TWENTY TWO

‘*Achoo.*’

“Can you please hurry with the tea?”

“Don’t rush me. You were the one that wanted to make love under the rain.” Ashley got the kettle off the cooker and helped him brew the tea.

“Well, you loved it, didn’t you.”

“I certainly don’t enjoy you sneezing all over me when I am just trying to enjoy a fine morning.” Grabbing the mug by its handle, she walked into the living room where Dave sat, nose looking so tired you would think he just blew all the life out of it.

“Thank you darling.” Ashley pushed away the bag in her way and sat down. Waking up to a sniffing man wasn’t enough as she was the one who packed their luggage and boy did Dave have a lot of stuff to be packed. It was just so annoying.

But she sort of loved it in a way because he was watching her do it while he kept complaining about having a meeting with a running nose.

As she reached for her phone to check the time, the doorbell rang causing a little frown on their faces as they were not expecting anyone. On opening the door, Ashley got more surprised.

As the events of the previous night played all over again, her snarky side came up and with square shoulders Ashley moved forward to guard the entrance. “What are you doing here?”

Mark let out a huge grin, “Hey Ashley. I hope you are good.” The fact that he wasn’t even been apologetic annoyed her a bit and it stayed that way. She didn’t want some good for nothing person to ruin her mood. “I am here to see Dave.”

She wanted to tell him he couldn’t but that wouldn’t make any sense, so she just paved way for him to go in, her side eyes glaring at him as he did.

“Hey man,” she heard him say as the door closed behind her.

Taking another sip of his tea, he put aside the wet hand towel, Dave sat properly into the couch as he faced his visitor who had helped himself to an opposite couch. “Hi Mark. How’s it going?”

“I am actually here to apologize.”

Ashley felt her head spin. What was he doing?

“What for? Did you leave refuse behind my house again?”

Making a brief connection with her eyes, Mark said with a touch of surprise, “I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?” Dave sniffled again.

“I thought you knew that something almost happened between Ashley and I yesterday.” Her head spun even more. And when Dave’s eyes met hers, her breathing became uneasy. “I honestly thought she told you.”

Dave was still calm. “What exactly happened?”

“Well,” Mark shrugged, Ashley felt like kicking him hard in the balls for what he was doing. “I was talking and all of a sudden, she got angry and said she didn’t want me to talk. I reasoned that she wanted to make out or something, so I…”

“Stop.” His voice was still calm. But this time, dangerously calm.

Ashley stood still where she was, not sure of what to do or say yet. She did not want to cause an early chaos.

Innocently, the devil in Mark spoke further, “I am so sorry for dropping this in this manner. I honestly thought she told you. When I saw the both of you making out yesterday…”

“You were watching us make out?”

“Well…” The confidence in Mark that pushed him to do what he came to do vanished as Dave’s voice carefully, yet threateningly asked his question. “I…”

Dave got up in a way that startled a still pondering Ashley. “Please leave my house.”

“I…” Mark tried to explain.

Dave wouldn’t have any of it. His arm extended towards the door, he insisted, “Please, leave my house.”

After he closed the door after Mark, Dave stood by the entrance and stared at Ashley whose eyes were already pleading. And that way, they both stood. Dave was all inscrutable while Ashley’s eyes maintained their pleas.

But the silence did not last too long. “Dave…”
Ashley made to walk towards him but he held out his hand and that made her heart ache. She had feared something like that would happen.

“Why didn’t…” He heaved a heavy sigh, his head tilting to the side as though he was trying to clear his head of something. “We are leaving now,” he said instead and walked into the living room, brushing her arm as he did.

~

The ride was not what she had imagined at all. Before she slept the other night, she pictured the both of them stealing kisses or laughing loudly at weird stuff on the road. Ashley was not at all prepared for the silent, *maybe* angry version of Dave.

Taking one more look at the concentrated man, Ashley sighed and looked out the window to fix her gaze on the passing cars and tall, attractively structured buildings.

But… despite her efforts to get her mind trained on the fascinating sight, Ashley could not help but go back to thinking about Dave. Like in a slideshow, her mind replayed the memories she already had with him.

It was weird how they all felt like they happened ages ago when in fact, it had just been almost three weeks. As she delved into the wonderful, body warming mind play, the car stopped and she realized they were back at his trailer.

“What really happened?” Ashley did not expect him to say anything to her, so it took her a few seconds before she could spill her answer.

“Mark was talking so much about himself and that got me angry. The next thing I knew, he… he groped my ass. When I retorted, he started misbehaving, saying that he wanted me. He kept saying that he knew that I wanted him too. Next thing I knew, he pulled me into his chest and started touching me all over.” Taking a break to catch her breath, Ashley looked into Dave’s searching eyes.

“I pushed him away. He got angry about it and I just screamed at him not to touch me or talk to me ever again. Dave, I swear that was all that happened. I…”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I… I just…” She sighed. “I didn’t want to bother you with more problems of mine.”

Turning slightly in his seat, he faced her fully. “You didn’t want to bother me? Ashley when will you get it that you are my responsibility now? What if Mark had forced himself upon you? Uh? Would you have kept that from me too?”

“I…” Damn! Like every other time, there was this concern, this care in his voice. This time, it carried a greater magnitude. It held a force that reminded her of her father.

“Even if you want to solve your problems yourself, I won’t stop you. But please,” he cupped her cheeks. “,please understand that you are already part of me in a way that could hurt me.”
Lips parting slightly, she wasn’t so sure what to make of his statement. But it assured her, in the little way she could interpret it, of his concern.
“If anyone tries to hurt you, let me just freaking know. Okay?”

Ashley nodded in response.

“I need to go for my meeting now. Will you be fine alone?” He asked as he reached for a set of keys in the safe and handed it to her.

“Yes,” Ashley replied quietly. “I will be busy with work.”

“Okay. I will be back very soon.” Ashley reached for her luggage and got down but not before receiving a quick kiss from Dave whose smile assured her that he wasn’t angry anymore.

“Bye,” she said, closing the passenger door.

~

*You are already part of me in a way that could hurt me.*

It had been almost two hours since Dave drove out for his meeting and Ashley was yet to stay focused on the paperwork staring at her from her phone’s screen.

Amongst other things she found weird, the fact that she recalled his words too vividly freaked her out. And it tasked her mind.

She began to wonder. Does the statement mean he feels for her the same way she does for him? Or was it just a casual statement?

Her phone’s ringtone interrupted her train of thought. On seeing the caller ID, a smile broke out on her face.
“Hey you, how was your meeting?”

“Ashley Steve?” The voice was not Dave’s.

“Yes?”

“Oh my! Uh…” There was anxiety in the person’s voice and that made Ashley a tad scared. “The owner of this phone just… just …”

“Just what?” Now she was more scared.

“He just had an accident.”