We ended up sprawled on the hood of Ash's beat-up car, empty Monster cans glinting like trophies in the twilight. The stars were bleeding into the sky, and the distant hum of traffic felt like the world was happening somewhere else-Far away from us.
"You ever think about the future?" I asked, my voice low. It was the kind of question that slipped out when you weren't suppose to be vulnerable, but his presence had a way of pulling words out of me.
"Sometimes," he said, eyes tracing the sky like it held answers. "Mostly i just think about now. About you."
My chest squeezed so tight I almost couldn't breathe. He said it like it was casual, but my brain spun it into neon fire.
I nudged him with my shoulder, covering up the chaos inside me. "Smooth, Ash. Real smooth."
He smirked, turning his head just enough for our eyes to lock. "What can i say, love? You make it too easy."
The word had hit me like a thunderclap..
Love.
Not dude, not jinx, not even his usual dumb nicknames for me. Just... love.
My face burned hotter than my pink raccoon stripes in my hair. I laughed-too loud, too forced. "Since when do you call me that?"
"Since now," He said, easy and unbothered, as if he didn't just set my whole world on fire with one word. "Got a problem with it?"
Yes. No. Maybe. Absolutely. My heart was staging a mosh pit in my ribcage.
I swallowed, trying to look cooler than i felt, and shrugged. "Whatever, Ash. Call me what you want."
But inside?
Inside, I was screaming.