew she wanted to talk about it everything that went though her head that moment, let it out.. Or even if she refused to, she at least felt the need to. But instead, she changed the subject, probably thinking she was annoying with talking about herself. Perhaps that's why she never did. But she had no damn clue how much I wanted to hear her say it, just to see her face light up when she lets it out. I didn't know this girl that well yet, but I could listen.

I stared at her for a few seconds, and she patiently waited for an answer. I didn't find words at that point, and simply nodded my head. "Well then, considering the fact that I practically jumped out of the taxi when I saw your car on the road, I think I could use a ride." And that's when I thought that maybe it didn't matter. It was better to change the subject than watch how her heart broke, and even though she showed it for only a few seconds, I saw it all in her eyes. And it was that moment when I realized we weren't all different.

I took my keys from beside me, stood up, and took a few steps towards the path that lead to the road, watching her eyes follow me. "What did you think, that I was going to let you walk?" And with that, I passed her and walked towards the car.

~

How much did it take? Thirty minutes? And the rain was already pouring.. But that was Richwood for you. No matter what time of the year it was, the weather changed just like that. Just instead of turning towards Anya's, I turned towards my place. I glanced at her for a second, and saw confusion flash behind her eyes for a second before she frowned and looked at me. "You missed the turn, Bonner."

"I know." I answered plainly, knowing that she was still focused on me.

I heard her clear her throat slightly. "May I ask why?" I turned on the wipers faster as the rain continued quickening. It was already dark, and I was just glad we were off the road, cause if it continued like that, the rain blocked almost the whole view. It wasn't safe.

"We're going to my place."

At my plain answer, I heard a small 'hmm' ing, and then another sarcastic statement. "I'm gonna need more than that." We were already a few blocks away, but she insisted. "Is this part of me being your assistant, 'cause I thought that was only in the mornings..?"

"No, it's part of your little book hunt." Once again, she was quiet for a few seconds, processing, and I was too focused on the road that was pretty blurry from the rain to know what she was doing. But I knew she simply sat still for a few seconds, and I couldn't even hear her breathing.

When she processed it a little, she mumbled something before finding her voice. "Uh, do you even know where it is?" By the time she decided to say that, I was already getting in the drive way, glancing at her as I stopped the car.

"No, but we're finding out tonight."

***

We all need a Ash in our life. I ship it. And yea guys the book is off hold, and officially on going! Wow 20 days since I last updated.. Let me say this, I'm just so glad I got to work on this again, cause it's one of my favorite romance books I've worked on, or read xD

See ya soon kittens! Really soon perhaps ;) Kisses,