Page 48 of Fractured Mind
They raise their eyes to meet mine as I stand beside them. “I...” The words dry up on my tongue, and I gasp instead. I spot Ashton’s hand. “What did you do?”
Jackson stands, wipes the sand off his shorts, and looks down at Ashton. “Call me later.”
I sit next to Ashton when Jackson leaves and watch as the water gently rolls up on the sand, then back into the ocean in a continuous rhythm. When I glance at Ashton, his eyes are on me, but there’s no spark in them. They look empty. I look down at his swollen hand and bruised knuckles, which have a couple of cuts and dried blood on them. I know he didn’t get all that from punching Theo once.
“I thought the fight wasn’t until tonight?” I can’t keep the disappointment out of my voice.
“It isn’t,” he replies, not explaining any further. His gaze returns to the sea.
Frowning at his current mood, I blurt out, “I don’t want you to fight anymore.” This was not how I wanted to start thisconversation, but this is what he does to me. He turns my mind to mush.
He chuckles coldly, and it sends a silent shiver down my spine. With a raised brow, he turns his focus back to me. “Yeah? And why’s that?”
My pulse speeds up, and I swallow nervously. “I hate you getting hurt,” I reply as I peer at his hand, then back at his face. “I want you safe.” His face is void of emotion. “Did you hear me?”
“Did you sleep with him?”
His words hit me in the stomach. “Excuse me?” I can’t believe he just said that. “Is that what you think of me?”
He shrugs.
“Screw you!” I sneer and stand. Anger burns through my veins as I dash to the car. I thought he’d follow and apologize, but he doesn’t, and when I peek back at him, his attention is back on the ocean.
Once home, I slump into bed, exhausted. I wanted to build a relationship with my mom, make friends, and learn about my past, but I didn’t consider the pain it could cause. I’d rather endure the pain than lose my memory again.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
MIA
My body’sso stiff that it’s difficult to walk. I flinch down every step as I make my way to breakfast.
Nana puts down the newspaper and watches me hobble to the table. She frowns. “Are you hurt?”
Everything hurts. My mind. My heart. My body. “I’m not used to running that far.”
When she nods, I exhale. I’m relieved she doesn’t probe further, until she says, “Wayne said you went and saw Ashton last night. How did that go?”
By the time we got home last night, Nana was already in her room. I look away. My teeth dig into my bottom lip as I remember how cold he was. My eyes meet hers again, and I give a slight shake of my head, smiling sadly.
She straightens her spine and scoffs. “Silly boy.”
My phone rings in my pocket, and when I pull it out, it’s an unknown number. My finger hovers over the answer button, but I cancel the call instead.
A minute later, Nana’s phone rings, and I’m glad I didn’t answer it.
Wayne walks into the room. “Mia, it’s for you. It’s your mother.”
I stand suddenly, making my chair topple. Nana’s and Wayne’s eyes flash wide.
“No, I’m not answering it. Tell her I’m not here.”
Nana stands as well. “What’s wrong?”
While I prefer not to elaborate on everything, I also don’t want to be rude. “Sorry, please tell her I’m busy.” As I quickly leave the table, I sense Nana’s gaze on me.
My phone rings in my pocket again, but this time it’s Ruby. My pace slows as I answer the call.