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SURF CENTRAL
Antonio handed Ashley her drink then sat down next to her on the couch. Casey was upstairs asleep and Gabi was apparently still out with Ricardo or else spending the night at the loft. Quiet music played in the background of the dimly lit living room. The windows were open and the salty aroma of the ocean wafted in on the breeze. "I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were a priest, Antonio," Ashley commented as she sipped her wine. "It’s a big surprise, isn’t it?" Antonio laughed as he shifted into the corner of the couch and turned sideways to face Ashley. "What made you decide to enter the seminary?" "Well," Antonio cleared his throat, "Maria’s ‘death’ really took a toll on the whole family." "I can’t believe she was gone for five years," she exclaimed as she put her palm to her chest and looked up at the ceiling. Antonio noticed the way her hair fell softly against her shoulders as she shook her head. "It must have been terrible for you…for all of you. I know you were always so close." Ashley rested her hand against Antonio’s knee; his heart leapt at her touch. Ashley couldn’t help notice his slight flinch at her touch and quickly pulled her hand away with a shy smile. "I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking." "Thinking what?" Antonio asked. "That you’ve been a priest for six years and you’re not used to…to being," Ashley faltered searching for the delicate way to say it. "To having a woman touch you like that." Antonio blushed and Ashley laughed softly. "It’s okay, Ashley." He didn’t want her to feel bad and besides, he liked the way it felt to have her touch him. "I’m not a priest anymore." Antonio’s eyes shone as Ashley raised her gaze; the tone in his voice told her he didn’t mind. Hesitantly, Ashley reached out her hand and placed it against his thigh, just above his knee. "So," she said quietly, "the priesthood helped you deal with Maria’s death?" "Yes, among other things," he offered, wanting to her to ask. "What other things?" she wondered, her fingers squeezed him gently; imploring him to tell her. "It helped me…," he began as he slowly covered her hand with his own. "Helped me deal with…losing you." Ashley’s heart nearly broke hearing Antonio say that she had something to do with his decision. "It took me a long time to get over what happened, Ashley." He could see the moisture building in her eyes as she stared into her lap. "You broke my heart. I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love again." He paused. "I didn’t want to." Ashley’s sparkling blue eyes spilled over with tears as she lifted her head. "I know, Antonio. I’m so sorry." She impatiently brushed away her tears with her index finger. "I hope you have forgiven me by now." "You’re here, aren’t you?" Antonio smiled gently at her as stretched his arm and swiped away a stray tear with his thumb. His gentle touch against her cheek made Ashley flush with warmth and she wanted nothing more then to press her lips to his and feel the heat of his kiss against her. "It was a long time ago," he sighed. "Something still bothers me though, Ash," his voice interrupted her brief fantasy. "Wh..what?" she replied almost breathlessly. "I still don’t know the real reason…the reason that you left." Ashley abruptly pulled her hand from under his and wiped both her eyes with a laugh. Antonio sat up in his seat, his curiosity piqued by her sad smile. "What?" he prodded her gently. "Oh God, Antonio," she sighed heavily as she shrugged her shoulders and took a deep breath. "It seems so odd now…looking back." "I really want to know, Ashley," he began as he took her hand back into his. "Please, I have to know why you left." Antonio’s dark eyes bore into hers as his thumb caressed the top of her hand. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and tell him she never really stopped loving him, even after all these years. Ashley stared at their hands for a moment; his touch had only been in her dreams for so long. "You’re never going to believe me," she said quietly. "I will, I promise." He crossed his heart with his other hand causing her to shake her head with a smile. "Oh, Antonio. Do you remember what my father made us promise about getting married?" Antonio shook his head slowly as the memories flooded back. "Well, you remember my best friend Tracie?" "How could I forget," Antonio remarked wryly. "I always had to drag you away from her just to get any attention. You two were practically joined at the hip!" Ashley smiled and swatted playfully at his arm. "Well, anyway, Tracie and I were in my room talking…a few nights before," she paused in retrospect. "Before I told you goodbye." Antonio nodded. "I didn’t know that my door was partly open and that my father was standing outside…listening." "It must have been a pretty good conversation for your dad to eavesdrop," Antonio commented. "That wasn’t really his style." "I know, that’s why I was so surprised when he told me that he heard the whole conversation and that," Antonio raised her eyes to his, "that I had to leave and I couldn’t marry you." Antonio was stunned to hear that Ashley’s father had been behind her leaving. His father had always liked Antonio so much and had given his blessing to their plans. "Why would he do that, Ash? What were you talking about?" Antonio knew that they hadn’t done anything her father would disapprove of. Ashley blushed as she began to tell Antonio the truth she had kept from him that night. "Well, I was telling Tracie that I was so excited to marry you because we…we hadn’t made love and I really wanted to." Antonio smiled shyly and dipped his head. "I told her about how my father made us promise to finish college and how he was going to let us live with him." "So your dad made you go away to school because you were anxious to sleep with me?" Antonio asked with a half-smile. "I hardly think that’s a reason to send you away. We were getting married, after all." Ashley bit her bottom lip and dropped her eyes to Antonio’s hand clutching hers. "That wasn’t it, Antonio. What my father heard that made him angry was when I told Tracie that I was…" Her voice faltered and she cleared her throat; Antonio was on the edge of his seat. With a deep breath, she charged on. "That I was going to get pregnant on purpose…because I wanted to have your baby." Antonio was rocked by her confession; Ashley saw the expression on his face fading away. "He got angry with me and after Tracie left, he came into my room and started yelling at me. He was screaming that you and I lied to him about finishing school; that we never meant to keep our end of the deal." Antonio stared at her incredulously as she continued. "He thought it was all your idea; you talked me into it. I told him, I swore to him that you didn’t know anything about it and that it was all my idea. It was too late; he told me that he was sending me away to school and that I couldn’t be with you. I promised him I wouldn’t do it; I begged him to let me stay with you…but he wouldn’t." Antonio sat silently and for a minute, Ashley was scared. His eyes softened and a smile broke the corner of his mouth. "Why didn’t you tell me, when you came to say goodbye?" "I couldn’t," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "He didn’t trust me anymore. I convinced him that you didn’t know about it, but he lost all faith in me and wouldn’t believe me that I changed my mind. He demanded that I go to Paris." Antonio slipped his other hand underneath hers and held her hand between his. "Had you…changed your mind?" he asked her softly. Ashley raised her eyes as he arched his brow waiting for her answer. "No," she acquiesced with a smile. "I still wanted to." Antonio looked away from her. "I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. You could have called me, written to me. Anything." His voice was almost pleading with her. "All that time, I didn’t know why. I thought it was me." Ashley reached up and touched his chin softly. "It was always you," she whispered as she lifted his face. Thunder boomed outside as a flash of lightning lit up the room. Ashley jumped; she had always hated storms. "Just not what you thought." Antonio’s lips parted slightly as she caressed his cheek; her soft hands tracing the line of his jaw. "God, I’ve missed you." A storm of emotions raged through Antonio; feelings for Ashley, feelings for Gabi. For a moment, he felt he was betraying his love for Gabi. Right here, alone with Ashley, he wanted her; wanted to forget the pain in his heart caused by the one he couldn’t have. Ashley moved closer to him, her hand slipping up the inside of his thigh. Antonio’s breath caught as his eyes followed her hand then met her eyes. A thunderclap reverberated in his chest as he inched closer to the warm lips waiting for him. Ashley’s heart pounded as she felt his breath fanning her lips. It had been so long since she kissed Antonio yet she could still remember the feel of his mouth on hers. She wanted him; wanted to forget the decision she had to make about the man who loved her. He was an ocean away and she was here, with Antonio; at this minute, it felt right. Antonio stopped mere inches from her kiss. "Are you sure?" He was asking himself as much as her. Ashley nodded her head as she ran her fingers softly through his thick, dark hair. Antonio took her hand in his and stood from the couch. Pulling her up next to him, his heart began to pound in his chest. He swept her into his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he carried her up the stairs, the rain began pounding against the windows. Antonio pushed the door open with his foot and carried her into his room. Setting her down next to the bed, he returned to the door and closed it quietly. His bedroom was dark except for the occasional flash of purple-white light from the storm. Antonio stepped back to Ashley’s side as he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her against his hard, muscular body. Her hands glided up his chest and encircled his neck; their eyes called one another with desire. Antonio leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to hers. A faint moan escaped with her breath as her nails dug into his shoulders. It felt so amazing to be in his arms, kissing him, feeling him again. He could make her forget; she knew he could. Ashley’s full lips enveloped his, urging him into her mouth for a taste. His tongue slipped deftly into her hot, wet kiss. She was so warm and soft, her breasts pushing tenderly against his chest. She could make him forget; he knew she could. Their passion intensified as much as the storm outside. Antonio’s hands slipped open the buttons of her blouse while her fingers quickly worked on his shirt. They were swept up in the moment as Antonio backed her slowly to the bed; year’s worth of pent up excitement spilling out in a fury of desperation. He lay her down gently and lowered himself beside her. Ashley could feel his erection pressing against her thigh; the feel of her beneath him made him hotter by the second. She had imagined making love to him so many times; her heart soared as she realized her dream was about to come true. Antonio’s strong hand caressed her breast gently as it bulged slightly over the top of her silk bra. Her blouse was almost off her shoulders as she wrapped her leg over his calf. Their kissing ebbed slowly as he trailed hot kisses down her throat. Ashley tilted her head back and closed her eyes anticipating the wonderful feel of his wet lips against her flushed skin, his naked body pressed against hers. "Gabi," he moaned, startling them both as the movement of her hand against the back of his neck ceased instantaneously. Ashley swallowed hard as every muscle in Antonio’s body stiffened and froze. His hand landed softly against her stomach as he slowly lifted his head but kept his eyes closed. "Oh, my God…I…" Ashley pushed him away gently as she stood up and pulled her blouse closed. Antonio had never been so embarrassed in his life. He didn’t know what to say; how could he explain? "Gabi?" she whispered as she stood beside the bed. It all became painfully clear; the times she saw him staring at her, the way Gabi reacted to seeing them together. Gabi…and Antonio. "I should have known." "Ashley," he pleaded apologetically as he sat up on the side of the bed. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…" "Of course you didn’t," she concurred. "No one ever wants to say someone else’s name in bed." Ashley finished buttoning her blouse and took a seat on the other side of the bed. "Do you want to talk about it?" Antonio dropped his head into his hands and let out a groan. "It’s so complicated," he began as she reached out and touched his shoulder in a gesture of understanding; she was still his friend. Antonio recounted the entire story from the moment that he came to town to the day that Gabi accepted Ricardo’s proposal at the loft and he decided to leave the priesthood. Ashley listened intently and compassionately hearing the heartbreak in his words as he spoke. "And I’m trying to get over her, but…" "Do you love her, Antonio?" Ashley queried sincerely. "Do you really love her?" "She’s with Ricardo," he stated miserably. "That’s not what I asked," she remarked with a smile. "I knew there was…something between you." "You did?" Antonio looked up in surprise. "How?" "Because I know you, Antonio," she stated as she rubbed his shoulder. "And you look at Gabi the way you used to look at me – a long time ago." Ashley smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "If you love her, really love her, don’t let her go." "I have to let her go," he replied. "She’s with Ricardo." "Listen to your heart, Antonio," Ashley urged him. "I didn’t when it came to you and I’ll regret it for the rest of my life." "Oh Ashley," Antonio turned to face her. "I’m so sorry. I never wanted to lead you on. I didn’t mean to hurt you." "I know you didn’t Antonio. I never thought that." Ashley ran her fingers over his lips. "What we had was a long time ago. It was wonderful, but we’ve both moved on." She leaned to him and kissed him tenderly. "We were both trying to forget and we just happened to find each other." Her words registered quickly. "Forget?" Ashley hung her head and shook it miserably. "You’re not the only one with a heavy heart these days," Ashley confessed as she met his gaze. "I’m involved with someone, Antonio, in Paris." Antonio’s eyes widened and she rolled her eyes. "He’s a Prince, can you believe it? Prince Alexander de La Fontaine. We’ve been together for almost two years and he wants me to marry him." Antonio couldn’t believe what she was saying. "He was pressuring me for a decision just before my father died. I told him I needed time and then my father passed away and I had to come home. I’ve been hiding out from him for the last month." Antonio laughed and Ashley shook her head. "Wow, would you look at the two of us?" he smirked. "Who would have ever thought we’d end up here, like this, six years after we broke up and still completely miserable?" They both laughed and continued commiserating over their troubled love lives. The storm had turned rather severe and it was almost 2 a.m. "Wow, it’s so late," Ashley commented. "I guess I should really get going." "Ash, it’s storming so badly. Why don’t you just stay here tonight?" Antonio went to his closet and pulled out one of his bigger t-shirts. "There’s an extra room across the hall, Casey wouldn’t mind if you slept here. He’d probably kill me if he found out I tried to send you home in this storm." Ashley smiled and took the shirt from Antonio. "We’ll have breakfast tomorrow and you can tell me what you decided about His Royal Highness." Ashley swatted at him and smiled. "And you can tell me what you’re going to do about Gabi." Antonio shook his head no and Ashley held up her fist with a frown. "Alright, alright," he assented. "You win." Antonio opened the door and walked Ashley across the hall. They stood in the dark hallway for a second before Ashley started into the empty room. "Ashley?" She turned back to him. "I’m really sorry again…about…you know." "It’s okay, Antonio. Really." Ashley leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek. "She’s a lucky girl to have your love." With a smile, she stepped into the bedroom and closed the door. Antonio dropped his head, went back to his room and closed the door. They both lay awake for another hour trying to sort out what they would both do next. Ashley woke up early the next morning and decided since Antonio wasn’t up yet she would head down and start some coffee. She hadn’t slept much and she wasn’t sure he would have either. Searching the kitchen for filters and coffee, Ashley tried to keep quiet to avoid waking both Casey and Antonio. She had come downstairs in Antonio’s shirt since it hung halfway to her knees; she didn’t expect the guys to be up for an hour or so and no one else was home. While she waited for the coffee to finish, she stood at the kitchen window and thought about what she was going to tell the Prince when she called him. He was a wonderful man and she had decided that being referred to and treated as Princess for the rest of her life was something she could definitely get used to. Gabi closed the front door quietly not wanting to wake anyone. She was on her way to the station and needed to stop and change clothes; she spent the night at the loft after Ricardo passed out cold when they returned from the Deep. She had wanted to come back to Surf Central but the storm was so bad, she didn’t want to drive. The smell of fresh brewing coffee wafted from the kitchen and she decided to grab a cup to get her morning jolt of caffeine. She walked through the door with a smile that faded the instant Ashley turned around wearing nothing but Antonio’s shirt.
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