Ashley's Story: THE LAST CHAPTER by Cherie Briggins

room,” he replied.
    “No you’re not.”
    Ashley got out of bed and turned her light back on. He
looked over her white sports bra, blue boy shorts, and pink and white fuzzy
ankle socks. It was the first time he noticed what she was wearing and couldn’t
believe how comfortable she was around him to wear something like that. Maybe
he was over thinking and it wasn’t that big of a deal. They were friends.
    Then again, the longer he looked at her body he knew he
wasn’t tripping. Her ass was playing peek-a-boo in her shorts enticing him to
touch. Rio could only imagine what her thighs would feel like wrapped around
his neck while tasting her sweet spot. He shouldn’t be thinking about that
though. Ashley touched the side of his face bringing him back to reality.
    Rio would never touch her .she was forbidden fruit. Ashley
was family. He couldn’t cross that line with her. She deserved better than him.
    “Look at your face,” she said while softly touching around
his bruise.
    Ashley went into the kitchen to grab an icepack out of the
freezer then hurried back to her room. She settled between his legs and pressed
the icepack on his bruise. She smiled while looking into his eyes.
    “You can sleep with me. Take your shirt off.”
    Rio smirked because Ashley was surely running the show
tonight. He took off his shirt before walking to the other side of the bed.
    The couch might look like it’s comfortable but it’s not
you’ll be more comfortable in here with me.
    “Don’t tell me you’re scared, I won’t bite,” she giggled.
    “I’m not worried about your little ass. You should be
worried about me,” he replied with a wink.
     Ashley turned off her light then turned on the television
before getting in bed with Rio.
    “You know I really appreciate you,” he said.
    “Really? Why?”
    “You just said the sweetest shit to me back in the living
room.”
    “What did I say?”
    “You couldn’t sleep until you knew I was straight. That’s love
and I really appreciate it. I’ve never had anybody worry about me like that.”
    “What about your family?”
    “Never!” he stressed. “I have an uncle who lives in the
Dominican Republic. Other than that, I consider Supreme and Mark family.”
    Ashley nodded her head as she looked at him. She wondered
where his mom and father were but she wouldn’t dare ask. She wasn’t green to
the game at all. If he didn’t mention his parents then he didn’t want to talk
about them.
    Rio laid on his back staring up at the ceiling before
closing his eyes. He prayed she would stop talking and do the same thing. As
much as he loved hearing her talk, he wasn’t up for it at that moment. He
couldn’t stop thinking about his mother. Rio never pillow-talked with a female
and he wasn’t going to start tonight. Even though their bond was much deeper,
he still wasn’t ready to discuss his mother with her. The shit was too painful.
    Rio looked over at her and sighed with relief when he
noticed she had closed her eyes and was fast asleep. He took her all in. the
makeup she wore didn’t do her any justice. Her eyes, complete with long natural
lashes, and the cluster of freckles across her nose were his favorite features.
He stared at her and listened to her light snoring as he closed his eyes and
drifted off to sleep.
    ***
    When Ashley woke up, it was going on eleven o’clock and she
was surprised she’d woken up so late. She turned around carefully to see if Rio
was still asleep but he wasn’t there. Ashley sat up and ran her fingers through
her hair as she scanned her room for any signs that he was still there but saw
none.
    “He couldn’t have left. Why didn’t he wake me?”
    Ashley got out of bed and went into the kitchen but he was
gone. She leaned against the counter then looked down at her clothes with a
scowl on her face, unable to believe she let him see her so scantily clothed.
However, she was so worried about him that she didn’t even think about changing
her