The morning sunlight streamed through the window as Tessa rubbed her tired eyes, yawning softly. She padded into the kitchen, stopping in her tracks when she spotted a neatly folded note on the counter, sitting beside a delicate yellow rose in a glass vase.
*Good morning, Tess. Thought you could use a little color today. And don't forget—smile, it looks good on you.*
She laughed despite herself, the corners of her lips tugging upward. Ash always had a way of making her feel seen, even when he wasn't there. The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of emotions for her. She was slowly accepting her broken friendship with Jax and her cowardly way of avoiding Lucas. For now, she needed to focus on her again until she could muster the courage to speak with Lucas.
Her days were filled with work, her usual customers coming and going. Her idle time was filled with memories of Ash and the sweet gestures he had been filling her mornings with. Lately he had been leaving notes throughout her apartment, she would randomly find them while doing things around the house. Just this morning she found another note tucked under the book she was reading.
*They say lavender helps with stress, so I thought you might like some for your balcony. You'll find a little surprise waiting outside.*
Her curiosity piqued, Tessa slid open the balcony door, only to find a small pot of lavender sitting neatly in the corner, the sunlight catching the soft purple flowers. She crouched down, running her fingers across the fragrant petals, and inhaled deeply. The gesture was simple, but it warmed her heart.
"Thank you, Ash," she murmured, her voice carried away on the breeze. Each gesture felt like a tiny piece of Ash—a quiet reassurance that he was always thinking of her, even in his absence.
By night, at the end of her shift. Her Angel of Darkness was always waiting for her. Walking home with Ash, hand in hand, made Tessa feel like a teenager again. Her heart fluttered when he was around, stolen kisses under the moonlight always ignited a passion within her.
Ash always pointed out the constellations to her, he was well versed in the subject, always pointing out something new. She loved to hear the deep timber of his voice on cool nights when the sky was clear. It made her feel closer to him, knowing that he was sharing a part of himself.
"How do you even know all this? I can barely remember what I did some days and you can pin point exact star locations. That's incredible." She turned to look at him and saw a faint blush "Hmm, didn't think vampires could blush." She smirked at him and placed a kiss on his cheek playfully. Ash tugged her hand and placed a chaised kiss on her lips.
Once they were home everything started to feel routine to them. They cooked dinner together, shared a bottle of wine and always ended up making love into the morning hours. Life was simple, Tessa was starting to feel the tugs of a deeper connection with Ash.
One evening the soft glow of candlelight filled the room as Ash set the final dish on the table. Tessa watched him, her chest tightening with a mix of gratitude and something she didn't quite know how to name.
"This is beautiful," she said, her voice soft.
Ash met her eyes, his smile warm but slightly hesitant. "It's not much, but I thought you deserved something special."
"It's perfect," she replied, letting the sincerity of her words hang in the air.
Dinner was a delicate dance of laughter and conversation. Ash had a knack for keeping things light while still drawing Tessa out of her shell. She caught herself smiling more than she had in months, the heaviness in her chest lifting just slightly with every word he spoke.
As they finished the last bites of the meal, Tessa leaned back in her chair, her gaze lingering on Ash.
"You have this way of making everything feel… easier," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ash tilted his head, his expression soft. "That's because you make everything worth it."
The vulnerability in his words hung between them, and for a moment, the world seemed to shrink, leaving only the two of them.
Ash reached across the table, his hand brushing hers lightly.
"There's something I need to tell you about myself… something I've kept hidden for far too long."