In Your Arms (5 page)

              “We can be friends for Charles, right?” She nods.

              “Of course we can.” She looks to the door then back at me. “Have to get back to the kids. I guess I'll see you around.”

              As soon as Ashton walks back into the room, I take my phone out. I dial the number that I constantly use.

              “Hershal, I need you to do a check.”

              “On who?” The man was American, had a southern accent, and was acquainted with my grandfather. He often kept in touch with me to find out how he was. I believe he also had some connection with Ashton's grandmother, Elizabeth.

              “Her name is Ashton Pennington.”

              Thanksgiving at Ashton's. I looked at Charles and he looked completely serious, so this couldn't be a joke. We're British, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

              “She asked you to invite me?” I ask slowly.

              “Yes. I assume you two are on great terms now, and that you like her enough not to run her off.”

              “Why would I do that?” Charles knows why I would do that. But it's been two days since I talked to her. Now she's inviting me to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow? Guess she really took my friend suggestion.

              He rolls his eyes and continues on with what he was saying. “It's not as much as a dinner, as a little get together. It's her first year celebrating without family, so she invited a few friends who are also going to be alone this holiday. Naturally, you came to mind.”

              “Ha ha.” I roll my eyes this time.

              “Come on, you two can bond this holiday.”

              I think about it.

              “Fine. I'll come.” I was curious to see how Charles acted around Ashton, wondering if she was leading him on. For her sakes, I hope not. She doesn't seem like the type to do that, but one never knows.

              “Really?” He seemed surprised. I wasn't one to agree so quickly, I usually put up a bit of a fight.

              “Of course.”

Chapter 7

Ashton Pennington

              Why did I mention this get together to Charles? It was just going to be Callie and I. I felt like I was compelled to invite Braxton, so I did. I hope he thinks nothing of it, there's nothing to it. I was hoping he wouldn't come, but Charles told me that they're both on their way right now, so that is just so...great.

              “Are you always this nervous?” Callie asks.

              “You don't understand. Braxton is a ticking time bomb, what if he tells Charles because I do something wrong tonight? Like burn the dinner?”

              Callie grabs my shoulders. “One: I've never even seen you burn a cookie. You're fine. Two: Charles is just a friend. Three: I'll distract him with my charm.”

              “I thought you hated him?”

              “Yeah, but doesn't mean he can't be a good lay. I have to see if what all the girls talk about is true.” She puts her hands together and then extends her hands to a certain length. For some reason, the thought of Callie sleeping with Braxton made me feel ill.

              “Can't be that big.” I mutter as I chew on a baby carrot and shake my head at her. She liked to exaggerate.

              “I'm just going by what I've heard.” Callie has connections all over the world. I'm not surprised she's run into one of Braxton's one night stands.

              There's a knock on the door. Callie looks at me. “Get the cookies, I'll answer the door. You're going to be fine.”

              I nodded and opened the oven. I had inherited my mothers baking skills and I also have cooking skills that I learned from my nannies from when I was a child, they liked to teach me things, prepare me for the world. Callie seems to agree whenever I make her something to eat at my apartment that I have amazing cooking skills.

              I have one fond memory of my mother, and it's of her teaching me how to make chocolate chip walnut cookies. I've memorized the recipe, I don't even have to look at it, and it's the exact one they use for Pennington Bakeries all over the world.

              “Hello, love.” Charles pressed his hand against my back, and I glanced at him to smile. He wasn't wearing a suit today, he was wearing slacks with a sweater.

              “Hi, Charles.” He hugs me, a little bit too tightly, and I accidentally lean back into cookies. “I think I got chocolate on my shirt.”

              He chuckles, and spins me around lightly to inspect the damage. “Just a bit.” I grab the cookies I mushed against my clothes and throw them in the bin. “Also on your jeans.”

              “I'm going to change, then, really quickly.” I give him a small smile. “Be right back, I'll meet you in the living room.”

              I walk to my room and looked through the clothes I had. Most of it was fancy, I usually wore what I felt comfortable in (which was fancy stuff), but Callie insisted that it was going to be a casual get together, so she was wearing leggings and a semi fancy shirt.

              I stripped of my clothes, and grabbed one of my favorite fall outfits. It was my favorite season because of the food and the weather. My room smelled like a pumpkin candle I bought last month (actually bought like twelve).

              I changed into jeans, an oversized sweater from Northwestern, and my combat boots. I still wear this sweater because it reminds me of a time when everything was okay, but I don't think I could ever go back to that time. I know eventually I'll have to let it go, but for now it brings me a bit of comfort.

              I hear Callie calling my name, and I nearly run into Braxton as I come out of my room. He's wearing a leather jacket, black t-shirt underneath, jeans. I looked into his eyes.

              “What are you doing?” I ask.

              “Um, bathroom. Where's your bathroom?” He seemed a bit nervous. He looked down to my sweater. “You went to Northwestern?”

              I cross my arms. “I did.” Not a lie. I did go to Northwestern. I point to the first door in the hallway. “Bathroom is in there.”

              He nods. “Thanks.”

              “No problem.”

              I walk into the living room where Callie is drilling Charles. I'm sure she's only doing this so she can hear him talk, she has a thing about accents. Well, who doesn't?

              I thought Callie was drilling Charles about his life, but I hear Braxton's name. I sit down and listen into the conversation. “Why doesn't he date?” Of course she would be asking personal questions about Braxton.

              “Not really my place to tell you.” Charles was so polite.

              “Is there anything you can tell me?”

              Charles thinks for a bit. “He has a type.”

              “A type?” Callie frowns.

              “You're his type.” Charles reassures her. “He likes blondes.” So I wasn't his type. Then why did he kiss me?

              “Who likes blondes?” Braxton asks when he's walking in. Does he always have to look like a male model? I swear.

              “No one.” They both say at the same time.

              I laugh and he sits right in between Charles and I.

              “You've got any alcohol? We should play a drinking game.” Braxton says. He said the magic words because Callie agrees.

              “Tequila.” I say.

              “Great.” Braxton smiles. “We should play Never Have I Ever, if you've done the thing, you must take a shot and explain.”

              “Do you have to make everything into a drinking game?” Charles complains.

              “It will be fun.” He assures.

              Callie grabs shot glasses and the bottle of tequila. Everybody here has more experience with alcohol than I do. Everyone here is over the age of twenty one. No one knows my age except for my family and employer. I grab a bottle of water and Charles and Braxton both look at me.

              “You don't drink?” Charles asks.

              “No.” I lie. I do drink, it's just drinking around other people freaks me out, and I start to have a panic attack.

              “But-” Braxton begins saying, and I shoot him a glare. I only drank a few days ago because I was on edge. I also didn't anticipate running into him.

              “I'll start.” Braxton says after he rolls his eyes. My gut tells me that this is a very bad idea. “Never have I ever lied about my age.” WHAT THE FUCK. That has to be coincidence or he's a mind reader.

              I take a drink of water and Callie takes a shot.

              “I had a fake ID.” Callie says.

              “Same.” I can breathe knowing that Callie and I probably made the same mistakes. We were very alike.

              “Never have I ever had sex on a beach.” Callie says.

              Braxton takes a shot. I don't. Things about my sex life are off limits, neither Charles nor Braxton need to know that information.

              “Never have I ever lied to a girl to get her into bed.” I take a bite of one of my cookies to cover up my laugh. Braxton, and surprisingly Charles, both take a shot. I didn't really expect that from Charles.

              “Never have I ever been disowned by my parents.” Braxton has taken a jab at me. Okay...he fucking knows. How does he fucking know? He smirks at me. Maybe it's the only thing he knows, I hope. Braxton probably asked his grandfather about me.

              “None of us have been disowned here, idiot.” Charles says, which causes to Braxton to smirk even more.

              I needed to ask his grandfather about what he has been telling Braxton. It's obvious that Braxton may have a vendetta against me for no apparent reason. I don't know why he is determined that I have nothing with either of them.

              Callie is even quiet. She knows exactly why I'm in New York, she knows everything. From what made me drop out of Northwestern when I had a full ride scholarship and what happened with my family. She must be thinking the same thing because she looks at me.

              Braxton Wright was going to try to ruin my life.

Chapter 8

Ashton Pennington

              I haven't eaten anything all day. I just felt so home sick, and I got an email from my brother late last night after Charlie and Braxton left, Callie was changing into her pajamas since she was sleeping over. My parents flew to South America, leaving him alone in Chicago. He told me that he ran into him.

              My ex-boyfriend. He said that he needed to ask me something important, and asked him why I changed my phone number. Because I didn't want him calling me, duh! My brother made up a lie, and I was relieved. I told Matty to not talk to him anymore, and not to ask why.

              I stepped onto the elevator, and immediately regretted not taking the stairs down even though it was a twenty flight staircase and I was wearing heeled boots. I would have rather taken my chances there and gotten a blister.

              “Evening, Ashton.” Braxton greets me. Oh. Now he's civil?

              The elevator went slowly down. This was the bad thing about this elevator, there was only one, so Braxton probably hit the button at the same time I did. It picked him up first, then me, and now we have to endure each other the whole way down.

              “Evening.” I don't look at him.

              “Where are you of to dressed so posh?” I rolled my eyes.

              “I had work earlier, and now Callie and I are going to do some shopping, since I'm in serious need of winter clothes.”

              Black Friday had good deals, so I was allowing myself to splurge a bit. I couldn't go the whole winter freezing. The clothes in my closet weren't cutting it anymore, since the temperature started to go down dramatically.

              “Callie, eh? Mind if I join you two?” I look at him.

              Callie didn't want anything to do with him after he pulled that stunt last night during the game. She didn't sleep with him.

              “Why?”

              “I could use some new clothes as well, you guys have harsher winters than where I'm from.” I wonder if he was interested in Callie, probably using me to get to her. She was his type. Don't know why that bothered me.

              “Fine, but we have to go pick up Callie, first.” Maybe we could shake him off at her place, I don't know. I didn't want him to come with us.

              “Alright then.” I look to the floor for a second before I looked back at him.

              “What did you grandfather tell you about me?”

              “It wasn't my grandfather who told me about you. A lot of people here talk about you...” That made me feel unsettled. “So it's true, you got disowned by your family?”