TWENTY SEVEN

Like a ten week old disposed diaper, Dave pushed Emily away, shock all over his face. Ashley wanted to believe that his expression was genuine. But it could be all an act.

“Dave…” Emily was sure putting on a remorseful look and that had to mean that it was a mistake. *It had to*.
Ashley gave her head a slight shake as she tried to keep her mind from travelling into diverse world of questions.

Watching as Emily kept apologizing to Dave who silently stood, Ashley wondered if what she just saw was a kind of message from the universe.

What if she was wasting her time with Dave just like she had with Kevin? What if all those tales about fixing her was just a way to play her? Questions after questions kept racing through her mind making her a bit scared.

As Emily walked her way to the entrance, her entire body acting restless, she stopped when she leveled in stance with Ashley and gave a mock-like scoff. Then she walked out.

Her eyes flickering away from the shut door, Ashley faced Dave who approached her slowly. “She kissed me first Ashley.”

“I know what I saw Dave, you were kissing her. If she really kissed you first, you kissed her back Dave. That communicates a lot to me.”

Giving a loud exhale, Dave pushed back his hair with his hand, “God! I know! I don’t know what came over me.” He faced her again. “I am so sorry you had to see such an unintended scene.”

Ashley got that he sometimes tended to be frustratingly egoistic, but his calm tone disturbed her in a way. Shutting her eyes briefly to ignore the weight she was feeling within, she continued, “I really need to ask you a question or two. And I want you… I need you to be sincere about the answer.”

He finally made it inches away from her. His scent enveloped her, reminding her of the times she had spent with him so far. She really did not want it all to end so soon. That was exact thought that made her keep calm when she caught the earlier scene.

“I am just one of your flings right? You really don’t intend to keep me around for too long, right?” Ashley felt the rage building up a bit. “All that story about fixing me was just to have fun with me and leave me in a more devastated state right?”

Dave’s eyes went softer. He reached out for her hand but she took a step back to avoid his contact. “Ashley…”

She was just starting. At that moment, she chose to acknowledge it or not, she was hurt. And angry. *Very angry*. “Tell me, you and Emily are together right? Or did you use to be? Or is this all some sick game you play with ladies just because they are attracted to you? Uh? Answer me!”

“Ashley…”

“Don’t touch me.” She moved again to evade his touch. But he beat her to it and with his strength, he twirled her on the spot and made her back bump into his chest.

And that way they stood for a minute, neither saying a word. With his arm around her shoulder length, Dave rested his chin on her shoulder and breathed silently onto her top. A bit calmer, Ashley wanted to say something at first, but she decided against it.

Finally, Dave talked. “Why?” he asked with a gruff voice. “Why do you think I am playing games with you? You have no idea what you keep doing to me Ashley. How on earth could you be just a fling? Listen, I told you, Emily kissed me first.”

“You kissed her back… that has to mean something…” Ashley’s voice was so low.

“It doesn’t. It really doesn’t.” He squeezed her tighter into his chest. “I… I just stupidly got caught in the moment. There is nothing between Emily and me apart from our friendship. Ashley…” He turned her to face him.
Staring into her eyes, Dave continued, “You need to believe me.”

“I want to, but I can’t just yet.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

She pulled away from his grasp, “Even if I mean something to you, I need some time to think about how far things have come so far. I need to reason out some things because I don’t want to go back to the terrible kind of sadness I found myself before you met me.”

“What are you saying Ashley? I don’t intend to make you sad. I am sorry you saw Emily and me earlier, but it really was not intended.”

Ashley nodded while slowly backing out. “I need to go.”

“Where?” Dave asked abruptly. Ashley peered into his face. His expression was like that of someone who was about to lose an important person. That touched her. But she really time to think. She needed to sort out her life officially and alone.

“It is a safe place, don’t worry. I just need to be alone for a while.” She flashed him a short smile.

“Let me drive you then.”

“I said I want to be alone!” Her outburst startled Dave a bit that he withdrew few steps, his jaws locking. “I am sorry,” she immediately softened. “,I just want to be alone.”

He nodded. “Don’t forget to take your medicines. I will be back soon.”

“Alright. Take care.”


~

As she got off her Uber ride, Ashley’s eyes roamed the environment. On closing the door, her eyes came to settle on her house that was still under construction.

She had wanted to go there earlier to check how things were going, but meeting her mother stalled that plan.

But then, there she was.

With construction materials here and there, Ashley noticed that there were still evidences of the fire. Window frames that bore black stains were kept in a corner, stacked. There were also scratches of stains on the wall.

Taking a seat on the marbled porch, Ashley stared out to the scenery in front of her.

For starters, her thoughts drove her back to the fire incident. Ashley knew that it was high time she changed her environment. Being around people who do not display a *surface* kind of care wouldn’t help at all. It would be better to be alone that to be around so much targeted negativity.

And then, there was the issue of her work. Ashley felt it was high time she went back to work. No matter what Dave said or says, her job remains one of the things that would make her happy and keep her distracted from her troubles.

It was too bad that she was too much in a bad place after the divorce, otherwise she would have resorted to working her ass off.

And… there was Dave. Dave Scott.

Ashley smiled to herself as his face came up in her head. Dave Scott, with the curly, shiny hair and twinkling eyes, sure was one of a kind.

But Dave was a kind she had to tread carefully with, considering the fact that she was gradually falling in love with him.

Recalling how breaking the kiss she had earlier witnessed was, Ashley was very sure that if anything, *just anything*, hurtful happens with him, she would become very affected.

And that would not be good for her.

At that moment, it was tempting to Ashley to break things off with Dave, but… What she had over the past few days with Dave was something she had never experienced. It was too good to let go.

“Hey Ashley…”

Ashley’s shoulders rose and fell as she tried to keep a calm state. Looking up at the figure in front of her, she said, “Just because I let you explain things doesn’t mean it is now okay to seek me anytime you want.”

“I know.” Francine sighed, her hand clutching tightly the bag in her hand. “You left so abruptly earlier I just had to check if you are okay. I am sorry. If you don’t want me here, I will just leave.”

Ashley looked on thoughtfully, her eyes on the bag. “Did you go to FRANK’S?”

“Yes. I got your favourite.” FRANK’S was a bakery that they both got attached to after her father’s death.

It had been a while since she had a banana cake. “You can sit beside me.”

“Thank you.” Her mother sure did look excited. Ashley really couldn’t believe that she was talking and sitting with the woman that slept with her husband. *Ex- husband.*

Ashley could feel her mother’s eyes on her. “What?”

“I can tell you are thinking about something very serious.”

Chuckling, Ashley told her off, “I am just here to get some air, that’s all.”

Looking around at the building, Francine asked, “Where do you stay now?”

“At a friend’s.”

“Did something happen with him?”

Her head immediately snapped to the side. “How do you know that he is a male?”

Francine nudged her slightly, “I am your mother remember, I know when you are worried about someone you like.”

“I never really liked men .”

“You liked your father.” The air became quiet. “You loved him…” Francine whispered.

Not wanting to discuss her father as that could rouse her anger against her mother, Ashley addressed her earlier question. “I met someone and I really like him.”

“That’s nice Ashley. What then is the problem?”

“If he hurts me, I don’t think I will be able to bear the pain. So, right now, I am thinking of calling it quits.”

“But you don’t want to do that, right?” Ashley sighed. “I can tell you really like him. Maybe being with him is what prompted a different version of you I saw today. The girl I raised would have gone crazy with anger. You always did when either your father or I offended you.

If you really like him, don’t give up yet. And if he eventually hurts you, remember that you are stronger then you think.”

Ashley sighed again before dropping all of a sudden, “I know that I am adopted.”

“Uh? What? How… How do you know?”

“Uncle Sam told me.”

Even more startled, the slim woman turned properly to face her, “When did Sam come back?”

Ashley clicked her tongue. “That doesn’t matter.” There was a few seconds silence before she asked, “Do you know who my biological parents are?”

“N… no. The …”

“It is fine. I really wouldn’t care if they were alive.” That was a lie.
“I am glad I had you and dad. You both loved and cared for me, there is nothing more I could ask for.”

Francine just couldn’t help the soft smile that got planted on her face. “Let’s eat some cake.”

As she watched her mother ransack the bag, Ashley said, “If you brought this cake as a bribe, forget it, I won’t be forgiving you very soon.”

“You don’t have to.” Francine opened the plastic park that held Ashley’s favourite. “It is enough that I am able to sit here and talk to you.”

Sharing a smile, they both settled to devour the memory triggering meal. And they did that in a comforting silence.