Unexpected Harmony

17. UnEXpected Visitor

Chapter 17

UnEXpected Visitor

W hen the doorbell rang, Aspen checked the stove, ensuring the burners were off before rushing to the door. Thinking it was Zoey since she was due for an intimate date at any moment, she whipped open the door with a playful scold.

“You don’t have to ri—” She stopped, her brain catching up to who was standing at her doorstep. “You? What are you doing here?”

Torn between slamming the door and pulling the uninvited guest inside to keep her away from prying eyes, Aspen froze.

Time hadn’t been very kind to Lexi. Dark rings were tattooed around her eyes, and it looked like she hadn’t eaten much more than a salad since they parted. A part of Aspen’s heart tugged at her, but the memory of finding Lexi in bed with another woman quickly eclipsed the feeling, effectively cutting any loose string that might have been tied around her heart.

“You wouldn’t take my calls. Can we talk? Please?” Lexi looked like she was about to bully her way into the house but stayed put, giving Aspen time to decide.

“I don’t know what there is to say. I thought you’d take the hint when I didn’t return your calls and blocked you from… everything.” Aspen blew out a breath, her lungs a deflated balloon.

“We have plenty to talk about. You just left. What about closure or fighting for us? Aspen, we were together for two years. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Lexi grabbed her arm. “Can I come in? Please?”

Aspen leaned against the door, wondering what she could say when she hadn’t given any thought to Lexi since she’d met Zoey. That wasn’t the nicest thing she could say, but it was the truth, and right now, they needed that more than protecting feelings.

“I met someone,” Aspen said, not moving from the hallway. “Let’s talk on the porch. I don’t want you in the house.” Closing the door behind her, she saw Zoey come up the driveway. Her chest constricted as she re-froze, unable to do anything but watch the train wreck approach, worried that Zoey wouldn’t give her a chance to explain.

Lexi looked put out for a moment but didn’t fight her. “I know you met someone. I saw the articles. That’s not even why I’m here. I just need a moment to explain.” She took a step back, bumping directly into Zoey. “Oh, hi.” Lexi sheepishly held out her hand to Zoey, who looked between her, Aspen, and the hand.

“Umm, hi.” Zoey tentatively took Lexi’s outstretched hand. “I’m Zoey. You look a little familiar.” She tilted her head.

“I’m Lexi, Aspen’s ex.”

Sighing, Aspen straightened her shoulders, ready for the best thing she’d ever known to walk off the porch.

“Should I go?” Zoey asked, looking at Aspen with concern and curiosity radiating from her eyes.

“Give me a half hour, but please come back.” Aspen couldn’t contain the plea in her body as she sank into the bench that faced the ocean.

Lexi looked between them before setting her gaze on Zoey. “Hmm, you just might be her match,” she remarked before settling against the railing.

Zoey leaned in and kissed Aspen’s cheek. It wasn’t a possessive move; it felt more like a check-in and silent comfort. It was then that Aspen realized how immature a lot of the people she dated had been. Zoey didn’t make a scene but cared about how she was feeling. Being with someone who didn’t have a proclivity towards drama was definitely a plus.

“I’ll text you when we’re finished.” Aspen squeezed Zoey’s hand, a silent thank you for understanding motion. She watched Zoey walk away.

“Damn, and here I thought I’d planned everything perfectly to swoop in and ruin things.” Lexi held her hands up in surrender at the eye-dagger Aspen sent her way. “I’m joking. How would I know she’d be here?”

“What do you want, Lexi? Say your piece and leave.” Aspen gave her the floor, ready to block out whatever bullshit she had prepared to dish out.

“I saw you let go of Morgan. I’m glad,” Lexi started, taking the conversation in a direction Aspen hadn’t prepared for.

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Nothing, really. I just think what she did was shady. I admit to my shortcomings and shouldn’t have been with someone else, especially in your bed. I fully own up to that. But Morgan knew about it and still pushed you to propose. She wanted you to catch me while livestreaming to boost sales. I’m not saying what I did was right, but I would have rather dealt with things outside of the media. It added a layer of pain and humiliation that just wasn’t necessary. Please tell me the stunt worked at least. Did it help your sales?”

The sting of bile coated Aspen’s mouth as she saw the event in a different light. Morgan pushing her into proposing and ensuring the whole thing was seamlessly captured. The following weeks of hurt and pain with Morgan offering her sympathy and shoulder.

“I don’t even know what to do with this information.” Aspen jumped from the chair, pacing the length of the porch. She kept a wide berth from Lexi, who watched her with a weary expression.

“What are you going to do?” Lexi reached out on Aspen’s thirteenth pass, stopping her movement.

Aspen looked to the hand touching her arm then into Lexi’s eyes. “I have to think about it. Thank you for bringing this to me, but I don’t want to talk to you about this.”

Lexi winced but thankfully dropped her hand. “I’m the only person you can talk to about it. Nobody else understands.”

“That may be true to an extent, but it’s not something we need to bond over with hot chocolate and popcorn. I don’t owe you my thoughts because of something we might have gone through together. I wish you the best, Lexi, I do, but with someone else far away from me.” The boards squeaked under her shoe as she walked to the steps, gesturing for Lexi to leave.

Sighing, she pushed herself off the railing, pausing at the top step to search Aspen’s face. “I hope she makes you happy,” she said after a moment, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

The words made her smile. “She does,” Aspen responded simply before turning back to the bench, not even caring to watch Lexi walk away. Instead, she wanted to look towards the future, to Zoey.

The sun was starting to dip when Zoey tentatively walked up the path. Aspen’s thoughts were scattered in the wind. She had no idea how long she’d been sitting there, waiting, after Lexi left. It didn’t matter, though, now that Zoey was here.

A part of her had been frightened she wouldn’t show up. She wasn’t sure she’d be as understanding if the roles were reversed. Her heart ached when Zoey got closer, and she could see the doubt in her eyes.

“Hi, you. Do you want to sit for a moment?” Aspen patted the bench next to her, relieved when Zoey smiled.

Sitting together, they stayed silent, watching the waves crash on the beach. Aspen’s fingers gripped tightly when she felt Zoey’s hand slide into hers.

“Are you okay?” Zoey asked after a prolonged silence.

For some reason, the kind words and gentle tone broke Aspen. She never would have crumbled in front of Lexi, but Zoey was different. Zoey was a safe harbor in the storm.

Snuggling up to her side, Aspen cried for all that had happened. She shook with relief that Zoey was still by her side. Zoey, for her part, just held her. She rubbed Aspen’s back while running her fingers through her hair. She provided the shoulder on which Aspen unleashed her burden.

Seeing Lexi had had brought up everything that Aspen hadn’t processed. It was akin to opening a healing wound to squeeze the infection from her heart. When her tears stopped, she was emotionally wrung out but felt lighter for it.

“Sorry. I don’t usually break down like that,” Aspen said, tucking her face into Zoey’s neck, still trying to hide her discomfort even though there could be no more hiding. Not when it came to Zoey.

“There isn’t a need to apologize. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, but I think I should. Do you mind?” Aspen lifted her head, searching out Zoey’s kind eyes.

“Of course not. But I’m starving. Is there some food ready, or should I go grab a pizza?” Zoey stood from the bench, holding out her hands for Aspen to clasp.

“There’s food, but it might need to be reheated.”

“Let’s go see.” Zoey led the way inside.

Aspen smiled as she followed Zoey inside, enjoying how natural it felt to have her there. She knew she would have to talk about what had happened, but for the first time in forever, she didn’t mind opening up. Especially when she trusted Zoey would be there to catch her if she tripped.

Zoey made herself comfortable in the kitchen, checking on the food that had been abandoned earlier. Her mind whirled, obsessively going over everything that had happened, and still not landing on anything concrete. Aspen still looked like a skittish horse, but she seemed willing to talk. That was a good sign, at least.

The Chicken Cordon Bleu, scalloped potatoes, and air-fried asparagus just needed a little TLC, which Zoey was happy to do. “Go sit down; I can finish up here.” She placed her hands on Aspen’s shoulders, kissing the back of her neck before gently pushing her towards the table.

“I’m going to freshen up. Be right back.” Aspen looked grateful when she looked over her shoulder at Zoey, who winked before turning back to the kitchen.

When everything was reheated and ready for plates, Zoey took her time making the meal look aesthetically pleasing, smiling with pride at the colors popping on the plates.

Walking into the dining room, she gasped when she saw Aspen had dimmed the lights and placed flickering candles in the middle of the table. She was in the middle of pouring from a chilled bottle of Chardonnay. Zoey watched the droplets of condensation drip down the bottle.

After setting her plate down, Zoey reached over to slide the second plate in front of Aspen, who sniffed the food appreciatively.

“This smells amazing.”

“It really does. You did a good job on it.” Zoey sat down and scooted closer to the table.

“Oh right, I forgot I cooked it.” Aspen chuckled. “That feels like four weeks ago.” She set the wine bottle in a fancy iced container and slid into her seat.

They stayed silent as they began to eat. The only sound that could be heard was the scraping of utensils on their plates.

Finally, Zoey couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Want to tell me why your ex was here?” she asked, breaking through the tension with a sledgehammer.

Aspen chuckled. “You sure deserve an explanation. Let’s see. A few months ago, I went live on social media.”

Aspen went on, explaining how she found Lexi in bed with another woman and that Aspen had run away from her problems by coming to California. As she talked, she kept weaving Morgan into the story until, which didn’t make sense until Aspen repeated what Lexi had told her, that it had all been Morgan’s plan.

“I still don’t know why exactly why Lexi was here. Maybe she saw the articles and wanted to scope out if we could reconnect before it was too late. Or she wanted to finally dish about Morgan now that she knew I cut her loose. Probably a combination of everything,” Aspen finished with a shrug, grabbing Zoey’s hand. “I think we both needed closure, though. It was nice to say we’d never get back together.”

Zoey sat back in her chair studying Aspen’s face. It was a lot to digest, but hard to concentrate with the shimmering fire burning behind Aspen’s eyes. Her heart rate sped up as Aspen started moving her fingertips, playing softly over her arm.

“What are you going to do about Morgan?” Zoey asked, needing to close out the last thread of her mind before moving on to more pleasant conversations.

“I’ve already fired her. There isn’t much more I can do.” Aspen lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of Zoey’s. “Thank you for being so understanding today.”

“I’ll try to always give you the benefit of the doubt.” A kaleidoscope of butterflies let loose in her lower belly.

“Are you finished?” Aspen stood, gesturing to Zoey’s plate.

“Yes.” Zoey’s chair scraped along the wooden floor as she stood. “I already cleaned up in the kitchen. How about we let these plates soak?”

“You always have the best ideas.” Aspen followed her into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around her from behind as Zoey ran water over the dishes. Aspen’s wandering hands made the task more challenging to finish without breaking anything.

Finally, she flicked the faucet off and turned around in Aspen’s arms. “Take me to bed,” Zoey moaned into Aspen’s mouth when their lips collided in a kiss.

“Two for two in the good idea department. Come on.” Aspen pulled her along the hallway.

Inside Aspen’s bedroom, Zoey slowed things down. Her heart raced as she searched Aspen’s eyes. All she saw was desire and a flare of longing.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Zoey’s breathless question was swallowed by a moan when Aspen leaned in with passion.

“I’ve wanted nothing more since I first laid my eyes on you,” Aspen murmured into Zoey’s lips. She ripped her shirt off before softening her approach when she got her hands back onto Zoey.

“That’s a lie, but I’ll let it slide for now.” Zoey helped Aspen with her shirt as her skin broke out in goose bumps, either from the air conditioning hitting her overheated skin or the fire burning in Aspen’s eyes.

“You’re perfect.” Aspen’s blunt tone made way for no argument, even though she wished to refute such a claim.

How could Aspen Lake, of all people, think that? She must have people clamoring all the time for her attention. And yet, here they were, ready to embark on something Zoey had no words for.

Aspen reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, bare chested and grinning as she swung her bra back and forth. This wasn’t one of her performance grins millions of people saw every day; this was a special smile just for Zoey. Shaking off her internal musings, Zoey let go. Let go of everything that had held her back and focused solely on the present and the magnificent woman in front of her.

Reaching for Aspen’s hips, Zoey walked her backward until they stopped at the bed.

Aspen might have a lot of things: Power, money, fame, celebrity status, and had even been her boss for a while as Zoey worked on her yard. But right here, right now, Zoey was in charge.

Scooting Aspen back so her head hit the pillow, Zoey latched onto her nipple, causing Aspen to arch up, seeking her teasing tongue. Pulling back, Zoey switched to the other breast, lightly teasing the ridges around her areola before sucking in her nipple, flicking her tongue rapidly along the sensitive bud.

Aspen’s fingers slid into Zoey’s hair, pulling her closer. Her moan filled the room as Zoey’s body ignited. Pulling back, she tugged on the button on Aspen’s jeans, letting out a frustrated grunt when her fingers wouldn’t cooperate with the zipper.

“Here, let me. Also, you’ve got to work to do.” Aspen nodded to Zoey’s pants.

Taking the hint, Zoey launched off the bed, shimmying out of her tight pants with a wiggle of her hips. Her underwear was next, along with her bra. Naked, she thought she’d feel a semblance of anxiety, but Aspen’s eyes, hungrily taking her in, chased away any vulnerable feeling she might have.

Aspen laid back on the bed, beckoning to her. “Get your gorgeous ass over here before I implode.” Her voice was thick with longing.

Not one to leave a beautiful woman waiting, Zoey fell back onto the bed. “Now, where was I? Oh right. I remember, right…” She kissed Aspen’s hip. “About…” She scooted lower to her inner thigh. “Here.” She hovered over her glistening lips. “Is it okay if I taste you? Is there anything you don’t like?” she asked, kicking herself for not bringing it up earlier. Not when Aspen’s heady scent was teasing Zoey’s nose and her dripping pussy was just inches away, waiting to be tasted.

“At this point, I insist you do taste me. There isn’t anything that comes to mind that’s off-limits, but I’m so turned on right now, I’m not sure what my name is. If something comes up, I’ll surely let you know.” Aspen grabbed the back of Zoey’s head, gently but firmly letting her feelings be known on the topic at hand.

Zoey slid down further, dipping her tongue around her clit, moaning at the first taste of Aspen Lake.

“What are you thinking about?” Aspen’s voice was hoarse after she’d cried out for the third time that night.

Zoey lay curled up next to Aspen, her head resting on her shoulder as she played with her hair. It had been forever since she’d felt so relaxed, along with the pleasant sting of soreness. Her mind had wandered, but she hadn’t landed on anything.

“To be honest, just a jumbled mess of things. Nothing specific or fascinating. How about you?” She tilted her head up to kiss the underside of Aspen’s jaw.

“Just how lucky I am. How the worst thing in the world can lead to one of the best.” Aspen squeezed harder on Zoey’s shoulders. “I wish I could absorb into you.”

“Part of me has already been absorbed into you.” Zoey flicked out her tongue in an obscene gesture but made Aspen laugh anyway.

“Don’t ever change,” Aspen mumbled, rolling them so she could be the big spoon as they fell asleep.

“You too.” Zoey snuggled her butt into Aspen’s curled legs, letting the perfect night slip over them and follow the wave into sleep.