Ashlyn 

Eyes fluttering open and lips parted agape, I watched Dane leap up from the bed and towards the door. Still trapped in a daze, trying to wrap my head around what was going on, I wobbled when I stood. 

"Dane?" I asked with a squeak.  

Half of his body stood guarded and at post in front of my bedroom door while the other half of his broad towering shoulders blocked me in. My question remained halted in the bottom of my throat when I gazed up at his tense jaws. It was clear that Dane heard something I hadn't, and with the way his fists shook I was afraid to be filled in on what I missed. Some part of me felt that I would have been better off without knowing, but curiosity nagged. 

With hesitation, I reached out and rested my hand on his shoulder. Like he just remembered that I was standing there, he stared down at me with those bright green eyes a bit startled.  

His face softened when he grasped my shoulders and ushered me back into the room, "How about we stay in here for a bit and then go celebrate Thanksgiving on our own? You need a break from Mike," just like his eyes his voice was incredibly soft, lulling me into a fake sense of comfort, and with his arms, around my shoulders, I was tempted to give into his into his embrace. 

But I shook my head, "What's going on?"  

Persisting, I stepped forward in an effort to peer out the door and walk out to take a look at the commotion myself. However, Dane steadied his hands and held me back, "Ashlyn, please, let's just stay in here for a bit."  

Green fern eyes peering deep into mine, hoping that if his words wouldn't be able to convince me he could communicate his sincerity otherwise, I had to pull away. I had to know. If it involved anything with Mike, I needed to know. Dane was only trying to protect me; I understood that, but he did not have to. Our friendship was the product of a forgery, and though I intended on dropping everything that came in connection with Mike once everything was over I will only let my relationship with Dane stop here. 

Nothing more. I valued him too much to let go, but anything beyond friends was something I could not accept. 

Waking up from my fantasy with continuing anything with Mike was something I had to accept- no matter how painful.  

There wasn't much to say, and Dane knew he couldn't stop me. There was a solemn look to his face when I gazed back up at him, stepping a bit forward and pushing against him to let me through. I knew he didn't want to. His hands on my shoulders remained rigid and incompliant, holding be back from something I would eventually regret, but with one final defeated nod he bowed his head and took a step back.   

I felt bad for denying his good intentions, but I had to find out about what was going on and the closer I walked towards the kitchen the more audible the voices became.  

The original outburst that Dane and I heard in the room earlier whittled down to faint and almost inaudible whispers. 

Mike was one of the two people in the kitchen, no doubt about it, but the other voice was feminine and the cadence of her speech was unforgettable- a unique signature that lingered in memory. Seemed to be ages since I last heard it, but it was so familiar. 

"It was just a one-time thing. It didn't mean anything to me. I wasn't myself then." 

The girl laughed with a smug drawl to her hum, "Mikey, I brought you back. Your tail was between your legs when you walked in to see me. Tame isn't your style, dear." 

"Get the fuck out."  

"You know you don't want me to." 

There was a gentle pause, and in anticipation I drew closer and closer to the entrance with my fingers clutching the archway of the kitchen. Even with my breath held and lungs bursting for air under my pouding heart, there was no other words to be said. The conversation ceased and dissipated into thin air like it never existed in the first place. 

Perhaps they knew I was there. 

Inching forwards, I poked my head out from the side and peered in. Mike, with his back towards me, faced the red headed girl with arms crossed, while she, with the most striking pale blue eyes I ever seen, smiled coy back at him. She tisked and snaked her arms up from his hands and over to his shoulders, looping them around his neck. Unfazed by his uncomfortable and rigid posture, she used him to pull herself closer and fluttered her eyes while she tilted her head and studied his face. 

"No, I do," though as Mike said this he faltered and nearly crumbled under her touch. His words were resisting, but his body was saying otherwise.

Knowing her affect, she smirked and traced the curvature of his jaw with a teasing finger and pouted lips, "No, you don't."  

Lips closer and closer to his, I buried my fingers into my palms and held my breath until it burned and scalded, exploding. I should have turned away then and there, but instead, I tortured myself and watched. Watched as he shuddered in temptation under her touch and gave in, leaning into her kiss while they dissolved into sync- his barricaded posture melting into that of an embrace with hands melding into hers.  

The lump in my throat refused to fall down and pretending that I was fine was worthless. Yet, that was all I could do. I shouldn't have expected anything different. 

Clearing my throat and deciding that it was a good time to intrude since the scene was making me sick to my stomach, I walked in, "Mike, I'm leaving." 

Startled, he nearly jumped a full one-eighty the second I spoke, and when he faced me his face was flushed red that he almost looked purple. Mike's mouth fell in horror, and in panic he tore away from the red-headed girl and made his way over to me, "Ashlyn, it's not what it looks like." 

That's what they always say. 

Face stone cold, I shrugged his hands off my shoulders and took a step back. Emotions. I have always hated them, yet when our eyes met I could not help myself from scoffing in a maddening moment of bitter, broken chuckles. I must have looked insane to smile in his face, but with the world spinning around me a hundred miles per hour I had to escape before I lost myself completely.  

"Why do you need to explain anything to me, Mike?" I questioned, incredulous with a sour laugh at the perfect irony of our circumstances, "There's nothing to explain when there was nothing here in the first place." 

Mike shook his head and opened his mouth to find the words to say, but when he failed to do so he reached out towards me again, "Ashlyn, I swear. Let's just talk-" 

I was done talking. I was done with the facade. I was done with Mike. 

The girl in this kitchen, the one who was smiling and smirking at the disaster that was unfolding, was the one   

Avoiding his touch once again, I backed away without a second glance and escaped into my room to throw the small remnants of my belongings into the small suitcase I came with. And all the clothes they bought me stayed behind in a heaping mess on the bed. There were possibly small things of mine that were scattered in the mess I whirled through like a tornado, but I needed out. Any tie had to Mike had to be cut as soon as possible. 

Dane was nowhere to be seen, but I could not bother finding him. 

The second I had my things packed I walked out the door and took things by foot. Somewhere past the gate of his house, there was a small street that led down the bus stop. I could take that and could scrape out whatever little change I had left in my wallet. It would have to do. With the Nors, I was spoiled endless and leeched off things that I didn't work for. No, that wasn't who I was. 

With the wind whipping past my face and through my hair- it going crazy and wavering into tangles all over my face, I stormed down the hill and fought the incoming wind and splatter of rain with pent up aggression.   

"Ashlyn!" 

The sounds of tires pulling up behind me on the hill rumbled to a stop, but I kept marching on. 

Flashes of times when I enjoyed being around Mike and smiled at his stupid little jokes powered me on. Can't believe I allowed myself to fall for the jerk. From the very beginning, I had myself guarded, but like the sob I was I had to fall for his pity stories and have sympathy. 

"Ashlyn!" 

It was Dane. 

Though I kept marching on, he passed me in his black Cadillac and drove a little ways down the winding hill before parking on the side of the road. The red lights of his car blared brightly in the rain, and the second they appeared Dane kicked open the door, hopped out into the pouring rain, and whisked my suitcase away and rolled it to the back seat of his car.  

Not a word. 

Scoffing, I threw my hands out to the side and disbelief and chased after him, "Dane!" I snapped in a frenzy while tangling my arms with his to snatch my suitcase back. Due to the rain, it made the challenge of avoiding his lengthy limbs even more difficult, and any effort to crawl over or under him was a slippery mess. 

"No," his voice was stern when he replied, "I'm not letting you walk in the rain. It's a ten-minute walk to the bus stop, and where are you even going to stay?" 

I didn't know myself, but in frustration I shrugged and made another effort to grab my bags, "I'll figure it out."

Dane slammed the back seat door shut and gave me a reprimanding look- one that I have seen my mother make. Clearly, I had tethered him down to his wit's end, but despite my actions pissing him off he still cared. Yet, I wish he hadn't. It would make leaving so much easier. 

"Just get in the car," Dane muttered broken and low with his head bowed like he was plagued with an instant regret for his previous harshness.  

I, myself, sighed a bit in defeat at how I treated him. All this morning was spent arguing with Mike over stupid, trivial matters, and with my effort to get away I lashed all my frustrations out on him, even though he was only trying to be kind and help. Gods, I'm terrible.  

I've been trying so hard to run away from Mike that I tried running away from Dane as well. 

Dane doesn't deserve this. So, a bit reluctant, I slid into the passenger seat and felt myself sink further and further into it. The guilt of my earlier treatment towards Dane hit hard because even now he was still trying to help. I couldn't even look at him. My eyes kept wandering down the rain splattering off the windshield. 

"I'm sorry," I croaked. All I wanted to do was curl my knees up to my chest and hide, but I was already ruining his seat with my sopping, wet clothes. 

There was a small pause of silence, but Dane's soft voice melded in with the patter of rain, "No, it's fine. I understand. You've had a rough day." 

Dane's kindness overwhelmed me and nearly reduced me to a puddle of tears. "Thanks," I croaked. 

From the corner of my eyes, I could see him turn in his seat with an arm resting on the steering wheel. There was something he wanted to say, the words were lingering on his tongue, but he allowed me a moment to gather my emotions before speaking. Dane amazed me like that. No matter who it was, he was always in tune with their thoughts and emotions and knew exactly what they needed. 

"With two days left of break, you need a place to stay. I heard of the horror stories about your roommates, your parents are gone to Italy, and I'm sure as hell you don't want to stay here at Mike's. So, I will get you a nice hotel room. I'll pay for it. You don't have to worry about anything. I just have one request." 

I hated that. I hated when I had people do everything for me, but this mysterious request piqued my interest. 

"And what would that be?" I asked. 

"Mike and I haven't been on good terms and it will be hell if I stay there as well. So, my request to you, Ashlyn Demoir, is if for those two days I could stay there with you." 


A/N: Thinking about making a mature edit of this book and call it Body Heat. Would any of you be interested? Let me know in the comments ;) 

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