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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Thank you Regan," I smile at Gage's aunt as we exit the small shop.
"Bye Ashlynn, it was great meeting you," she returns a small smile. "I hope to see you again."
"I'll definitely be coming back here," I say and she lets out a chuckle while she waves. Gage says goodbye to his aunt before he opens the door and lets me out first.
We begin to walk back to the car when I hear Gage's phone ring. He gives me an apologetic look before he pulls out his phone and answers it. Gage doesn't speak at the start of the call, he's just listening to what the other person is saying. He looks pissed and next thing I know is I'm being shoved to the ground and Gage is laying on top of me. A loud bang goes off and my eyes widen when I realize what the sound was.
"Be still, don't freak out," Gage says as another bullet is fired. My eyes begin to water and I start to panic. Not because of the situation fully, but because it's giving me flashbacks to
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Alone 31
"You didn't have to do that Ashlynn," Jill says when breakfast starts. I just told her that I started the laundry for her. "What were you doing up so early anyway?" "Just couldn't sleep," I shrug and grab my fork. "It's also no big deal. It feels nice to help others." "I'll figure out some way to repay you for starting my work today," Jill says and I just grin. She's always been so nice. Breakfast is filled with some small talk. Kylie and Jill keep asking about my night last night. I tell them pretty much everything except about the shooting incident. One, they both would freak and two, I don't know if Gage wants me to talk about it. Well at least right now anyway. Gage showed up late to breakfast and looks exhausted. Maybe he didn't sleep much either. He did say he'd figure out everything and tell me this morning. "I'll see you at lunch," I say as I wave goodbye to Jill and Kylie. "Mr. Cutler wants me to clean upstairs today." "Ooh," Kylie smirks. "Tell me everything at
Alone 32
Gage's POV: I check the email that Vince sent me and smirk at the information. Perfect. I glance over at Ashlynn to see she's fallen asleep on the couch. She's curled up, almost into a ball, and I'm shocked on how fast she fell asleep. I don't blame her for being tired, she's had quite the eventful time while she's been here. And just thinking of that brings a pain to my chest. My eyes go to her cheek and see the scar across her cheek. In all honesty I notice it every time I look at her, but I try to avoid it at all cost. I shake my head and get back to work, deciding what our plan will be to find her. From spying on her meeting we discovered she's going to Spain, which will be easy for us. We have a good alliance going with the Spanish, they'll be willing to help us. I write down our immediate todo list to announce at a meeting after lunch. When that's done I start to check our shipments and deliveries to see if they are correct, and I do this for about an hour. I leave to ge
Alone 33
Ashlynn drops the cloth that was in her hand and her fingers lightly rest against my cheek. I let go of her wrist and grab her waist with both hands to pull her on to my lap. Her other hands rests on my shoulder, her nails slightly digging into my shirt. I rub my hands on her sides before I rest them on her thighs. Her body is fucking perfect. She cups my face and leans my head back and I smirk as she kisses my harder. She pulls back slightly to catch her breath, but she leans her forehead against mine. I see that her eyes are still closed but her lips are slightly parted. I pull back from her and kiss her cheek and down her jaw, right to her neck. Her shirt prevents me from going any lower than the top of her collar bone. Both of Ashlynn's hands squeeze my shoulders as she turns her head to the side. "Shit," she mumbles before she lets out a soft sigh. I nip lightly at the spot right behind her ear, and I can feel her body shiver in my lap. I smirk at the way her body's reacting to
Alone 34
Ashlynn's POV: I'm helping the kitchen staff clean up after dinner because my mind is everywhere right now. Gage still isn't back, but I can't blame him. He really does care for his family, which I admire, but I just want to know that's he's feeling alright. He's never been one to show much emotion, but for him to cry, I know this is really affecting him. And I never can sleep well, so it's pointless laying in bed when I'm just waiting for Gage to come back. Gosh I sound like an obsessed girlfriend. But I'm not his girlfriend! Sure we've kissed a couple times and we have really good conversations, but that doesn't mean we're together. Plus I've never had a boyfriend. So that's just how it works. "Hey Ashlynn," Kylie smiles as she slips into the kitchen. "I need your help!" "Is something wrong?" I ask, setting the rag I was holding on the counter. "I just need some help finding an outfit. Elliott is taking me to the movies because he doesn't work tonight," she smiles. "Now,
Alone 35
I wake up and almost let out a scream when it's hard to move. I relax when I realize it's just Gage, but then I really realize that it's Gage and my cheeks flush. His head is resting on my shoulder and his arm is draped over my stomach. My hand had somehow found its way into his hair while the other is laying over his arm. He's still asleep and doesn't look to be waking up. We stay in this position for a while because I can't find myself to wake him up. My fingers start to play with his hair again, but I find it relaxing as well. He stirs slightly but he stays asleep. I close my eyes just to rest, and I take a minute to enjoy the quiet. It's so nice not having to worry about anyone sneaking into your room because of superiority. I also don't think Gage would appreciate anyone seeing him in a vulnerable state, much like he's in now. He looks like a child who was finally put down for a nap after refusing to take one. Oh well, I still found it cute. I go to remove my hand from his h
Alone 36
"I still owe you a massage," Gage says as I take a bite of a strawberry. Jill brought us up a tray of food and I've been devouring the strawberries. We are currently just sitting on his bed, and he's doing work on his laptop. "True," I say, chewing the rest of the strawberry that's in my mouth. "It better be a damn good one though." "It'll be nothing less than perfect," he replies and closes his laptop. "Go on, lay down." "But I'm eating," I pout as I toss the strawberry top into the extra bowl. "You can eat afterwards," Gage says and gets off the bed. He moves the tray to the small coffee table that is sitting in his room. "Lay on your stomach." I groan because my foods taken away, but I lay on my stomach anyway. I fold my arms up so that my head is able to rest on them. I close my eyes as I feel the bed dip down. Gage climbs over so he's straddling my waist. He pushes my shirt up so my backs exposed, but he's having a hard time keeping it up. I slip the shirt off complete
Alone 37
Three weeks later Ashlynn's POV: Gage is slowly secluding himself, and it makes me sad. His grandmother is still at the hospital and each day her chances of getting past the heart attack decrease. He's also been figuring out the whole Iris situation, which I still don't know what it's about. He was gone for a week, apparently in South Korea, but that only gave him a new lead that she's currently in Iceland. So he's been busying himself with that. He rarely sleeps. Alex has put me in charge of bringing Gage his meals. I'll go in there to give him his breakfast and he'll be in the same clothes as the day before and his appearance just screams tired. Today I won't let him hide himself anymore. I grab the tray full of breakfast foods and a glass of orange juice. Tori gives me a small wave as I walk past her and up to Gage's office. A few of the maids give me small smiles as I walk by and I return them. The guards who are walking through the house look stoic as ever. I keep my head
Alone 38
Gage's POV: To say I was furious is an understatement. Once I got Ashlynn to relax I laid her on my couch, and she's currently playing a game on the small tablet. I'm at my computer looking at the background check of her so called parents. They are still living in Peoria, Arizona. They've been caught for possession of drugs and driving drunk, but nothing that has convicted them to prison. I continue to dig through their file, and I'm shocked at what I find. I make sure that what I'm reading is correct before I message Vince to look into it. "Are you stressed?" I look up at Ashlynn who is looking over at me, the tablet now laying on her chest. "Just work stuff," I shrug off. "I'm almost done. Just have to get everything prepared for a meeting tomorrow then we can head downstairs." "Alright," she says and grabs the tablet. "If you're lying I'll punch you." "Okay," I chuckle as I switch tabs on my computer. I focus my attention back to the Iris case, and I'm able to pinpoin
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Alone 75
"Morning angel." Gage mutters against my cheek before he placed a soft kiss against it. "Morning." I reply with a smile. "It's your turn to give Addie a bath." "I think it's your turn." Gage replies as he buries his face into his pillow. "Gage, get your ass out of bed. We have places to be." I say and push the blankets off of me. Lily's dance competition is today, and since it's Sunday it's starting at ten. We have to be there earlier to make sure Lily is ready for when she needs to go on stage. "I'll be getting Lily and Roland ready." I tell him. "If you're not out of bed by the time I'm done showering, I'm literally going to kick your ass." "Yeah, yeah." he mumbles and I just roll my eyes before I go to the bathroom. I set the water to the temperature I want it to be at before I get in. I turn my back towards the shower head and close my eyes as the water hits my body. After a moment I open my eyes
Alone 74
Ashlynn's POV: "I'm nervous," I admit as Alex and I are behind the large doors. "Believe me when I say Gage is too," Alex responds. "He's been paranoid for the past week." "I'd never leave him, he shouldn't be worried," I respond. "And he'd never leave you, so you shouldn't be worried," Alex replies. "It is normal to be nervous on your wedding day, hell I was shaking." "Is it scary to be in front of everyone?" I ask. "When you see Gage it'll seem like it's just the two of you in the room," Alex tells me. "This day is going to go just as you want it to.""I'm sweating," I admit. "The music needs to start." "Patience is a virtue," Alex teases and I can't help but smile. "Shut up," I mumble and Alex just chuckles. "Thank you for doing this. Ya know, walking me down the aisle." "I'm honored you asked me to. You're like my little sister Ash
Alone 73
"Dad, hurry up! She'll be awake soon!" Lily rushes me as I stack the pancakes on the plate. "I'm going," I chuckle at her impatience. It's been almost two years since I've adopted Lily. Today is currently Ashlynn's birthday and she's turning twenty-six. We've been dating for two years, but I've really wanted to propose to her for a while. Lily decided to concoct a plan because Lily has a gift for Ashlynn too. "Finally, lets go," Lily says as she holds the papers in her hands tightly. I grab the breakfast and we head up to my room. Ashlynn is curled up on the bed with Loki and Thunder. Thunder is another dog, Lily somehow convinced me that Loki needed a friend right before her first Christmas here. But now the damn dogs love to sleep in my room."Loki, Thunder," I whisper and the two dogs look over at me. I pat my leg and they both jump off the bed. Good, I didn't want them begging Ashlynn for her food. "Thank god she's s
Alone 72
"Gage, where's Ashlynn?" Lily asks as I drive towards the hospital. Today is the day that I get to take Lily home. We just left the orphanage, all her belongings are in the trunk and she's strapped in to her booster seat. "She has to do some work, but we'll see her later," I tell Lily. "Where are we going?" Lily asks. "We're going to see my grandma, your great grandma," I tell her. "She's sick so she has to stay with the doctors to get better." "That's sad," Lily says and her bottom lip pouts slightly. "Can we get her a present? Presents always make me feel better." "You can pick out anything you'd like," I say, turning right. "Gage," she says and I glance in the rear view mirror to see her looking at her lap. "Are you okay Lily?" I ask and she nods her head slowly."Since you adopted me you said I was a part of your family," Lily says quietly. "You are Lily," I tel
Alone 71
Gage's POV: "Are you sure this is what you want to get Lily? I mean I'm sure she'd appreciate a dinosaur puzzle or something," I say as Ashlynn walks down the pathway of kennels. The dogs are all coming to the fence and sticking their noses through the little holes. "Oh I definitely want to get her a dog," she responds. "The only question is which one?" I groan as she goes up to a fence full of little puppies. I'd rather have a dog than a puppy. She grins as she squats down, putting her hand against the fence so they can all smell it. After she plays with them for a few minutes she continues walking but she abruptly stops. A large dog is sitting in the corner of his kennel, his head is downcast. "Oh goodness he's adorable," Ashlynn sighs as she goes to the fence. She makes some noises with her tongue, which gets the dogs attention. "Hi buddy, come here." The dog hesitated before it came to the fence and quickly
Alone 70
"Gage you took soooo long!" Lily exclaims, dragging out the "o" in so as Gage walks in with Reagan and Charolette. "I drew something for you. Look!" "Thank you Lily," Gage says as he takes the drawing of the dog Lily made. "Can I talk to you for a second?" "Uh oh am I in trouble? Are you not gonna come back? I promise to be good." Lily says and you can see the worry in her eyes. Her bottom lip starts to quiver as she holds back tears. "Come here," Gage says and squats down so he's closer to Lily's level. Lily jumps off her chair and runs into Gage's arms. She wraps her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Gage holds her tightly and closes his eyes. "You've done nothing wrong Lily." "Are you gonna leave me?" Lily whispers and Gage pulls apart from the hug and grabs her small hands."I'm not going to leave you Lily," Gage says. "I've been talking with Miss Reagan and Miss Charolette a lot about you
Alone 69
Ashlynn's POV: I'm scared. I never really communicated with Lily, but with what Gage asked me today, I need to get to know her better. Today has just been a day full of shocks. He loves me. Gage loves me. I was not ready for him to say that. I'm not mad, but boy was it surprising. I can feel my cheeks heating up just thinking about it. Goodness! Maybe the shower is too hot actually. I've been standing under the burning water for more than a few minutes by now. I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my body and my hair. I go to my room and look through my clothes to figure out what to wear. If I'm meeting Lily I don't want to be wearing a dress, what if she wants to play? I need to find a nice pair of pants. I know Gage is going to dress down, so I will a little, but not a lot.I finally pick out a pair of black jeans and I find a cute white top, and I pair it wit
Alone 68
It's nearing the middle October and I've never had such a calm period with my business. I have a feeling that it won't last like this for long, but I'm taking it while I can. Everything in regards with Lily's adoption has been going smoothly. I'm going to announce it to my siblings tonight, seeing as I kept pushing it off. "Why are we all in your office?" Vince asks as he lays on the couch. I can see dad roll his eyes but not say anything. Jenna takes a seat in the chairs and her hand instinctively goes to her stomach. She's a few months pregnant now and she has a small baby bump. "Oh sorry I'm late!" Ashlynn runs into my office, almost tripping over her own feet. "I got caught up with some cleaning." "It's fine," I tell her as she walks over to me. I lean down and kiss her cheek as she grins up at me. "Hello? You gonna answer my question, or are we just going to sit here?" Vince speaks up."You're an annoying prick, you
Alone 67
"Are you sure I shouldn't wear a suit? I feel like I should wear one," I say to Ashlynn as she rolls the sleeves of the black long sleeve shirt she picked out for me. "You are meeting a little girl, not a business partner," she smiles and her hands cup my cheeks. "You need to look like a dad, not a lawyer." "I've never felt more terrified in my life," I admit and lean down to rest my forehead against hers. "It's okay to be scared. I'll be right by your side," she comforts me. "Besides, you get to meet a beautiful little girl today that you want to have as you daughter. It's okay to be scared about becoming a parent." "Do you think I'm ready for it? You know, parenthood?" I ask and she lightly presses her lips to mine for a few moments."I think you are completely ready, you just need to trust yourself," she states. "There's still time before everything finalized as well. Right now you are just meeting her."
