10. Sunday

TEN

"Mom." I jolt awake and look around the room as my eyes try to adjust. When they do, I find Alice sitting on my bed with Wade behind her. Groaning, I flop back on my bed and snuggle into my pillow.

"Son, I told you to keep that chicken out of here." As if knowing I'm talking about her, Alice hisses at me before trotting off.

"Mom, can you see if Fox or Atlas will take me to the art store today?" I stare at my son blankly for a moment.

"Who?" I ask, trying to wake up my brain entirely. What time is it? I find my phone on my pillow and groan when the screen stays black. I forgot to charge it last night.

"Moomm…" Wade groans, and I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Wade, I don't know, okay? I have classes today, and I"m sure the guys are working. Just give me ten minutes to wake up and I'll figure it out, okay? I promise you'll get to the art store today." He looks disappointed but nods and walks out of the room. I run my hands through my hair as I try to remember last night. I was watching a documentary… while on the phone with Ash.

I groan as my phone turns on. I instantly go to the call log, and my eyes go wide. Our call lasted seven hours and three minutes, and I burned my battery and the battery in the charging case. Glancing at the clock, I see it's ten, and I have my first dance class at noon.

"Damn it!" I curse as I hop out of bed to run toward the shower, tripping over my sheets as I do so. This day is going just great already.

"Wade!"I holler as I grab my bag. I've already missed the bus to Stevie's, and now I'm going to have to hope I can get a rideshare to Stevie's and then to the studio.

I rip open my door just as Ash walks out of his apartment. He looks good—really good. He"s wearing light brown trousers and a fitted black button-down shirt that hugs his fit chest and muscular arms.

"Hey, sunshine," he says with a tired smile. I have to pry my eyes off his body to look at his face. He looks exhausted. His usually clean-shaven face has a dark shadow, and his eyes have slightly darkened rings around them. Oh god, did I keep him up all night?

"Too much alien fun last night, charming?" I smirk playfully as I yell for Wade to get the lead out.

Ash huffs out a laugh. "No," he smiles softly. "The aliens were fine. But your snoring was god awful." Snoring? My mouth falls open before my lip curls as I rear back in offense.

"I do notsnore."

He snorts a laugh as he scratches the back of his head. "Sweetheart, either you snore, or a construction crew got ahold of your phone at about two this morning and started jackhammering near it." I purse my lips together as I choose to ignore this other nickname. He needs to stop with the pet names. They do things to me that I'm not comfortable with.

"Then why not hang up the phone, you idiot?" I raise a brow. Ash steps closer, backing me against the wall before propping his arm over my head and looking down at me. I pray he can't hear the rapid pounding of my heart.

"Because," he says, just above a whisper, "Then I couldn't say I spent the night with you."

Feeling way too claustrophobic, I shove him away and step to the side just as Wade walks out. "Finally," I grumble, ushering my moping son out the door. "I've missed the bus, and now I'm not going to be able to drop you off at Stevie's because I'll be late to class."

"Mom!" Wade groans, "C-Come on!" His voice cracks in frustration, and I would find it funny or cute if it weren't for the fact that I'm going to have to deal with him at the studio all day being annoyed.

"I can drop you off at work." Ash shrugs nonchalantly. "Then I can take him to Stevie if that"s where he's going."

"Or!" Wade interjects. "Why can't Ash take me to the art store? Or take me to Hel's?"

I groan and rub my hands over my face. "Wade, that's rude! Ash has stuff he needs to do."

"Actually, I was headed to get a coffee, so it's not a problem. Besides, I need some new markers. I can take him." I look between the two of them before sighing.

"I don't have time. Okay, yeah, fine. Ash, I would appreciate it." I shoot my kid a warning look because he and I will be having a conversation when we get home. We follow Ash to the elevator and once inside, I watch as he starts texting someone. It's none of my business who he is texting, but when I happen to catch his text box saying something about a rain check, I don't know if I feel happy or annoyed.