Page 39 of Fractured Mind
Ruby’s car beeps, signaling it’s unlocked, and when I turn, she’s by the driver’s door, looking at us with a shit-eating grin.
Ashton opens the car door for me. “Thanks,” I murmur as I slide into the passenger seat.
He closes it and pokes his head half in the window. “I’ll see you soon.”
“And if I say no?” I counter.
He shrugs and smiles cheekily. “I’m coming over anyway.”
When I walk into the house, it’s eerily quiet. I search for Nana to tell her that Ashton is on the way. “Nana,” I call out, but instead of finding her, the chef walks out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron.
“She’s gone out shopping with Wayne.”
I head to my room and lie on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. It’s strange how different this home is than my previous one. My old home made me feel lonely and abandoned, but now I’m rebuilding relationships with family and friends rather than suffering in silence.
I see movement in the corner of my eye, and when I turn my head, Ashton is in the doorframe, watching me. My pulse quickens as he enters and settles onto the bed.
“Why me?” I ask, but I speak again before he can answer. “Am I missing something? You seem like you want to be more than friends. More than what we were before.”
He’s smiling, but it’s tinged with sadness. He looks out the window, then back at me, and walks out onto the balcony. I follow him. He sits on one of the white iron chairs and looks out at the view.
“Our moms were best friends, and because we’re the same age, we’ve known each other all our lives. Everything good that happened in my life... had you in it.”
The familiar pressure squeezes my heart and lungs, making me inhale sharply. One... two... three... four... breathe out.I wait for two more breaths before I respond, though it comes out as a whisper. “I wish I remembered.” There’s an emptiness inside of me. I always hoped I’d get my memory back, but I never did.
His tortured eyes gaze into mine. “It’s a gift and a curse because after you left, everything reminded me of you.” He chuckles, but his laugh has no humor in it. “There was a stage when I wished I’d never met you. I hated the fact that you moved away and didn’t remember me. I felt lost and angry... very angry.
A pang of guilt hits my chest, even though it wasn’t my fault. After the accident, he was left with painful memories and I was left an empty shell.
“It was like you died and I never got to say goodbye.” Every word is laced with agony as he closes his watery eyes. It’s painful to see him like that, so I step toward him and run my fingers through his tousled hair, trying to comfort him. He sighs, and his face softens and his body relaxes. When he leans into my hand, warmth spreads through my chest, knowing that my touch calms him.
He envelops me with his arm and pulls me closer. “About a month before your accident, we kissed. We were only twelve, but I knew I wanted more than the friendship we had. I was going to talk to you about it... but then the accident happened.”
“I’m not the same person you remember. I think you want the person I used to be, not the person I am now.”
He shakes his head, then peers up at me. “I wantyou. Everything I have learned about you has only made me want you more, and don’t forget—I’m not the same person either.”
“I’m home,” Nana calls out. I jump back, putting space between us as she passes through my room and toward the balcony. She smiles her genuine smile, and I step toward her and hug her, noting my heart is still beating fast from the moment Ashton and I just shared.
Ashton stands as Nana steps back and says, “It’s wonderful to see you again.” She embraces him, and it startles him. He puts his arms around her, but as she inches away, her eyes harden. “No more speeding in that car of yours.”
He nods and a strand of hair falls over his eyes. I can’t stop the snicker that escapes my lips. He just got reprimanded by my nana.
She lifts her chin, her eyes changing to cheerful in a blink. “Good! Will you be staying for dinner?”
“No, but thanks.”
I frown at that, wishing he could stay longer.
“How’s your mother doing? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
He bobs his head. “She’s good.”
“Have you told her about Mia?”
When his eyes meet mine, I give him a puzzled look. There’s a hint of a smirk on his lips, but then he glances back at Nana. “Yes, I have. Mom’s excited to see her.”
That’s news to me, and it makes my stomach twist.