Discovering Delilah(55)

The rec room, like the rest of the house, feels warm and inviting. There are two comfortably worn couches, a wide coffee table with ESPN and Good Housekeeping magazines on it, as well as a Nintendo 3DS, which I assume is Kenny’s. Ashley reaches for my hand, searching my eyes for approval first before taking it.

I take it and we walk down a narrow hallway. She presses her hand on a closed door as we pass. “This is the basement, but it’s full of junk.” She points to the open door across from it. “My dad’s office.” We walk a little farther and she points to a laundry room, and across from that another small room. “My mom’s domain.”

I peek in and there’s a sewing machine, a rocking chair, and several bookshelves. At the far side of the narrow room is a door leading outside.

At the end of the hall Ashley waves a hand to the open door. “This is my bedroom.” I peer inside and note the white dresser and queen-sized bed with a matching white headboard. Two bookcases filled with books and knickknacks sit off to the left. There are posters of bands on the walls, as if the bedroom hasn’t changed since she was a teenager. Ashley pulls me into the room, then pushes the door almost-but-not-quite closed, and whispers, “Can I just give you a little kiss? For making it through meeting my parents?”

“You don’t have to ask.” I lean forward, and the second our lips press together, butterflies take flight in my stomach. She kisses me quickly, as promised, and I crave a longer, deeper kiss, but I’m still a little nervous, so I resist the urge to pull her back for more.

There’s a light knock at the door, and I stumble away from Ash as Bolton opens the door.

“Sorry to interrupt.” He runs his eyes between us.

“Come on in.” Ashley’s cheeks are flushed, and I know I’m beet-red.

“I just got a text from Carly. She and a few of the old gang are going to Marco’s tonight. You guys want to go?”

Ashley turns to me. “Marco’s is a dance club. We went to high school with Carly.”

“You’ll like the gang, Delilah. They’re pretty much like me and Ash, and Marco’s is a great place if you like to dance.” He moves his hips and flashes a bright white smile.

I love to dance, but I’m nervous about how to act around Ashley’s friends. I remember how hard it was to keep my hands off her at the Taproom, but I can’t miss the hope in Ashley’s eyes, and it does sound fun.

“Sure. I’ll go.” I can hardly believe I agreed, but when Ash throws her arms around my neck and hugs me, I’m glad I did.

“Thank you! You’ll love them.” She unravels herself from the embrace. “Sorry. I was just—”

“It’s okay.” I drop my gaze, but I realize that I don’t feel uncomfortable around Bolton.

“Cool. So…ride over together? Leave around eight?” Bolton points over his shoulder with his thumb. “I’ve gotta get home before my mom sends out a search squad. I just arrived when you guys did.”

“Sounds good.” Ashley’s gaze hasn’t left mine since she hugged me. After Bolton says goodbye, she exhales a loud breath and flops down on her fluffy white comforter.

“You sure you don’t mind? I didn’t mean to hug you like that.”

“It sounds fun, and I like Bolton. He makes me feel comfortable. I don’t know how I’ll be around a gang of strangers, but…”

She laughs. “They’re hardly a gang. Just two or three others, depending on who shows up. They’re really nice, and they know I like sexy blond chicks, so…” She twirls her finger in her hair and lowers her chin, giving me a playful look.

“And here I was thinking you were going to make this easy for me. You can’t look at me like that tonight. And no miniskirts, either. How about you wear body armor and keep your eyes averted the whole time?”

“No promises…” Ashley stands and pulls me to my feet.

“So…Where am I staying?” I look around, and it dawns on me that I didn’t see another bedroom down here.

“What do you mean? Here with me, of course.”

“Here? What about your parents?”

“Dee. They know we’re a couple.” Her eyes go serious. “Oh God. I didn’t think you’d mind. I mean, my parents expected us to stay together. They know we’ve been staying together at Harborside.”

I draw in a deep breath and sink back down to the bed, unsure of how I feel. “They already assume we’re staying in your room together and they still welcomed me so warmly.”

“Why wouldn’t they?”