Heat (Step-brother romance)

Chapter 16 Heat

Both Ashley and Jake pulled away from the kiss as they were running out of air. Staring into each other’s eyes as they pant, Jake suddenly smirked as Ashley raised one of her eyebrows. “You're a good kisser, Lil sis,” he said, before being slapped across the face with cold water. Ashley’s face turned sour after Jake’s remark causing him to chuckle before swimming back to the deck. “Come on, you’re shaking like a leaf, we should really head home,” he said, pulling himself out the water before helping her out.

Ashley stood there shaking like leaf while holding onto herself. "Maybe, t-this w-wasn't a good idea," she stuttered while shivering uncontrollably as Jake slightly laughed, "Here, take this," he said handing her his t-shirt as she looks between the t-shirt and him, "But what about you?" She asked as he shook his head with a small smile plastered on his slightly pale lips, "It's okay, don't worry about me, go on take it," he said, gently shoved the t-shirt towards her as she sighed before taking it.

After they both got ready, Jake led them to his car as they both got in. Jake immediately put on the heat as he saw Ashley still shivering a bit. "Why don't you rest for a little bit, I'll wake you when we arrive home," he said as Ashley smiled, "Thanks, Jake, you think Roger and my mum are home yet?" She asked as he shrugged, "Maybe, and if they were, your mum would have called the police," he said followed by a chuckled while Ashley gave him a questionable look, "Why do you say that?" she asked as he shrugged again, "Your mum seems like one of those parents that would file a missing chile report," he said as Ashley laughed, "Yeah, she's super protective and tends to over-exaggerate," she said as Jake chuckled, "It means she cares and worries endless about you," he said as Ashley silently studied his side profile.

Jake noticed the silence as he quickly glances at her before refocusing on the road. "Why you so quiet, Ashley?" He asked as she shrugged, "I just realized that you're really not that much of an asshole," she said as he laughed, "Thank you, Ashley, and you don't seem like the uptight, spoiled brat that I thought

you were," he said as it was Ashley's turn to laugh, "Thank you, Jake," she said before yawning, "I think imma take you up on that offer," she said as her eyes slowly began to close down.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Soon Jake arrived in the neighborhood and as he got closer to the house, the flashing of bright red and blue lights came into sight. Jake gently shook Ashley awake, "Hey, Ash, I think you wanna see this," he said as Ashley sat up rubbing her eyes, "What is it?" She asked as Jake began slowing down in front of the house as he pointed, "Unbelievable!" She mumbled as both she and Jake exited the car.

"ASHLEY! JAKE! WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?" Ashley's mom asked running them, "See what I told you?" Jake whispered before nearly getting tackled by her mom. "Mom, what's going on?" Ashley asked as watching over her mom's shoulder as Roger speaks to the police officer.

"When we came home, there was no one at the house, I tried to call your phone but it was here at the house, so I called Anna, thinking you were there but she said you weren't, she seemed upset," Ashley's mom explained, but as Ashley heard Anna's name her mood immediately changed and Jake seemed to notice as he stepped in.

"Mrs-

"Please, Jake, call me Kat," she said with a reassuring smile as Jake returned a small one, "Something happened between Ashley and Anna, and she wanted me to take her to the river, and that's where we were," he explained not giving away any details. Ashley's mom looked at her as Ashley tried to avoid it.

Katie realized that her daughter didn't want to talk about it and considering that Jake had to take her to her favorite place in her whole world, it must've been really bad.

"Alright, well you two look exhausted, how about you go get some sleep," she said as they both nodded before making their way inside.

_ _ _ _ _ _

As they entered the house, Ashley immediately made her way upstairs. "Hey, are you okay?" Jake asked as Ashley stopped with her back facing her, "Yeah, I'm just tired," she said before quickly going up to her room.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

The morning had soon taken over the night and Ashley still didn't get a goodnight's sleep. Her phone was constantly ringing and beeping with unwanted missed calls and text messages from unwanted people.

Ashley laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling emotionless until there was a knock on the door.

"Ash, sweetheart, come down for breakfast," Katie said as Ashley sighed before getting out of bed. She felt like a walking zombie and just wanted to lock herself in a room.

After getting dressed, she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, where she was greeted by her mother, Roger, and Jake. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"Goodmorning, everyone," she greeted with a small, fake smile that went unnoticed by her mother and Roger, but not Jake, who stared at her intensively.

Ashley took her breakfast and made her way back to her bedroom. A few minutes later, Jake came bargaining, "You know, there's something called knocking," she said not looking up from her breakfast, "You look terrible," he said as she scoffed, "Gee, way to make it obvious," she said sarcastically as Jake took a seat on the edge of her bed, "Why did you sleep like you said you were going to?" He asked as she rolled her eyes before pointing at her phone, "Because unwanted people were blowing

up my phone," she as Jake looked at her before squinting his eyes, "Ashley, you still didn't tell me how you got to that party," he said as Ashley stopped eating.

"I woke up to a phone call saying that you were drunk and was making a scene, the person told me to come get you," she said as Jake frowned, "That's a lie, I wasn't drunk, I mean I was drinking, but wasn't drunk or tipsy," he said as Ashley nodded, "So I was set up?" She asked, "Had to be, but who?" He asked as Ashley already had an idea of who it was.

"Ashley, Anna is there."

TO BE CONTINUED...