A Love Trap

She was afraid that Andrew would act exactly like those detestable men.

Even so, Ashley tried to keep those thoughts to herself.

She didn't expect to blurt out everything out of excitement.

Was this a side-effect of pregnancy?

Ashley rubbed her temples helplessly.

Andrew looked at Ashley, whose face showed a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. Her round eyes adamantly avoided meeting his and were fixed on something else. She did not know it, but she looked awfully cute to Andrew.

"Is there anything else you want to say?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"No, I'm done. Well, it's late. I'm going to bed."

Ashley finally managed to pull herself away from Andrew's embrace.

As she walked away, she heard Andrew chuckling behind her.

She buried herself in the quilt.

It was so embarrassing.

Andrew pulled the quilt away from Ashley and said, "Don't cover yourself like that. It's not good for your health. Believe me."

His words were uttered in a soft voice, which made it sound like he was coaxing a child.

Ashley blushed.

She thought to herself,

'I am no longer a child. Why are you talking to me that way?'

Not wanting to give in, she also pulled on the quilt as if playing tug of war with Andrew.

"Ash, you'll suffocate."

Ashley threw away the covers and exposed her face, looking a little flushed.

Her lips had become rosy, probably because she had been biting them out of embarrassment.

With those lips looking sweet and plump like ripe cherries, it made Andrew want to kiss her.

Andrew's eyes darkened.

He murmured her name.

His face drew closer and closer to Ashley's.

Ashley covered her mouth with her hand. After being with Andrew for such a long time, she already knew what he wanted to do by just looking at him.

She had just poked her head out of the quilt, but suddenly went back into hiding.

A muffled voice came from the quilt. "Well, I'm going to sleep now. Don't disturb me."

Andrew couldn't help it. His lips curved into a smile.

How could his Ash be so cute?

"But Ash, you have wrapped yourself with the whole quilt. What should I use, then?"

say anything. She just silently moved aside and spread half of the quilt for Andrew with

amused laugh burst out of

the quilt, Ashley felt frustrated and

Andrew was still laughing.

that moment, Andrew refrained

and knew that Andrew had gone to the

very uncomfortable under the

Andrew's words, and a spark of joy flickered in her

intend to make her

lot mothers whose husbands abandoned them in favor of their children, there

so lost in thought that she did not notice Andrew coming back

her exposed head,

was willing

mattress mildly rocked under a heavy weight. Ashley looked

Her eyes widened.

say anything, Andrew murmured in a low voice, "Are you going to bury your head in the

Who said that I buried

"That's good."

caught increased ten-fold. She lay down,

weight of the baby bump, Ashley could not sleep on her back. Because of this,

at first, but she had gotten used to

"Let's sleep then,"

said softly as he

down beside her, he pulled Ashley into his

faint, familiar smell of tobacco wafting from Andrew, Ashley eventually fell

boring to stay at

made Ashley swear on her life that she would never leave the house without

was afraid that something untoward might happen to

not want

why Chloe had called her up

boring to be left alone in the

returned from

soon as they arrived. Ashley would knock at their door sometimes,

so mystified by their odd

felt like expiring from

the bedroom, the three children, Fabio, Richard and Dany gathered together in a serious discussion. From time to time, they had to deal

Instead, they brought their heads together and tried to decide on

the cake?"

bakers said that they would deliver it on

"That's good."

up, and asked Dany and

whispers were only for

you must keep it a secret. We will give Mommy a

"Got it."

"Okay,"

in

to have more pocket

to them as lucky money by their relatives, Ashley, Andrew, and Chant during

had an idea how much money Fabio and Richard had saved. Instead, she gave them a

save money well for their

not know what marriage meant, so he kept asking his mother about

him books that he had found that could help Fabio look up the meaning of the word. At last, Fabio understood what

how much money the three children

go to find Mommy

involved planning a grand surprise for their mother. They were so engrossed in their brainstorming sessions that they had

decided on an idea, they went to find their