The Love of Lies

Named

Ashton's POV

It's been two weeks, and every day that passes is another day that I'm thoroughly convinced of my feelings for Cori.

However, she's so amazing that I find myself being unable to just tell her, so I've been waiting for the restoration of her car.

While waiting, I also had the documents for a legal name change drawn up. All Cori has to do is sign and I'll do everything else.

She's lived under an alias long enough, and now, I just want her to be who she's always been without having to correct anyone.

I know she doesn't mind a slip of tongue once or twice, but at our blood work appointment, the woman who was tending to Cori kept complimenting her ‘real name,’ and I can tell it made my girl uncomfortable.

It, however, isn't smart to snap at anyone with a needle stuck in one of your veins, so we held our tongue until after the blood was drawn.

The woman was very apologetic, and while Cori was understanding, I'm not easily pacified.

“How are you feeling babe?” Cori hasn’t been sleeping well, and at this point in pregnancy, she’s in the restroom more than normal.

“If I figure out which one of them is stomping on my bladder, I’m going to give them an obnoxiously long name.” I kiss the woman’s temple and help her to the restroom, knowing that even after a brief nap, she’ll need to go urgently.

“I was reading naming books while you were napping.”

“Any luck?” Cori is washing her hands now, so I open the door to talk to her more comfortably.

She and I go into the living room where she starts messing around in the kitchen, and it’s on days like this that I know I’m going to eat well.

Whenever Cori doesn’t know what she wants, she makes a little of many different dishes, and the way she packages them allows me to grab them and warm them as needed.

Even Julia’s been taking some of the meals to school, and if my brother isn’t careful, he may come out of his office twice the size he went in.

“I know I want to give them complimenting names, but they don’t have to rhyme. I just want them to go together like salt and pepper.” I understand exactly what Cori means, and now is as good a time as any to add my own two cents.

“And you’re against naming our son after me, right?”

“Maybe in the past, but I wouldn’t mind it if we can find a complimenting girl's name.” That's a relief because my father wouldn’t take no for an answer.

He’s been calling our son little Ash from day one, and I only know that Cori didn’t want to give the baby my name because my mother told me.

“Why were you against it?”

“Well, at the time, I was mad at you. Lately though, I like you enough to entertain the idea.” Cori looks back at me wearing a scowl that’s so cute that I know she’s joking.

She’s become more playful with me, letting her guard down more and more as the days pass, and it’s taking everything in me not to blurt out how I feel in a situation where she might mistake my words as a joke.

“What about Lynn for the girl?” She suddenly says, finally adding pots to the stove as she’s still settling on what she thinks she wants to eat.

“Ashton and Lynn,” I say, shaking my head because it just doesn’t flow, but then I combine them, making Cori smile.

“I really like that name,” she says, pulling out ingredients from almost every cabinet and smelling them.

I’m not sure why she does that, but it’s cute so I don’t want to make her feel insecure about it.

“Ashton and Ashlynn,” I repeat, smiling because I just named our twins, and I can tell Cori is as sold as I am. “We can call her Lynn for short.”

“And we can call him Asher so that you both don’t come running when I call.” Cori’s words imply that we’ll be together long enough for our son to start responding to his name, and I love that thought.

Cori’s POV

I’m really liking the names we picked out for the twins, but with all the ‘Ash’s' in the house, I wonder if we're going to give ourselves a headache.

I can imagine it now, me calling Ashlynn but instead, her brother shows up.

Still, the thought puts a smile on my face, especially since I can just call my daughter Lynn and let the boys decide among themselves who I’m calling.

“You look happy?”

“I feel good right now.” Ashton doesn’t even wait for permission before spooning me, lifting my leg, and pressing himself against my opening until I’m wet enough for him to enter.

We’ve not been having regular s*x because of my low energy levels, but now that we know my Iron and vitamin D could be better, I’ve been given a prescription dose of those supplements, and I can already feel the difference.

Ashton is always gentle with me now, already having been warned by our doctor that twins and vigorous s*x don’t mix, so I’m left to touch myself as the man slowly moves in and out of my body.

“Please go faster.” I appreciate my boyfriend’s concern, but I enjoyed our previous s*x life, and more than that, I enjoy when he isn’t holding himself back for me.

“Want to try bending over?” The pillow Ashton bought for us to use as leverage has now become my sacred, no one can touch, sleeping tool, so we haven’t been able to do it in that position for some time.

Still, I want to feel the man fully, and the feeling of his hands on my hips is actually something I enjoy.

I get on all fours, and Ashton slowly enters me, only picking up pace when he realizes that I'm really enjoying myself.

To me, missionary is the most intimate position, and I like it a lot, but I would be lying if I said I didn't prefer when he does it from behind.

The feeling of his warm hands as he rubs my hips and thighs in between strokes feels so, so good, and even the way he leans over to kiss my back when he's done makes me shiver, which is exactly what the man just did.

"I needed that," he says, helping me back into a comfortable position because we both know that I have trouble catching my breath thanks to the twins. "I'm drawing you a bath."

Ashton likes when I shower after s*x because he says that I sleep better, and he actually might be onto something.

Basically, sweat and pregnancy are enemies, but I didn't realize how much it was affecting me until Ashton told me that I push the blankets away while sleeping.

Call me weird, but I've always been the kind of girl who needs a blanket to sleep, so the fact that I can go without one is new and uncharted territory.

Once ready, Ashton helps me do my business, as usual, but about midway through my soak, he climbs into the tub and positions himself behind me like a pillow.

"I thought you didn't like bathing anymore." Ashton will shower with me, but he's no longer a fan of a bath.

Truthfully, I don’t mind them because I always rinse my body afterward, but apparently, no one told Ashton that a bath was equivalent to basking in your own filth.

I admit that my wording was a little extreme, but I was purposefully trying to mess with him so he would let me sleep.

"As long as you're with me, I have no complaints." I smile, looking back so Ashton can kiss me, one of my new favorite things. "So, have you started making a go-bag?" My eyes snap to Ashton in shock.

"Not yet, why?"

"I hope you'll tell me if you need anything." Something is off, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

"I just want to wait until I see what I get at the baby shower. Then I'll start making it." By then, I'll be in my eighth month, and while it is cutting it close, it's considered the ideal time to prepare.

"What about our bedroom, anything you want to change in there?"

I thought Ashton would never ask, and I find myself excitedly blurting out all the things I would like to change about his room, especially the way the furniture is arranged.

It's not the best use for the space, and even his fancy television is on an odd wall, which is why I actually believed it to be a painting.

"We'll start tomorrow." I wasn't expecting that response, but I'm suddenly excited, and now that I think about it…

"When can I start buying furniture for the twins?"

Ashton's POV

I knew Cori texted my mother about baby furniture last night, but I had no idea the women made plans to go shopping immediately.

This is the most excited I've seen Cori about the babies, so despite the fact that I'm in the office, I'm distracted by the video calls and text messages she keeps sending me.

[Babe, anything you pick is fine.]

[I know, but I want you to feel included.]

Cori always makes me feel good in that way, so I continue to give her my opinion on some of the furniture sets she's sending, and eventually she makes a decision.

Not only that, but she chose the color scheme for the nursery, which I absolutely must say is much better than the clouds or ducks she was always complaining about.

[Make the arrangements with Mr. Ernesto. His niece's husband is a contractor, they can get the work done in less than a week.]

[Really?!] For whatever reason, I'm prompted to call Cori, who admits to being on her way to another furniture store for our room too.

Apparently, she wants to change everything in the room, which I wasn't expecting, but if it makes her happy, I accept.

An hour later, the images start again, but one of them is followed up by a ton of heart emojis, so I admit that my opinion is biased when I prompt her to buy it.

[Mom says that we should wait until after the twins are born.]

I don't know when the changed address started, but it's cute, and I know my mother melts anytime she hears it.

[We're leaving now, but I took their catalog. What do you want for dinner?]

I could say anything, but that would be a lie. Cori knows what I want so I send her back an emoticon with a raised brow.

[Ashton, I meant real food.] I'm immediately turned on by Cori's misunderstanding, so I make no move to clarify, feeling like it will come in handy later tonight.

[Fine. I'll settle for lasagna.]

Cori already knows that I loved her lasagna enough to be mad at my brother for finishing it, and I've already confessed as to why I was acting.

I thought both women would be hurt, but they weren't, and now, they jointly experiment with many other dishes my mother learned to make when she lived abroad.

No one is ever around when they make test batches, but from what I've been told, they're planning to surprise us for Thanksgiving.

[Okay, see you soon!]

I check the time and frown because, soon is another six hours away, assuming I get my work done in time.

[Alright babe. Don't work too hard, and let Mom help. I don't want you to be too tired for later.]

Cori started it, so I might as well continue.

[Ashton!]

She replies, and I swear I could hear her voice, making me chuckle.