*All characters are eighteen or over*
Ashley was licking her bottom lip. Colin followed the motion of her wet tongue passing once, then twice over the plump, pink flesh. It was distracting, but not enough to turn his mind from the problem at hand. What could he say? What could he do? What if his sister was so disgusted with him that she never wanted to see him again?
The look on his sister's face wasn't one of disgust. Granted, it was possible she was in shock, that the disgust hadn't settled in yet. Shock didn't really fit her expression either.
Pensive. She looked pensive. Pensive was good. Now if he could only remember where he'd left his pants. Talking to her, while naked, definitely wouldn't improve the situation.
Ashley's abrupt motion towards the tv shook Colin from his thoughts. Before he had a chance to say a word she spoke.
"You wanna watch that last movie 'Drag me to Hell'? You said you hadn't seen it."
Colin nodded. Her back was to him, so she didn't see it. He forced the words out, "Sure, but..."
"I'll put it on while you get dressed," she paused, rolled her shoulders back and left them set there, squared and stiff. "Don't worry. I won't look." Colin was at a loss. It was clear Ashley didn't want to talk about it. Not now anyway. Maybe it was a good thing, he didn't object to giving her time to process everything. They could talk about it later. Or never. Never was good too.
Fully dressed, slouched back against the padded headboard, Colin was finally able to relax. Fine, Ashley had carefully left about a foot between them, but when the scary parts came she grabbed his hand and hid her face behind the pillow she clung to. It was all so natural, so much like how he remembered things before the mess of the past few years, he was able to forget a thing had changed.
When the movie was over Ashley went to the bathroom and traded his oversized shirt for her cute little dress from the night before. Her panties and bra disappeared from where they'd been hanging over the shower rod so Colin assumed they were dry and she was wearing them.
Tempting as it was he didn't ask. He was going to be a good big brother and stop imagining that she had stuffed her panties in her purse, leaving her juicy bits to be caressed lightly by the gentle breeze, so very accessible and...
The level look Ashley was giving him made his blood run cold. Damn it, he had to stop. Ashley wasn't stupid. There was no mistaking the flash of hunger in his eyes, he wasn't the first to look at her that way. Damn Steph for putting the idea in his head.
Twice the request had to be repeated before Colin really heard what she was saying. Bring her by the house so that she could pack a few things. He could do that. More, he would do his best to keep his thoughts from drifting anywhere...obscene.
Looking at her as his little sister--and nothing else--became much easier when she turned for the door and her hair fell off her shoulder. Just a glimpse of the scars on her neck, the white lines that marred the beauty of her creamy flesh, and all that he'd blissfully forgotten returned. Those were scars that he'd put there, scars that went so much deeper than what could be seen. Ashley was not his to have; she was his to protect.
Without another word Colin followed her out to the jeep. Mind clear he efficiently went over how things would be handled from here on. With his savings he could cover both their rooms for at least a week. After that he could either help her get her own place or see if she and Steph could work something out.
After the fiasco at her party Colin wouldn't question Ashley not wanting to go back to living with their parents. He wouldn't stand in the way if she changed her mind but he doubted she would.
Ashley needed space to grow and heal. Neither of their parents constant presence would be conductive to her doing so.
Radio thumping out a pleasant beat Colin dropped back his seat in the jeep and prepared to give Ashley all the time she needed to collect what she couldn't bear to leave behind before she started her new life.
Being able to help her, in any way possible, was more than he could ever have hoped.
* * *
Nothing was right. Ashley blinked, hand still on her doorknob, trying to make sense of what she saw. White sheets, covering everything. It was like walking in to a morgue.
Dark red on the walls. All her things in boxes. The light lilac accents were gone, the flowers she'd painstakingly painted two summers back nothing but a faded blur on the one wall that had yet to receive its second coat.
"Oh you spoiled the surprise!"
Ashley bit her tongue to keep from cringing at the bright assault of her mother's words. Keeping her expression blank she turned and faced her mother. "Surprise?"
Lavina Walker put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and gestured to the room at large. "Your room was only fit for a child. I'm giving it a full makeover. New furniture, new colors, new everything." She turned back to her daughter, a secretive smile on her lips. "A woman's room should be sensual, inviting...a boudoir where a man feels welcome..."
"A man." Ashley felt numb. Detached. Lavina didn't notice. She continued talking. Ashley nodded, pretending that she was listening. When Lavina finally stopped Ashley forced a smile. "I'm sure it will be lovely. If you don't mind I'll get changed and get out of your way."
Lavina kissed her forehead and nodded. "Of course. I'm sure a pretty girl like you has much better things to do with her time then hang around the house. Such a relief that you're up and about now..."
When her mother was gone Ashley closed and locked the door. She found her suitcase in the closet and filled it without paying much attention to what she packed. All she needed was clothes. Clothes and a comfortable pair of shoes. For some reason nothing else held any value anymore. She had to be practical, take only necessities. Everything else could be replaced.
