Unconditionally

Chapter Forty-two

"One of the hardest decisions you'll ever have to face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder."

Sitting in my bed with my laptop opened on my lap, I sign in to Skype as I internally do a happy dance. It has been a week since Ashton has left Arkansas, and I feel proud of myself to say I have not cried a tear since the day he left. Yes, it has been hard getting used to not seeing him almost every day, but being able to hear his voice or speak to him on Skype makes it all better.

I fully sign in to my Skype account and press the Video Chat button that's beside the picture of Ashton. I patiently wait a seconds for Ashton to accept, and when the page goes away and the chatting screen comes up; a bright smile grows on my face.

Ashton scratches his neck with a confused look on his face.

"What is that look for?" I ask.

He smiles. "Just getting used to this Skype thing. I haven't used it before until a few days ago."

"How have classes and baseball been going?" I ask after rolling my eyes.

I look at the backdrop of Ashton's room. He's leaning on brick wall and at the corner of the screen, I can see the edge of a poster. Ashton's hair is wet but pushed back as if he ran his hands through it a couple of times. He's wearing a red t-shirt, and I can see the slight outline of his muscles. Besides him looking hot as this moment, I wish I could give him a big, bear hug.

"Are you done checking me?"

Shit. "Like you haven't before." I reply back, my cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.

Ashton doesn't even deny it. He instead smiles at me with his green eyes twinkling.

"Classes have been okay- pretty boring if you ask me. The campus is huge, and training is amazing. The guys are cool, but some are arrogant asses." He tells me.

I lean back on my pillows before asking him another question.

"What about Carter?"

Ashton rolls his eyes. This can't be good. "He can't stop talking about all the girls on campus. I'm surprised he hasn't brought one back to the dorm."

I scrunch up my nose in disgust. "TMI, Ashton. I did not need to know that information."

He laughs loudly. "Enough about me. What has been happening with you?"

"Work, sleep, and more work."

My boyfriend rolls his eyes. "Come on; actually tell what's been going on."

In all truthfulness, that is what my days have been like for the past week. I'll wake up in the morning, eat breakfast after changing into my work uniform, and head on over to work. After I finish work around one, I'll go back home and do something around the house. That something is usually watch movies, fix a dinner, or clean. Pretty boring, right?

"I have been bored out of mind with everyone gone. It gets lonely, and I miss you terribly." I admit like a lovesick teenager.

Ashton's eyes soften after hearing what I said. He sighs loudly, running his hands through his wet hair.

"I understand, Kenzie. I miss you, too."

My heart melts, knowing he misses me also and hasn't forgotten about me. I hope that'll never happen.

"Kay, enough of this mushy stuff. What's the weather like over there?"

Ashton gives me a look of playful disbelief. "I can't believe you just changed the subject and choose the weather, Mackenzie."