AMELIA'S POV
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The air is crisp, the ground damp and I could feel it's a little foggy in the woods, the mist lays among the ground as we walk up the hill, and I honestly feel on edge the entire time. All I wanted was to be alone and sit up on the hill, watching over the lake, but I should have known that I wouldn't be able to do this alone. I should have said I was going to have a picnic by myself to call my parents. They are in Paris right now, and if I didnt have school, I would have gone with.
The worst thing is that I can feel Ashton's eyes at the back of my head, as if I could see them myself. "Why are you walking so slow?" Ashton scoffs, making me sound weak, but I know I'm anything but that. "You could have stayed at home," I beam, hoping he'd turn back, but the chances are very slim. "And face the wrath that is Eloise Whitlock?" he snorts, "No thanks." His mother can be scary, and I once watched her ignore her sons after they broke her glass elephant that was in the living room because they played with a ball in the house, and it was devastating to watch.
"That's fair," I murmur, shrugging. They love their mother with all of their hearts, and I envy that because I'm not that close with my parents, but we have a good relationship too. Sometimes I feel like they wish I was never born, especially when they get home after a trip and they only bring me one thing. It's always small, but I'm grateful nonetheless. They are good parents, and just absent a lot, but I've never grown up needing anything, because I had everything.
My nanny was a wonderful woman who took care of me, but most of the time I spent at the Whitlock's house, and aunt Eloise became a second mother to me, but I always understood when she put the boys first, and that's what I admired the most because she put her children first. When both Grayson and I's parents were out of town, we'd all stay together and have our nanny watch over us, and I sometimes hate myself for not being able to remember her name. She was so kind, yet one day she just stopped coming over and my parent's said she found a great job in her line of work.
"Watch out!" Ashton yells, and I'm yanked back into his arms. Ashton's large hands are holding onto my waist, and somehow his fingers has slipped underneath my shirt. His cold fingertips burn my skin, but in a good way, the kind that has me wanting his hands to stay there.Did he plan this? Is he going to try something with me, again? I'm very aware of his hands, and how fast his chest is rising and falling behind me as I stand unevenly, leaning against him, my eyes wide as I look around for any sorts of danger, "On the ground," he breathes out, and my gaze lowers to the ground where a bear trap lays open. Stunned, I let out a shuddered breath, "Thanks,", "Just watch where you walk." He pushes me forward gently, and I walk around the trap.
I glance back at him, the need to thank him urges me on, but I refrain and just press my lips together and continue to walk. I can't think of anything to say to him, and it feels like the tension between us grows with each step, but what if it's just in my head? What if I'm reading too much into this? My foot slips on some soft ground, and Ashton pushes his hand against my back, "For f**k sakes," he seethes, "Do you know how to walk?" he snaps and all of the giddy, sweet feelings are drowned away by his harsh tone and words. I turn around, looking down at him, "Do you know how to keep your hands to yourself?" I snap, "I just slipped. So what?" I lash out on him, and his eyes slowly narrow on me.
"Just go back," I huff, and he rolls his eyes, "Or we can both go back and go our separate ways," his way sounds enticing, because I want nothing more than to get rid of him, but I can't sit around the entire day. I shouldn't have come with to the lake house, and even though I want to blame Grayson for convincing me, I am still to blame because I said yes. I feel terrible for thinking like this because it was aunt Eloise who invited me, and she's ill. I just have to stick this out, because it's for her.
"Fine, let's go back," I stop and turn to face Ashton. He looks surprised, and then he snorts, "You really are a quitter," he states. "You don't know me,", "I have known you my entire life." he deadpans, which sounds absurd. "It doesn't mean that you know me." I deadpan. Ashton might know who I am, but there is no way that he knows me. "If you say so," he grins, and the way he looks at me is unsettling, like he might actually know something. "It's been years since high-school, and you haven't been around. You don't know me, Ash." he grins, walks closer and stops beside me, "Keep on going, Millie, because you don't quit, ever." he deadpans.
I scoff, turning around and purposely let my hair whip around before I continue my hike. It doesn't take long before we're at the top, and I couldn't believe that I was going to quit while being so close. I sit down on one of the rocks, and Ashton stands tall, arms crossed, and he stares out over the lake. "Pretty, isn't it?" I beam. I feel content, completed in some type of way. I always wanted to come up here, but I was never old enough, and now I am.
Ashton turns, looking me straight in the eyes, "Definitely," he breathes out, and then looks away. I shouldn't feel this overwhelmed, but my mouth is faster than my head, "Do you mean the view, or me?" I blurt out without thought. I could see how Ashton tenses, and then his head turns slightly and I notice him glancing at me over his shoulder. "You think very highly of yourself," He snorts and I somehow just don't believe him, because he avoided to answer the question directly.
"Maybe you do too."