The Fling Apple, page 16
“Oh, I have to make it up to you, do I?”
“It would be the right thing to do.”
“And what right thing would that be?”
“I have one thing in mind.”
She pecked my lips. “I really am sorry, Ashton.”
“I know. Now get on your knees and show me how sorry you really are, Sage.”
She blushed.
“I do love that shade of red on you, baby.”
“Charmer.” Slowly lowering her body to the floor in front of me, she gripped onto the seam of my gym shorts. “I think I can do that. Very well, actually.”
“Well, you do have a lot to make up for.”
From the moment she pulled out my dick and deep throated it into her pouty little mouth, I was hers.
Knowing all along…
I always had been.
Chapter 21
—Sage—
“Mom, are we there yet?” Haven asked, sitting in the passenger seat near me.
She was the only one who was excited about today; Haiden not so much. Four months had passed since Ashton found out about them, and it's been about five months since we began dating. The time had finally come for him to meet my twins. The nervousness I felt since I’d told him that I was ready to introduce them to each other last week was an uncertainty I didn’t think I’d ever truly felt before.
Everything was going amazing between us. Ashton was patient, attentive, loving…
He didn’t give me shit if I couldn’t see or talk to him. He always understood no matter what. There were a few dates that I had to cancel on him last minute, and his response was to send me flowers.
I know, right?
The last bunch came with a super sweet card that read: “You’re the best mom, and they’re lucky to have you.”
“We’re almost there,” I replied, trying to drive as slow as possible. “Haiden, you okay back there?” I questioned through the rearview mirror.
I basically had to bribe him to come.
He was not happy about me dating someone, and it had nothing to do with Ashton. Haiden had been the only man in my life all his life, and he wasn’t used to my attention being on anyone other than him. All the dates I canceled were because of Haiden. I didn’t want to lose Ashton, and I silently prayed Haiden would eventually warm up to him. I couldn’t be with someone that my boy didn’t approve of; it just wasn’t in me, so the pressure for them to hit it off was layered on thick.
“Whatever.” He shrugged, not looking at me.
“I know you’re mad at me.”
“He’s not mad at you, Mama. He’s mad at your boyfriend.” Haven giggled.
Haven, on the other hand, was thrilled to be meeting Ashton. She’d asked me hundreds of questions about him, and they never stopped. Especially after I told Ashton that Haven loved the tulips he’d sent me, and the very next day there was a delivery for her from him.
Pink tulips, her favorite color.
Haven wasn’t the only one who relentlessly asked me about him. The curiosity was very much mutual. Ashton wanted to know about Haiden and Haven as well. I told both of them everything they wanted to know about one another, so they both knew a lot about each other already.
I showed Haven pictures of Ashton and me together, and she thought he was the cutest guy aside from Harry Styles. Again, Haiden couldn’t care less. He showed no interest in anything when it pertained to Ashton.
“I know you’re unhappy, bud, and it kills me that you’re upset about us dating. But I’ll tell you once again that no one is going to replace my love for you.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Haiden…”
“Mom, I don’t care if you have a boyfriend. I just don’t understand why I have to meet him?”
“Because if he’s going to continue to be in my life like I hope he is, then I need to make sure you approve of him.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I need you to really try, Haiden. I need you to give him a chance. Can you do that for me?”
“Yeah, Mom. I already said I would. Why do we keep talking about the same thing?”
“Hey! Enough with the attitude.”
“Yeah, Haiden, enough with the attitude.”
He kicked the back of Haven’s seat.
“Haiden!” I shook my head in disappointment.
“What? She started it.”
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, and we should go back hom—”
“No, Mama! I want to meet Ashton.” She glared back at her brother. “You’ll be fine once we get there. Won’t you, Haiden?”
He smiled at her.
This was the first time he had smiled all day which aided my nervousness a little.
“You’re right, Haven. I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll behave.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
He smiled at me through the rearview mirror. “You’re happy, I’m happy.”
I beamed. “Do you mean that?”
He nodded, still smiling at me. “I love you.”
My heart melted. “I love you too, bud.”
We drove in silence for the rest of the fifteen-minute ride until we pulled into Ashton's community and then his driveway.
“Is this his house?” Haven questioned, grabbing her unicorn backpack.
“This is his house.”
Haiden grabbed his Transformers backpack and jumped out of my SUV with Haven right behind him.
Taking a deep, solid breath, I followed their lead and locked the door to my vehicle. We were standing ringing Ashton’s doorbell with my heart in my throat.
The instant I saw his dimples when he opened the door, I felt this huge sense of relief. Ashton never hid his emotions, and right now, he was genuinely excited to meet my babies.
“Hey, little mama,” he answered, kissing me on the cheek.
This was his thing. He called me mama with almost anything.
Sexy mama.
Pretty mama.
Feisty mama.
It changed with whatever mood I was in, or what he saw in me at that moment.
I loved it.
I loved him?
I shook away the question for what felt like the hundredth time that week. “Hey, dimples.”
He winked at me, looking down at the two little humans who were standing beside me. Haven was hiding behind my leg, slightly peeking out through the fabric of my maxi dress. She was always shy when she met new people. Haiden was the opposite. He was standing like the man of the house, even though we weren’t home.
Ashton didn’t waver. He crouched in front of Haven to be at eye level with her. “Hey, baby girl.”
She smiled; it was what my dad and Brady called her too. “Hi.”
“And you must be princess Haven?”
She gasped. “I am a princess! How did you know?”
“Because all princesses have magic around them.”
She gave him the biggest toothless smile, stepping out from behind my legs to stand next to me instead.
Ashton’s eyes shifted to Haiden, but for him he stood up, fully aware that Haiden wouldn’t want to be treated like anything less than the man he felt he already was.
Sticking out his hand, Ashton introduced himself. “I’m Ashton, and you must be Haiden, the man of the house, right?”
“Yeah.” He shook his hand. “That’s me. We talked on the phone, remember?”
Ashton nodded, picking up on the animosity in Haiden’s tone. “Right. At the time I thought you were someone else, so I apologize for that. I hope we can put it behind us and start fresh. I’d really like to get to know you.”
Haiden simply gave him a curt nod, and Ashton and I locked eyes before he opened the door wider.
“Come on in. If you’re hungry, I have finger foods for you on the kitchen island. There are also all sorts of drinks in the fridge. Blue Gatorade, right, man? It’s my favorite too.”
Haiden wasn’t impressed by Ashton’s hospitality. However, Haven and I were.
“I’m thirsty,” she informed, still holding my hand as we walked into Ashton’s kitchen designed for a five-star chef.
Speaking from someone who loved to cook, his kitchen was goals. I'd cooked him dinner a few times, and I cherished every second of it. He’d thought of everything when it came to designing his entire house. From the crown molding to the travertine floors. His place resembled a model home.
Haiden made his way directly toward the pool. He and Haven knew how to swim; with the lake behind our house I’d made sure of it.
“One Tropicana orange juice coming right up.”
“Ashton, you know my favorite drink?”
“I know a lot of things about you, baby girl.”
“You do? How?”
“I asked your mom to tell me all about you.”
She let go of my hand and sat on the kitchen island stool, sitting her butt on her legs to reach the high counter.
“I asked my mama about you too. She said that you love kids.”
“I do. I have two nieces about your age.” He handed Haven her drink, and she drank the whole thing before she wiped her face with the back of her arm.
“Oh really? Maybe next time we come here, I can play with them. Mama says she wants us to be here a lot. Do you have a room for us to sleep in?”
“Haven...” I murmured, glancing at Ashton warily, who was standing there like she'd just told him he'd won the lottery.
He was loving the fact that Haven was thinking about having a sleepover at his house; it meant she liked him.
“Haiden has bunk beds in his room. Maybe you can sleep on the top bunk when you sleep over at our house too?”
“I’d love to sleep on Haiden’s top bunk.”
“It’s super comfortable.” She traced the granite lines on the counter. “This is really pretty. What’s it called?”
“Quartz.”
“Oh! Like Mommy has in her bathroom. Look, Mama, it’s just a different color than yours.”
“It is.” I looked for Haiden through the screen doors. “Where did your brother go? He was just out by the pool.”
“Maybe he had to take a poop.”
Ashton instantly laughed, and I turned thirty shades of red.
“Haiden likes to poop in my bathroom, and I get mad because his butt stinks really bad.”
Ashton laughed so hard his head fell back.
“Oh my God. Haven!”
“What, Mama? You don’t like it when he uses your bathroom either. Haiden says he takes man poops like Grampy and Uncle Brady. Do you take man poops too, Ashton?”
I shut my eyes for a moment, shaking my head before mouthing, “I’m so sorry,” to him.
And what did my dream guy reply?
He mouthed back, “Don’t be, she’s adorable.”
Chapter 22
—Ashton—
This fucking kid.
“Honey, let’s not ask Ashton about his man poops, okay?”
“But, Mama.” She scratched her head, watching as Sage went toward the slider. “You said everyone poops.”
“Yes, but we don’t need confirmation.” She opened it. “Haiden!”
“I’ll tell you what?” I announced, bringing both their attention over to me. “Why don’t you girls go change into your bathing suits, and I’ll go find Haiden?”
“Yeah!” Haven excitedly shouted, grabbing her mom’s hand. “Let’s go!”
“Okay, let’s grab our stuff.” Sage gazed around the kitchen. “Where did your backpack go?”
“Umm… I put my bathing suit in your bag.”
“Why did you do that?”
Haven shrugged, dragging Sage out toward the pool.
“I’ll find him and be right behind you.”
They both nodded, smiling at me. I could tell Sage was nervous about leaving me alone with Haiden, but how bad could this kid be?
He was seven.
“Haiden!” I hollered, peering down the hall.
No answer.
I searched all the rooms of my house until I finally found him in my bedroom, as if he was waiting for me.
“What are you—”
“Let’s cut the nice guy act, alright?”
I expected him not to like me. What I didn’t count on was for him to come at me right from the beginning.
“I don’t like you, and I’m never going to, so you can save the ‘I’m a nice guy’ act with me. I don’t buy it. You just want my mom all to yourself.”
That was my ding to tap into this sparring match. “That’s the furthest thing from the truth. I’m not trying to steal her. I care about her. All I want to do is get to know you too. If you gave me a shot, we could be friends. I play a mean game of Call of Duty,” I expressed, thinking maybe we could reach neutral ground.
Fuck no.
What was I thinking?
This kid was out for blood.
“You think a video game is going to have me calling you daddy?”
“How about we start with Ashton?”
“I’ve never had a dad, and I don’t need one now. Especially one who dresses like a dork and has a stupid haircut. My mom is mine. Mine and Haven’s. This is your one warning. Leave her now, or you’re going to regret it.”
Ignoring his digs, I stayed calm. “Unlucky for you, I don’t scare easily, Haiden. You’re the man of the house, right?”
“The one and only.”
“Listen, bud—”
He stepped toward me, looking up to my face. “I’m not your bud.”
Biting my tongue, I spoke the truth, “I know it’s probably hard trusting a new person in your life. But I like your mom, a lot.”
“I’m not going to share her. With you or anyone else.”
What the fuck do I say to that?
Without even trying, I’d become his number one rival, his mortal enemy, and suddenly I’d found myself at the receiving end of a boy half my size who was ready to throw down and punch me in the balls if needed. Considering he was close to my family jewels with his height, I wasn’t convinced he wasn’t going to.
Haiden didn’t stop there. Blow after blow erupted from his mouth as if I was listening to the kid on the other end of my Call of Duty warfare game.
He must have smelled my hesitation because he squared off to me with the swagger of a man. Standing tall, his shoulders rigid. “This is war.”
Unable to hold back, I sneered, “Good thing I don’t lose then.”
“Oh!” Sage announced, walking into my bedroom with Haven. “There you two are. What’s going on? Everything alright?”
Haiden’s glare instantly vanished as if it was never there to begin with, and in one quick motion he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Mom! You were so right!” he boomed, hugging me tightly. “Ashton is the best! We’re going to play Call of Duty later! I’m so glad we met him!”
Oh, this little brat…
This was how he was going to play it?
To me, he was Haiden the Hellion.
To his mother, he was her precious angel.
Little did he know who he was fucking with. He wasn’t the only one good at playing this game. Women were my specialty.
Plus, I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
For the rest of the day, everything proceeded without a hitch now that the lines had been drawn between me and Sage’s son. Any chance he’d get when his mother wasn’t looking, he would slice over his neck with his index finger. From one ear to the other, his beady little eyes glaring right at me.
I ordered five different pizzas for us, chicken wings, breadsticks, a smorgasbord of food, and the hellion pretended like he had a stomachache only after it was delivered. Leaving me with an obscene amount of food. I ate as much as I could and took a shower, contemplating my next move.
Should I retaliate?
Should I pretend like it doesn’t bother me?
What’s the right thing to do in this situation?
The more I thought about it, the harder I scrubbed my head. Getting extremely agitated, I took out all my frustrations on my scalp while I roughly washed my hair.
Would he stop?
Could I make him stop?
What were his plans for me?
Turn his mother against me?
His sister?
Why the hell is my scalp burning?
“What the fuck?”
Quickly, I washed it out as fast as I could and rushed toward the mirror in my bathroom.
“Oh … no, no, no, no!”
My hair was blond.
My hair was fucking blond!
“I’m going to kill him!”
It didn’t take a brain surgeon to know that Haiden was behind this. He must have put bleach in my shampoo when he was roaming around my house alone.
What else did he booby-trap?
It was worse than I thought. This kid was going to make my life hell until he got what he wanted.
Me. Gone. Forever.
I refused to give into his terrorist tactics. Remaining calm, I breathed in a heavy, solid breath. Trying to govern my anger that was boiling from the inside out.
“He’s a kid, Ashton. He’s just a little boy. You can do this.” Grabbing my cell phone off the counter, I texted my barber that I needed an appointment as soon as possible. Throwing on my gym shorts next, I sat on the edge of my bed and chuckled to myself.
If it wasn’t me who this kid was torturing, I would have probably shaken his hand on a job well done.
He definitely knew how to get to me, except I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction to know that.
I’d say nothing.
Not. One. Thing.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Well, maybe ignoring your adversary had the same effect? I mean, he’s seven for Christ’s sake. Can I really be punked by a seven-year-old?
My phone rang, breaking that train of thoughts. Sage’s gorgeous face appeared on my screen, and suddenly I wasn’t so upset anymore.
