Wanderlust

Ashlyn woke the next morning still enclosed in Tom’s embrace. He, however, was obviously awake due to the fact his breathing was far from steady.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked softly, not moving an inch in fear of him leaving her and feeling utterly alone.

“Running back home. And taking you with me, to be quite honest,” He said and rolled over, making her lose touch with him for only a moment until they were facing each other, foreheads pressed together. She smiled as he weaved a hand up to rest on her cheek as she closed her eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was keep her up, but the idea he had just presented her with was one that he was seriously considering at the moment. Sure, he would be taking himself back to a little bit of the pain and problems he had intentionally left behind, but he was going to have to return at some point. He wasn’t so sure that his friends from the films or the producers, writers and other staff members would be so happy if he didn’t turn up for the movie premiere that was in a little over a week. But he had been putting off buying plane tickets home for some reason that he couldn’t even pinpoint.

Okay, so maybe that wasn’t completely true. He knew that he didn’t want to go home but he knew that he had to. He was a big enough boy to realize that problems didn’t just go away, he had to deal with them in the appropriate manner. And running away wasn’t going to solve anything. But being here, in America, with Ashlyn, had made him more productive in those few short days than he had in weeks in his home country. And at the moment, he just planned on going back for the premiere and then coming back to the homey little cottage and maybe Ashlyn would share it with him for a few more weeks.

But he knew that it was hard for her to stay where she was and that, eventually, her parents were going to want her back. Tom knew that she was strong enough to stand on her own two feet physically; she had more than proven that. But he was worried about her financially. He wasn’t used to being so worried about someone and making sure they were okay. He knew for a fact that up and leaving her, even for a short period of time like a week, would be a horrible mistake.

“I’ve always wanted to see the U.K.,” She said, her voice low and showing all signs that the precious girl in his arms was about to fall back asleep.

“I want you to come with me. I can’t leave you here and I need to go back. The film premieres in a week and I’m expected to be there,” He said softly, brushing the hair away from her eyes that had fallen from the ponytail that held her hair back as she slept, “Please say you’ll come with me.”

Ashlyn’s eyes opened wide and she knew that she wasn’t going back to sleep this morning so she poked her head up to see what time the fluorescent alarm clock said. 4:15 a.m. She would remember the moment for the rest of her life.

“Yes. Of course,” She said without hesitation and Tom did the only thing he could think of and kissed her. She was wonderful and perfect and he was so glad that she had agreed. Because he honestly wouldn’t have gone if she wouldn’t have agreed to go with him. There were going to be other things to talk about later on in the morning, but right now, the only things that mattered were him and Ashlyn. He wasn’t sure if he had ever been as happy as he was at that moment. And she knew that she hadn’t.

When the pair finally got out of bed at close to noon, Ashlyn found that the only thing he really had to eat or drink in the house was coffee, something that she should have expected.

“Really? What have you been eating?!” She asked as he smiled at her across the table. He had just gotten out of the shower and was shirtless with dripping hair as she glared playfully at him.

“Coffee. If you haven’t noticed, there are tons of take out boxes I the fridge. Not that your town really has any take out places to go to so I usually had to drive forever to find something to eat and by the time I got there I ordered enough food for a week, usually. What do I look like? I’m an actor and a musician, silly girl, not a chef,” He said and came around to wrap his arms around her as she went to the fridge that she had assumed was empty.

“I’m so hungry right now that I’ll probably die if we don’t get food soon,” Ashlyn over exaggerated as she threw herself down in a chair in a huff. Tom laughed and kissed the top of her head, whispering promises of food and other things that had Ashlyn smiling.

“So when are we leaving then?” She asked as he sat down across from her with two cups of coffee, one of which he slid across to her.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to get you some sort of dress to wear and I have to go to the tailors to get myself a suit of some sort. So I was thinking about tonight,” He said, knowing that it would catch her off guard. And when her wide eyes and big smile came up to greet him, he could only smile in return.

“Oh my goodness. I’ll have to go back to the house then, and get some clothes and my passport and a suitcase. Shit, Tom!” She said and pushed her chair back to go around the table to hug him and press a quick kiss to his lips. There was something so easy about being around and being with Ashlyn that he had no idea how he would ever leave her.

“Listen to me, though, love. I left a lot of shit behind when I came here. I broke things off with my ex, who was cheating and I don’t want you to be blindsided when we get there. She’s a little crazy and a lot of bitch so don’t let her get to you, alright? I want to be with you, not with her. There’s more, but for now, that’s the most important thing for you to know,” He said, pulling her down into his lap as she mirrored his action from that morning by placing her hand on his stubbly cheek.

“I don’t even care. I have never gotten to on any adventure, ever. And then you show up and you’re going to whisk me away to some fabulous country that I’ve never been. It’s every girls dream, but most importantly, it’s mine. And you’re mine and I’m so glad,” She said softly and he took her hand into his and leaned his forehead against hers.

“So am I, Ashlyn. So am I.”