When There Is Nothing Left But Love

I wasn’t planning to subject myself to further awkwardness that night. I stood up and prepared to clear the table. Ashton, however, was looking at me strangely. Bemused, I asked, “Do you want to head over to the living room and rest?”

Ashton didn’t speak. He wordlessly got up and brought the dishes into the kitchen.

I took a step forward to stop him. He was a guest, after all. However, Ashton’s dark gaze halted me in my tracks. I gaped at him, unable to muster a single coherent thought.

I lowered my head and turned to the sink. Before I could turn on the tap, however, Ashton had hauled me aside. “Get over there. I’ll do it,” he said roughly.

I could only look on apprehensively as his long, elegant fingers set to work cleaning up the kitchen.

I made another move to assist him but was arrested by his menacing gaze. All I could manage was to stand by, hovering over his shoulder and fretting inwardly.

After a moment’s thought, I asked tentatively, “Why did you suddenly move all the way here? Aren’t you returning to K City already?”

Ashton tilted his head and looked at me icily. “Are you saying that you don’t want me here?”

Good Heavens! This man is impossible. I thought exasperatedly.

To Ashton, however, I shook my head vigorously. “There’s so much for you to do in K City. Haven’t you more or less settled your matters here?”

“What about that?” Ashton replied curtly. He turned back to the dishes in hand, scrubbing and rinsing them off expertly.

He seemed reluctant to talk. I made up my mind not to put myself out on Ashton’s account.

I thus kept to myself as I waited in the corner, ready with a hand towel for him to dry off when he was done. Ashton took it, then turned his attention to the fridge.

Baffled, I broke my silence. “What are you looking for?”

pushing aside cartons

do you want eggs for?”

took out a jar of brown sugar. He turned to me serenely and asked, “Don’t you feel a

little. What does that have anything

Then he ordered, “Go to the room and get changed. Do you

immediately

quickly turned. There was a large stain on my pants that I had, up until that moment, been

stomach earlier, never expecting my period to have arrived so suddenly without warning. It had been two months since I last had it and had long since lost track of my

face and my hapless state, Ashton sighed. “Go and change. I’ll buy

I turned and dashed for

could exit the kitchen, however, Armond and Nora’s voices drifted in, getting louder as their owners approached the living room. Armond and Nora had

and looked anxiously

Raising his

and Armond appeared in front of us. At the sight of Ashton draping his jacket around my shoulders, Armond winked knowingly, teasing, “Did we

smile, then quickly replied, “I’m going to the bedroom

that his jacket hung rather loosely

from Armond and Nora, however, I realized that I’d forgotten to

only hover, frustrated,

door. When I cracked it

discreetly hiding into my hands. Nora batted her eyelashes

bathroom to change. When I emerged, Nora was sitting on the bed in deep thought. I took a seat beside her.

were talking about life. Can you believe it?” Nora scoffed. She sounded

decided not to pursue the matter and merely commented, “I had plans to move in with you, but

Nora nodded. “Got it.”