Page 86 of The Penalty Shot (Totally Pucked 5)

“I’m just afraid, and I ran, and it was wrong. I’m sorry.” Using the sleeve of her baggy sweatshirt, she dries her tears and sucks in a ragged breath. “I’ve spent the entire night thinking about what happened and in my head when it’s the last place I should’ve retreated to. It’s just my defensive mechanism, to keep it all inside. It’s the only way that I know how to process things, and I’m sorry.”

“Auden…” I start, but she shakes her head, gesturing toward the seat next to her.

“I need to say this. Please.”

I take the seat right next to her and rest my hand on her thigh under the table, giving her the chance to get this off her chest.

“I’ve spent my life letting my parents control me. And everything my father said hit me in a spot that is already bruised and broken, so I fled. I’ve made peace with pushing them out of my life for good but it’sstillhard. I’m grieving the family I wished I could have had in them, but never will. But now I know that I have family, and people who love us. I’mnotalone. I just needed to be in my head for a minute to freak out in my insecurities. Just because they don’t love me, doesn’t mean I’m not worthy.” She sniffles, wiping away at her tears once more. “You’ve only ever shown me that you’re nothing like them, that I am worthy of love, of being loved by you. ”

“You are worthy of more than you even realize, Auden,” I say quietly. “Baby, I’m not going anywhere. It would be like ripping the heart out of my chest and asking it to beat on its own. Never fucking happening.”

My hand reaches for her, desperate for some contact, and she laces her fingers in mine. I rub my thumb along the back of her hand.

“Last night I realized that even though I’ve spent my entire life not being loved by my family, that the only family I need is here. Right here. You and Alexaremy family.”

“We are, baby. We’re your family, and I promise I’ll do everything in my power to never hurt you.”

Auden’s piercing blue eyes hold mine, and she nods, her eyes watering again. “I’m sorry, Asher.”

Leaning forward, I use my thumbs to wipe away the tears wetting her cheeks, swiping over the expanse of freckles that dot her nose. “No more apologies, okay? Sometimes it won’t be easy, Aud. We may fight and there might be nights you put me on the couch. I’ll make mistakes. You’ll make mistakes. But we’ll get through it together. Together. Give me all of you, and I’ll give you every piece of me. We leave the past in the past, and we make the future ours, no one else’s.”

She leans in, ghosting her lips along mine in a kiss that I feel in the depth of my chest. “I give you all of me, every piece. My future, and the past.”

Chapter Twenty Seven

Auden

“Okay,okay, I’mnotpeeking, Asher!” I laugh, holding on to his hands as he helps me from his truck.

I hear the door slam, and then his warm, rough hand slides into mine, guiding me forward. I honestly have no idea what he’s got up his sleeve, but I love surprises so I am ecstatic. My stomach flips with each step I take, and my brain is on overdrive trying to guess where we are.

“Nowyou can look,” Asher says, his warm breath against my neck as he unties the blindfold over my eyes.

I blink momentarily, trying to figure out where I am. Quickly realizing that we’re in front of a tattoo parlor in a shopping center downtown, and Asher’s grinning ear to ear. There’s a huge neon sign of the word,tattoo, in the window, along with a few other portraits, and I’m immediately bouncing on my feet.

“Asher!” I exclaim. “This is my surprise?”

He nods. “Part of it. You said you always wanted a tattoo, and now felt like a good time to do something… liberating.”

Now, I’m excited, but also nervous, and even a little love sick that he remembered me saying I’d love to get a tattoo someday. That he took the time to tuck that piece of information away, waiting for the perfect moment to use it. Every day I fall a little more in love with this man, and sometimes I can’t believe he’s mine.Allmine.

It’s only been a couple of weeks, but honestly, I never thought my life could look like this. That I could bethishappy. In love.Free.

After the confrontation with my parents, I went to Elijah and told him everything that had happened. He immediately jumped into action, documenting the bruises left by my father on my arm andfiling a restraining order. My father’s attorney contacted Elijah indicating that his client was aware of the restraining order and would attempt no further contact, and truthfully, I’m surprised. It just shows yet again that my only value to them was how I could help his career, and it seems like as long as I stay silent, they have no use for me. And if not, well then I have Elijah and Asher to help me handle it.

When we walk through the front door of the shop, I’m assaulted by the smell of sterile antiseptic. My eyes drift over the slate gray walls and the art hanging on them. Everywhere you look, there are framed photos of black and white art, with the occasional color piece thrown in.

“Asher! My man.” A surly, heavily tattooed man saunters over, greeting Asher with a clap on the back and a handshake. His beard is long and full, meeting the neck of his black t-shirt.

This must be the guy who does most of Asher’s tattoos, judging by his warm welcome.

“Rocko, what’s up, man? Thank you for fitting us in,” Asher says.

“Hell, it’s nothing, you know I got you any time. Good fucking game last night, dude. I watched in-between sessions. On fucking fire,” Rocko says before turning to me, “And this must be your lovely lady?”

Asher nods, smirking.

I extend my hand. “Hi, I’m Auden.”

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