My head hurt, and I eyed the prescription pain medication on my nightstand, trying to decide if I should take one or tough it out. After an hour of tossing and turning, fighting the pounding in my head and buzzing in my ears, I caved and took a pill, then propped myself up with pillows and powered up my laptop.
Google had to know something about Ash's early criminal history. Such a high profile family couldn't have kept it out of the news.
I searched every variation of Ash's name, dates, family, everything I could think of, but learned nothing new. That first arrest happened when he was younger, so it was possible that without the prevalence of social media it had been keep quiet.
Disappointed, resigned to talk to Ash about it tomorrow, I closed my computer and used the private bathroom—one perk of being roomies with Brig. The pain meds kicked in, filling my body with a heavy warm buzz. After washing up and changing into sweats and a t-shirt, I was ready to crash.
Until I saw a manila envelope near the door. Had someone pushed it under?
I picked it up and ripped it open, trepidation giving me goose bumps.
The envelope held several eight by ten glossy pictures.
The pictures were of Ash and Bridgette.
Leaving a mansion together.
Chapter Five
Guns and Diamonds
I DON'T REMEMBER dreaming during my week-long sleep at the hospital. Now, I couldn't close my eyes without being plagued by nightmarish visions of Lucky holding a knife to my face. That or the way his eyes looked, still open but dead, empty, the soul clearly gone, his face slack and bruised. What did it mean that I missed him? That it made me sad I wouldn't be able to visit his coffee kiosk for a caffeine refill?
In my mind there are two Luckys. There's the Lucky who greeted me with coffee every day, who always had a smile and a hot cup of java waiting. And the Lucky who tried to kill me. Who took pleasure in sadistic torture. They weren't the same person. They couldn't be, because then I would have to revisit every memory I had of him and see it through the lens of a sociopathic killer, and I didn't want to take that trip down a blood-splattered memory lane.
So instead I showered, blew out my hair until it gleamed, straight and shiny, and with a light hand applied just enough make up to bring some life back to my pale face. Today was my first date with Ash, and I wanted it to be perfect.
I shoved the pictures of him and Bridgette under my mattress, like stashing away porn, and tried to put it out of my mind. I'd studied every detail of those photographs last night, and they told me nothing except that my best friend and boyfriend had been spied on by someone who wanted to hurt me. I didn't believe they'd cheated on me. I was sure there was a reasonable explanation, but Bridgette hadn't returned home from wherever she'd gone last night, so I'd have to wait to ask her.
While debating between pants and a dress, I borrowed a few thick silver bracelets from Bridgette to cover the scars on my wrists left by the wire Lucky had used to bind me. I finally settled on black slacks that hugged my figure nicely, and a red cashmere sweater, items from the Beaumont shopping trip extravaganza. I was just zipping up my black boots when someone knocked on my door.
Ash stood on the other side, holding a bouquet of roses in a vase, wearing his trademark leather jacket, a nicer pair of pants than his usual jeans, and a blue sweater. He smiled, appraising me with an admiring glance up and down my body and making me flush. "You look beautiful," he said.
I considered asking him about the photos. Hey, have you been cheating on me with my best friend? But this was our first date, and that didn't sound like a first date question. So I thanked him instead.
He handed me the roses. "I figured you didn't have a vase, so… "
His words trailed and I took the flowers, inhaling the sweet aroma and clearing a space on my desk for them. "Do I finally get to know where we're going?" I asked.
"Nope. It's still a surprise. You'll see when we get there."
"Am I dressed okay?" I grabbed my purse and dropped the painkillers into it, just in case.
He reached for me, pulling me against his chest as he cupped my face with his hands. "You're perfect, and I missed you last night."
Before I could reply, he kissed me, his lips warm and soft and tasting of everything wild and spicy. My body responded without hesitation, leaning into him, aching to be closer than we could possibly be, fully dressed as we were.
A wave of dizziness washed over me when he ended our kiss, and I gripped his arm to steady myself.
"Are you okay?" His eyebrows furrowed in worry.
"Yes. You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet."
***
We held hands as we left the dorm room, sides pressed against each other. The sun broke through thick clouds, sending shafts of light to warm my skin. The campus smelled fresh, like grass after a rain. Students passed by, caught up in their own lives, just as we were. I leaned my head against Ash's shoulder, wrapping my free hand around his bicep as birds chirped around us, and I smiled, forgetting all my fears and concerns. Forgetting Lucky and the horrors that had plagued me. Forgetting everything but this moment together.