When we get back into his car, he tells me we're going to a dress shop. Burn the House Down by AJR comes on the radio, and I start singing along.

Before I know it, Ashton is singing with me. We start singing songs in different pitches, and I start laughing. I know. I mean, yeah, I guess. Not everything has to be about relationships, though.

I'm currently looking around for a dress, but nothing is really my style. "Do you know what you're wearing?" I ask Ashton, who's following me around.

"Ya, why...?" He asks.

"We have to match if I'm your date," I say.

"I mean, if you want to wear a suit, go for it," Ashton says with a grin.

I bump my shoulder against his without thinking and ask, "What color are you wearing?"

He chuckles and says, "Navy blue."

I nod and start thinking. Did I even find a navy blue dress? My eyes coincidentally fall on a navy blue dress. I snatch it and turn to Ashton, "Ta-da!" I say.

"Finally," Ashton says, pretending to be tired.

"We just got here," I say, walking towards the fitting room. "Wait here, perv," I murmur, even though I knew he was already going to want.

I slip into the dress and silently gasp. I know! I haven't dressed up in so long. "Are you going to model it for me?" Ashton asks.

"No, you'll get to see it later," I answer, changing back into my actual clothes.

I walk back out and see Ashton patiently waiting. "Is that the dress, or do you want to keep looking?" He asks.

"What happened to wanting to leave?" I joke.

"I want to make sure you like what you're wearing. I'll gladly wait all day until you find the perfect dress. But also, the event starts in a couple of hours." He adds sheepishly.

"This is the one. First try!" I say excitedly.

He softly smiles at my reaction and says, "Okay, let's check out."

Luckily, there's no line, so I open my bag to grab my wallet. But before I can pay, Ashton pulls me to his chest and pays for my dress. The worker stifles a laugh and hands me the dress in a bag. My mouth drops open in surprise, and I just stare at him.

He proudly grins and says, "Lynn, you're holding up the line."

I force my feet to move, and we walk out of the store. "I could have paid for it," I say.

"The only reason you needed a dress was because of me. At least let me pay." He says, brushing a stray hair from my face. I'm fucked.

After Ashton dropped me off, I started getting ready.

After my shower, I blow-dried my hair. Then I curled my hair and applied hairspray. An hour.

I apply some mascara, pink lip gloss, and perfume. Then I grab my phone and head downstairs. When I put on my heels, I hear the doorbell ring.

I grab my gun and place it in my leg holster. I unlock the door for Ashton, and he freezes when he sees me.

"...Wow, Lynn. You look breathtaking." He says like he's in a trance.

I shyly smile and subtly check him out. "Thank you. You clean up nicely."

"Adalynn!" My mom shouts, running towards the door.

"Oh no," I murmur. Ashton chuckles, and I turn around.

"What's up?" I ask.

"I want pictures!" She says, using her phone. "This will probably be the only photo I'll ever have of Adalynn with a guy."

"What? Rude. And we're not da-" Ashton guides me to his side before I can finish my sentence, and I stay silent.

When my mom is satisfied with her photos, she says, "Okay, have fun! And Ashton, say hi to your parents for me!"

"Will do," Ashton says, letting me step out first.

Soon we arrive at a big ballroom. Ashton places his arm around my waist, and I feel an odd feeling in my stomach. We each get a plate of food and sit down at a table.

"The food isn't that bad," Ashton says after he's done chewing.

"Are the events usually like this?" I ask, noticing how everyone is dressed up and talking in groups.

"This event is for people with money. However they get it rarely matters. You make connections and strategize with who will get you what you want. It all depends on the power play." He explains.

"Is this like where everyone decides it's a neutral event and people can't kill each other?" I ask, finishing the rest of my food.

"You got it." He says with a nod.

"I'm not complaining. They have a dessert bar." I say excitedly.

"Or we could dance?" Ashton asks, holding out his hand.

"I'll think about it..." I say, staring at him. Ashton's smile falters, and I quickly say, "Just kidding, I could never say no to you."

He smirks and says, "I need to kill someone here. Will you help me?"

"Who?" I automatically ask.

He chuckles, and I think he whispers, "You're perfect..." But I don't think I heard right, since the music played loudly.

The auction part is almost over, so I tell Ashton, "I'm gonna get more dessert..."

I walked towards the table, but before I could get anything, the power went out. I hear gunshots, and I immediately grab my gun.

"Ashton!" I shout over the people screaming. Someone wraps their arms around me, and I start struggling.

"I've got you," Ashton says into my ear. We start heading towards the exit, staying on high alert for the shooter.

"Where were the gunshots coming from?" I ask.

"They were from the back..." Ashton says. We were the last group to exit, and we silently crept towards the back.

We spot two people in masks, and they turn in our direction. Ashton steps in front of me, and we both point our guns at them.

"This is a warning from Evanescent. Refrain from selling more weapons, and we will not start a war." They say at the same time.

Ashton scoffs and shoots both of them in the shoulder. "Leave us alone, and we won't kill your pathetic asses," I respond.

They aim their guns at us and try to fire. But Ashton has quicker reflexes and shoots them in between their foreheads.

We look around for other threats but come up short. Ashton calls for someone to clean up the bodies, and we start walking toward his car.

We see his parents waiting for us, and they ask, "What happened? We checked inside the building, and no one was in there."

"They were at the back outside. They were warning us to stop selling weapons." I respond.

"Do you think they know?" Ashton asks.

"Maybe? Did you tell anyone?" I ask.

"No." He says.

"I didn't either," I say.

"So the only people who know are my parents and us. But the whole reason we're working together is because of our parents." I say, thinking.

"What are we going to do?" I murmur, thinking.

🙂

💖

👋