Fingers Crossed

Gabbriette

I got up, embarrassment written all over my face.

“Well, there goes our lunch,” Hunter rolled his eyes.

Only Ashton got up and tried to help me, but Madame Colette had already seen the disaster.

She ran over to the table, a mortified look on her face as she gasped melodramatically. “Mon Dieu! What have you done, Gabbriette!”

I attempted to pack up the broken mugs and stained trays, looking for a mop to wipe away the liquid that was staining the marble.

“Apologies.” Madame Colette bowed towards Hunter and his friends. 

I caught Avery and the other girls giggling.

“Are you okay?” Ashton asked me worriedly.

Well, I was now…

“You're fired!” Madame Collete yelled at me, cutting my moment with Ashton short, once again.

Spoke too soon. I am not okay.

“Please, ma'am,” I pleaded, forcing my best puppy teary eyes. “It was a mistake. It won't happen again.”

“Leave the café,” she yelled at me before turning to Briar. “Clean up this mess!”

Briar shot me an apologetic look as she grabbed the cleaning supplies.

“I could drive you home, you know,” Ashton said. “Get your bags. I'll be waiting in the car.”

I collected a few of my things from Briar and stepped out of the café.

Ashton was sitting in the driver's seat when I got there.

I entered the car, and he started the ignition.

My heart raced in my chest at such proximity to him. I had never gotten this close to Ashton, even though he was my brother’s best friend. He barely noticed me. To him, I was just another nerd, another silly kid with pigtails, glasses and braces.

“Sorry for messing up your car,” I offered.

His car smelled just like him. Divine.

He shrugged it off. “I'm sorry you lost your job.”

Oh… that. “It's okay. Madame Collete fires me at least four times a month.”

He chuckled, and I caught myself smiling. Ashton rarely let his guard down around me, so hearing that sound felt like a small victory. Pathetic, perhaps, but I'd take what I could get.

He glanced over at me, a pleasant look on his face.

Again, my heart stopped.

He barely ever looked at me.

Suddenly, his phone started ringing.

I almost screamed. Why couldn't the universe allow us to have our moment?

With his other hand, he grabbed his cell phone.

“Hello, babe?” he said softly.

My heart shattered in my chest.

“Um… I'm dropping someone off,” his eyes darting as he drove. “No. Just a family friend. I'll be in your house tonight. Okay, babe.”

He looked at me oddly before, after some hesitation, muttering on the phone. “Love you too.”

I swallowed, trying to ignore the dull pang in my chest.

He had a girlfriend? Why didn't my dickhead brother tell me that his best friend—the guy I'd been crushing on for the longest time—had a girlfriend? Granted, he didn't know about the crushing bit, but still.

“Are you okay?” he said. “You look a bit flushed.”

You think?

“Um, yes, yes… I'm just…” I zoned out. 

Now was the moment to ask, right?

He was switching on the air conditioning. 

“Do you have a girlfriend, Ashton?” I asked, surprising myself.

“A girlfriend?” he furrowed his brows. “No, I don't.”

“Then who were you on the phone with?” I asked. Was I pushing too far? Maybe. But then again, curiosity was eating me alive.

“Someone.” He colored crimson. “You don't know her.”

Ashton was blushing over a girl? A girl that wasn't me. A girl that wasn't his girlfriend.

I sank into my seat, fighting the sting of disappointment.

Maybe the rumors about the football team were true after all. They didn't date; they pursued girls, got what they wanted, and moved on.

And here I was, dreaming about becoming the exception.

“We're here,” Ashton said, pulling up to my house.

I almost rolled my eyes as I saw stepdad's Lamborghini Urus. He was back from the business trip.

“Thank you, Ashton,” I said.

“It's all good,” he said. “You should put something on; you'll catch a cold.”

Maybe it was something in the air, or maybe today I was deciding to be impulsive, but I took a deep breath, steadying myself for what could be the worst day of my life or the best.

“Ashton?” 

“Yes?” he turned toward me.

“Would you ever consider being with someone like me?” 

Shit! Here goes nothing. 

“Being with someone like you?” he eyed me cautiously, his brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

I let out an awkward chuckle. “Oh, nothing. I was only kidding.”

Of course. I had chickened out, as always.

“O… kay.” He shrugged, still looking confused. “So are you going in or what?”

“Right,” I opened the door and got out. “Bye.”

I waved to him and ran into my house before I said something more stupid.

So far, I'd done nothing but stupid things. Falling face-first in front of my crush, then spilling drinks all over myself, and asking him out… almost, except I actually didn't have the balls to do it.

I opened the door to my house.

“Gabbriette, honey, you're back. Where’s Hunter?” Mom asked as soon as I walked in. “Why do you look like that?”

“I was fired!” I yelled and stormed toward my room.

“Again?” I heard Mom say.

I stepped out of my soiled work clothes and into the shower. 

My mind was consumed by one thought.

Tomorrow, after the game, I'd ask Ashton to be my boyfriend.

If the Wolves won, I'd take my shot. If they lost, I'd bury my feelings and move on.

Simple enough.

Except nothing about Ashton had ever been simple, and I was about to put my heart on the line for a boy who might not even want it.

Still, tomorrow would settle everything.

Win or lose, I'd finally stop wondering what could have been.