Page 114 of Broken Beauty

“I'm in love with you too, Ash.”

He leans in closer and presses his lips against mine.

Fifty-Five

Ariella

Present

I called my father first thing in the morning after Ash told me about my father's threat to him and how my father is connected to Ash. I want to strangle my father's neck and ask him what the hell he was thinking.

I told him that I need to talk to him in person as soon as he is able to book a flight to California.

It's been three days since I called him.

It's been three days since Ash told me the truth, the entire truth and his feelings for me.

Ash and I are not able to keep our hands off one another. I love how he holds me when we are sleeping together and how he touches me when it's late at night.

I love how he touches me like he hates and loves me like I am the only star in his world. His love is all I need and I can't be more grateful to finally have Ash Jones in my arms.

Ever since he told me about his mother and his past in general, I can't help but look at him as that scared six-year-old and seventeen-year-old. It's hard to look at Ash the same way I did before. At night when he is sleeping, I watch him and stroke his hair. I whisper in his ear how much I love him and sometimes I cry. He'll wake up and see my crying and whisper in my ear that he's okay and that he loves me.

Today I told him that I need to talk to my father so he gave me my space and told me to call him after my father and I are done talking. I like the fact that whenever I mention my father to Ash, he turns his head and doesn't care.

I asked him about it and he told me he doesn't really care to hear about anyone else if it doesn't concern me. That is true because when I was talking about Bridgette he didn't even care to listen.

I hear the front door of my house open and I turn my head and see my father walking in. “Hey bug.” I give him a small smile as I get up from the couch and go up to him.

He puts his bags on the floor and wraps his arms around me, kissing me on the forehead.

I know my father loves me and cares about me. The problem is that he cares and loves me too much and he feels the need to shelter me which is something I hate. I hate the fact that someone wants to control my life and essentially my decisions.

It’s like he is afraid of losing me like he lost mom.

“How was the flight?” I ask, unwrapping my arms and grabbing his bags.

“It was fine.” He grabs his bags from me. “Don't worry about those. I'll get them later. Sit in the living room. I know you said you wanted to talk about something urgent and I don't want to waste a second of your time.”

I go to the living room and sit down on the couch while my father puts his bags in the guest room upstairs.

He is only staying for two days because he has to go back to work soon.

Earlier today I got an email from the school saying that Liam Locke got arrested for rape charges and other serious charges.

Multiple girls have come forward with the investigation so that just made his arrest quicker.

Thank God he is behind bars.

“So, what did you want to speak about? It sounded urgent.”

“It is.” I rub my hands against my pants, getting the nerves out of my system. “It's about mom.”

My father’s eyes soften.

He loved my mother.

When she died, it broke and changed him.