Page 73 of Fractured Mind
I know there’s no going back now. They all give Ashton a wary glance before rushing off.
“I can’t believe she would do this,” Ruby hisses. “Theo, can you hold Mia while I call an ambulance?”
“Please, no ambulance. Mom and Nana don’t need to worry about this.” My mom is just finding her feet. She doesn’t need another reason to drink.
Ruby ignores me. Theo stands beside me, allowing me to put my arm around his shoulders. Ruby shifts just in time as another wave of tiredness hits me, making me lean into him further.
Ruby makes the call, and after she finishes, she gazes at me with sympathy. “Sorry. We need to make sure you’re okay.”
I know she’s right, but I don’t like it.
“They’ll be here as soon as they can. We should get you out front, ready for when they arrive.”
The conversation with Maree and her cousin keeps replaying in my head. “He was trying to take me to his house... What if I didn’t see you?” I say to Theo. The words die on my tongue. I can’t bring myself to say any more.
“Iwasthere,” he replies. “Don’t talk about the what-ifs.”
I can’t help it. How could Maree be so cruel? It would’ve broken Ashton and me. What did she hope to achieve? Did she think he wouldn’t want me anymore, so she could swoop on in?
Ruby yells at the crowd, “Everybody out!” People scurry toward the front of the residence.
“I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, and this still happens to me, even though I do everything right.” My voice cracks from the brutal reality of my life.
Theo keeps talking as we walk, reassuring me that everything will be all right. Ruby keeps yelling at everyone to leave as we make our way out the front. People are scrambling to their cars; others are making their way down the street in groups.
A girl screaming makes my stomach drop to my feet. I have a feeling it’s Ashton’s doing before I even set eyes on him. We head toward the fight, and I’m right. Ashton is on top of someone, throwing punches repeatedly.
“Ashton, stop!” I scream, but he doesn’t.
As we get closer, I see it’s Joe on the ground. Joe’s arms fall away from his face. He’s no longer defending himself. Ashton lands relentless punches. He snarls, looking out of control, as he aims his rage at Joe. There’s a crunching sound that sends blood spraying.
I grab at my chest, trying to hold my bleeding heart together. I shouldn’t have told him. “Ashton!” I shout, begging him to listen.
Roman and Levi are walls of muscle standing around them, letting no one else intervene. Next to them, Jackson has Maree’s arms pinned behind her back. She’s screaming and crying. Ruby storms over to her.Whack!The sound resonates over the fight. The slap flings Maree’s head to the side. When she groggily lifts her head, she spits out blood.
Why hasn’t Ashton stopped yet? My feet move to him, but Theo has his arms around my body, holding me back. “No,” he says in my ear. “You’re not going near him right now.”
Tears flood my face as I attempt to pull free—not that I can put up much of a fight. I’m weak and drained. “Let me go.” But he pulls me closer as police sirens sound in the background.
Trying to use all the energy I have left, I scream out, “Roman!” He looks toward me, so I know he heard me. “Get Ashton off him. He’ll kill him!”
Roman stares at me, his face blank. My heart pounds. I wonder if he’ll intervene, but he nods and lunges at Ashton, trying to grab his arms. Even though Roman is huge, he’s struggling to hold him back. Ashton’s thrashing back and forth, struggling to loosen Roman’s grip. He’s breathing heavily, his eyes are wild like he’s an untamed animal, but Roman pulls him away.
My gaze falls back on Joe’s lifeless body. His face doesn’t look human anymore.
Levi steps in front of Ashton and grabs the back of his head to force him to look at him. “You got him. It’s done.” It seems to work because Ashton’s shoulders drop.
Levi steps over to Joe and bends down beside his body to check his pulse. “Is he dead?” I ask through a sob.
“No.” A dark smirk curves on Levi’s lips. “But he’s going to wish he was when he wakes up.”
The street is glowing with red and blue lights. Two police cars pull up out the front, their tires screeching on the road. Two male officers from each car pile out with their weapons drawn. The ambulance arrives, parking behind them.
“Quick, Ashton. Get out of here.”
His head whirls to me, his eyes locking with mine, the torment in them palpable. His body relaxes, his face softening. Roman glances at him, then slowly releases his arms. When Ashton runs to me, Theo moves, then Ashton and I hold each other. His chest rises and falls as he still tries to catch his breath.
The heaviness is crippling, and I go limp in Ashton’s arms. I’m trying to force my eyes to stay open, but I’m struggling. Everything turns into white noise as two police officers grab Ashton, and then everything turns dark.