After dinner, which we ended up making together, Ashton fell asleep on the couch while I edited the photos I took.

I got some pretty good ones, I think as they flash across the screen.

Even though it hadn't snowed recently and the weather was relatively warm, I was able to get a couple shots of it where the snow still hadn't melted, protected by the shadows of trees.

I sigh contentedly. I love photography. I wish it was a stable, legitimate career, but it isn't really. I'd need a lot of luck on my side to make it big. I guess I'll have to keep it as my hobby and stress reliever, and I'm okay with that.

I smile at the pictures Ashton took of me. Once he got me to laugh, they actually turned out good. I consider putting one as my profile picture on Facebook.

My jaw drops again when I look at the pictures of the two of us. I click on it to enlarge it. I absolutely love both of these photos. I make the picture of us looking at each other my laptop background.

I start going through and touching up the pictures. I like to experiment with black and white effects, isolating one part of the picture in color, and play with the contrast. Effects like that impress people, and I take the time to make sure they look good.

I get to one picture of a bush. As I scan, looking to see if I need to crop anything, I notice something in the background. It looks like a person sitting on a bench. Upon further observation, I notice it's the man who took our picture. I shiver when I remember his creepy look. Ashton shifts beside me, snuggling closer to my side. I smile and finish editing the picture.

A couple of photos later, I stumble across the same man in the dark jacket.

Weird. I usually check the background of photos before I take them, but I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention.

I shrug it off, even though it's really bothering me, and I just go to the next photo.

I stop, feeling like I was just punched in the gut. He's in this picture, too.

I keep scrolling through, panic rising as I see at least part of his form in about 120 of the 200 pictures I took. That's more than half. How did I not notice him until he burst in on us? He was literally in my field of vision for half the time we were there.

I take a deep breath.

Calm down, Vi, or you'll wake up Ashton.

I take all the photos with the creepy man in them and add them to another folder.

There, now you don't need to look at him anymore.

I never see his face at all in these pictures. Did he do that on purpose?

No, stop. It was a coincidence. He was following the same path as us, and that's why he appears in so many pictures.

Then why did he burst in through the bushes behind us?

Stop this, Vi. I doesn't matter. Maybe he went off the trail to look at...a bird. Yeah, sure that's it.

With that thought I'm forcing myself to believe, I quickly scan the pictures find the good ones where I can just crop him out. There's no reason to ruin a good photo because some loser was hanging around. I then start editing the other pictures. Pretty soon, I get in the zone and forget the weird feeling I had.

I feel something rest on my shoulder.

"You're really concentrating on this, babe." Ashton says. His head is resting on my shoulder and he's peering over me on to the screen.

"I didn't realize you were awake." I say, setting my laptop on the coffee table. Ashton gets up and walks into the kitchen.

"I know. I was up almost ten minutes before I got bored." I hear a cupboard slam closed and water run. He comes back into the living room with a glass of water. I noticed he always gets water after he has a nap. I'm not sure if he knows he does that though.

"Creeper." I mutter. He sets his glass down with a thud. "Coaster!" I scold. He rolls his eyes but moves the cup onto a coaster. He walks around the table and flops across my lap, laying on me. He twists around so he's looking at my face.

"Hello." He says.

"Hiya, handsome." I run my fingers through his hair. I love playing with his curls. It's such a simple thing but it makes me so happy, and I don't know why, but I've always loved his hair. It's kind of getting long...

"You should let me give you a haircut." I say, pulling it up and pretending to snip it with finger-scissors.

"No way!" he smacks my hand away and smooths his hair down, before lacing his hand through mine. "I have a better idea." his eyes glint mischievously and I lean closer to him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep." I close my eyes to kiss him, and just before my lips reach his he starts tickling me.

"Ah-Ash!" I shriek, trying to get away, but failing because he's laying on top of me. "St-st-stop!" I'm laughing so hard I can barely breathe. I hate the day he found out I was ticklish.

Eventually he stops and I calm down.

"You're mean." I pout.

He grins.

"Yeah, don't pretend you don't love it." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"I definitely don't."

"Well, I know how to make it up to you."

I scoff.

"I'm not falling for that one, this time." I mutter. He leans closer and I can't help but react. My eyes close and lips part. He holds his face close to mine, lips barely touching.

"I love you," He whispers.

"I love you, Ashton. I always will."

***

Double update because I'm working this weekend and then going home for a couple weeks to see my family so I'm not sure when I'll be updating again. It could be next week sometime, it'll depend on how much my family annoys me 😁 have a great rest of your day/night

~ashtonfortherwin