The Love of Lies

Wish

Cori's POV

I cannot describe the euphoric feelings coursing through me. All I know is that I'm genuinely happy.

I have a loving supportive boyfriend, an inherited family that's amazing to be a part of, and best of all, nothing about it feels forced.

Yesterday, Ashton and I sat through a nearly three-hour photo shoot that was sometimes cringe worthy, but we laughed the entire time, especially during wardrobe changes.

Every time his mother handed him a new outfit, he would look at her with pleading eyes I hope our children don't inherit.

If they do, they'll be rotten because I will absolutely fold every time they look at me.

We won't get to see the pictures until later in the week, but we were able to look at a few digital copies, and I have to say that professional photos might not be the waste of money I thought they were.

I've even made an appointment to have hospital photos taken, something I didn't think I would want to do, but being with someone you care so much about changes things.

"Cori! Come take a picture with us." I head to Julia and Troy, positioning myself between the couple as they both rest a hand on my belly.

Eventually, I'm stolen away by Ashton, who has been extremely touchy since last night.

Sex between us was the same, but it felt different, and when he was done, Ashton was shaking so much that I thought something was wrong.

It took a long time before he finally confessed to being scared to lose me, but he has nothing to worry about.

Yes, an accident brought us together, but it was out of his control, or as my mother would say, fate.

"Can you please keep your cover up closed?" Ashton is being silly; he has to be because no one here is looking at me in any way other than friendly.

"Are you scared that one of your friends will try to steal me away," I tease, slightly frowning when I notice that Ashton's face actually takes on an expression of worry.

I'm not good with this sort of thing. I typically don't share my emotions well, specifically because I learned that it's better to rely on oneself, and while I know how I feel about Ashton, I haven't actually said those three words back to him.

"Wait right here," I reply, buttoning up the lace coverup I'm wearing as I make my way to where Clarence and another man are messing with the music.

I ask them to play a song for me, and although it's not a dance or party song, it's one of my favorites, and now an actual person comes to mind when I listen to it.

Ashton's POV

It's Cori's party, so I stood where I was until she came back and took both my hands. I really didn't know what she was doing until she started to sway to the music with me.

The song playing isn't really meant for dancing, but she must know the beat that's coming because the way she’s moving lets me know the pace will eventually pick up.

Cori is singing along with the song, but she's also making faces that make me smile, and when I actually listen, I realize that she picked this song especially for me.

"...some fairytale bliss. Just something I can turn to; somebody I can kiss. I want something just like this."

Eventually the song has a break in which the melody slightly changes, and Cori uses that time to press herself as close to me as possible, lifting her face so she can kiss me as I feel like the most important man in the world to her.

"I'm serious Ashton. You aren't perfect, but you are the only man I want." I'm not even paying attention to our guests anymore.

I'm simply smiling like a fool because I just got the validation that I needed, and although Cori hasn't explicitly said that she loves me too, this was just as good.

"Thank you," I whisper, pressing my forehead against hers.

Sadly, no matter how happy I am, no matter how many times she may tell me that she wants only me, I still have a secret; one that's been eating me up inside, but maybe I don't have to tell her the truth anymore.

Marks POV

Ashton has been rubbing his relationship in everyone's face, and truthfully, I don't even want to stay at this stupid party anymore.

He stole my life, and it's getting harder for me to watch them interact knowing that Cori would have and should have been mine, but he snatched her away from me before she and I really even got the chance to talk.

Now, he's having MY twins, being loved by MY girl, and the worst part about it is that no one seems to remember that Ashton was minutes away from leaving with someone else that night, or maybe they’re just pretending.

I should be the one on the receiving end of Cori's smiles, but also because of Ashton and that b*tch of an ex of his, she doesn't even laugh at my jokes.

I embarrassingly spent most of Chris's party trying to get her to laugh, but she wouldn't even smile, not even a little.

However, as soon as she went inside, likely to use the restroom, yet again, I followed, unsure what I was going to say, and just like I expected, her smile fell the second she made eye contact with me.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate anyone. I just prefer to stay away from people who frighten me."

"So, I scare you?"

"You could have killed me." Cori is being ultra-dramatic, and I'm not really sure why.

"I'm not going to force my friendship on you, but just remember what I told you before; if I hadn't left early, you would have been with both of us." The woman frowns, and not for the first time, I feel like a d*ck around her, so I go into the restroom, wanting it to appear as though I was just waiting to use it myself.

I don't know what she's going to do, but I remember Ashton saying that trust was a major issue within their relationship, and although it's foul, I just don't want to see them together anymore.

Cori's POV

I don't like Mark, but he just reminded me of something I've pushed deep down within me, hoping to overcome it.

I go back toward the pool area, hoping to avoid people and just sit and think for a while, but the very person I was trying to keep my distance from most, is also the same person who told me he loves me, and he immediately notices the change in my demeanor.

"Babe… What happened? Are the babies okay?" As soon as those words left Ashton's lips, I was back to feeling full again.

He didn't really know me back then, so if he assumed incorrectly, I can't exactly blame him.

Right now, I just want to focus on us.

"Everything is still perfect. I was just thinking about how we met." Ashton hugs me from behind and kisses the side of my face a few times.

"Do you remember when I woke you the other night?"

"Mhmm…"

"It was because it was the exact time of our first meeting." Ashton turns me, and because I don't have the same center of gravity, I slightly sway, making us chuckle. "We've officially known each other for over a year. How does that feel?"

"Heavy," I reply, rubbing my belly at the same time as Ashton cups it while laughing.

"I'm quite proud of these creations of ours," the man playfully says, bending to kiss my stomach. "I just wish that we could have started things better between us." I sometimes wish the same thing, but not all love stories are created equal.

"Let's not look back anymore Ashton." The man glances up at my face, furrowing his brow because he clearly wasn't expecting me to say that. "I only want to focus on the good in our relationship from now on."

"I can do that," he whispers, pressing his forehead against mine with closed eyes. "I just hope the past ignores us too."

"It'll only affect us if we let it, and I'm simply too happy to let that happen."

"And I'll do everything to make sure that it stays that way." Again, Ashton kisses me, and our conversation ends just in time for a cake from my favorite bakery to be brought out shooting sparks everywhere.

I've never had my birthday be taken so seriously before, not even by my mother who would always take off, but would typically be too tired to do much other than bake me a cake and watch movies with me.

I loved those interactions though, and even now, they stand out to me as the actions of a woman trying her best in a terrible situation.

It also helped that, even after my grandfather died, my father tended to ignore us, so my mother and I were free to smile in peace. There were even times when he would watch a movie with us.

Right now though, being held by the man of my dreams while he sings happy birthday is all I want to think about, and it's all I want going forward.

"Make a wish!" Julia shouts, and although I've done this yesterday, it wouldn’t hurt to wish for this feeling to last forever, just one more time.

Ashton’s POV

Cori didn’t look like her usual self when she came back outside, and the first thing on my mind was her wellbeing. I quickly get to her side, and I’m immediately relieved when she starts smiling again.

My guess is that she’s tired, but then she starts talking about no longer looking back, and now I know that something happened, only, I’m not sure I want to ask what.

For all I know, Cori could have been washing her hands and thought ‘I’m happy with this,’ so I don’t want to pressure her into thinking that the future isn’t in sight for me because it is.

She’s not just a pretty face, she’s beautiful through and through, and she’s shining right now. The way she interacts with my parents is also something I love about her, so if she asks me to move on, I will.

“Uninterested in cake?”

“Oh, I’ll have some; I just don’t want people watching me eat it.”

“You’re allowed to do whatever you want on your day.”

“So, you’d be perfectly fine with me taking that entire cake inside and finishing it?” I have to laugh at the thought of Cori hiding in a corner with a full cake, but I also want her to know that we weren’t foolish enough to order such a small size without thinking of her.

“Mom ordered a six inch just for you.” I swear that I saw hearts in Cori’s eyes, and after having a good laugh, I gave her a deep kiss. “So, how are you liking your party so far?” The woman shrugs, licking her lips which remind me that she needs more water than normal, so I quickly grab a bottle from the cooler and hand it to her. “We’ll shut things down soon.”

Cori looks so relieved that I feel like kicking everyone out, but I also know she wouldn’t want that, so I guide her to the pool, jump in the annoyingly cold water, and bring Cori’s float to her.

She cautiously tries to get down on her knees, but my brother rushes to her aid, making me feel like I need to separate them.

It might just be my mind, the way it was with Clarence, but I really won’t feel comfortable unless I ask.