Chapter Forty Three

Boston

"How close were we Boston?" Aspen asks, turning her attention to me. She has this look on her face that causes unease to settle into my bones and my stomach to turn, "Where we really close? Or did it just seem that way because you forced yourself onto me?"

"What!" Ashlynn screeches, then turns her attention to me, "You did *what* to my daughter?” she asks seething, the look in her eyes is that of a Mama Bear who just found her cub in danger, and *no one* messes with her cubs and lives to see another day.

"It wasn't like that!" I shout quickly, looking at Dad and then casting glances to each of my brothers, "tell her!" I beg, knowing that this is about to go south *really* fast.

"Ashlynn, honey," dad says, trying to calm her down, "I think you should hear Boston out," he says, nodding in my direction.

"You knew?" she says accusingly.

"Yes." He says, causing her eyes to widen, but then quickly corrects, realizing what it sounds like, "no! Fuck!" he growls.

"How long have you known?" She growls, her voice deadly calm now.

"He came to me the other day and told me that the baby was his." Dad tells her honestly, then looks over at me and nods his head, "Just fucking listen to him." he states, then stands up from his seat next to Ashlynn and comes to stand behind me, showing that he supports me regardless of which direction this goes.

The look that Ashlynn shoots in my direction is one that if looks could kill, my dad would be planning my funeral.

*Goddammit* I growl under my breath as I bury my face in my hands, trying to prepare myself for this conversation.

After taking a few deep breaths, I lower my hands to the table, folding them together and turn my attention to the girl who owns me heart and soul.

"I never forced anything on you, Aspen." I tell her, begging her to understand, to remember. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"But you are admitting to screwing my daughter?" Ashlynn says, interrupting before I'm able to say another word.

"Yes." I say, looking from daughter, to mother, and then back, "We were in a relationship," I tell her, my heart breaking at the look of disbelief on her face, "I love you. We loved each other."

"I don't believe you," Aspen says, shaking her head back and forth, tears building in her eyes. I can see her beginning to shake as she stands up from the chair beside me, and walks over towards the kitchen, putting as much distance between us as she can, "I don't remember much, but from the glimpses that I've gotten, there's no way that's true. From what I remember, you—" she stops herself, a sob breaking free from her, "y-you r-raped m-me." Upon saying this, she takes off running through the kitchen.

"Oh, God! Aspen!" Ashlynn shouts, taking off after her daughter as the table breaks out in chaos.

"No!" Dal shouts, standing up and shaking his head.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jackson shouts, banging his fist against the table in anger. He looks at where Aspen was just standing and then turns his attention to me, shaking his head in frustration.

"That's not what happened!" Lincoln says, shouting after Ashlynn, as he follows after her. "Boston would never force Aspen to do anything! He loves her!" he repeats as he follows after the girls. I can hear their footsteps as they run away from the dining room. One set ahead of the rest, as Aspen makes her way up the stairs and then down the hallway until she reaches her room, then the door slams shut.

"Goddammit!" I say, slamming my hand against the table, and then trying to push my chair back to go chase after my girl and set the record straight.

"No," dad tells me, placing his hand on my shoulder and blocking me in so that I can't get up from the table, "let her go. Chasing after her right now will only make matters worse. Let Lincoln and I talk to them."

"Okay." I say, sighing in defeat as I place my elbows on the table and lower my head into my hands, my eyes filling with tears at the turn that things have taken. I thought losing Aspen was bad enough, but having her accuse me of raping her? *Fucking rape!*

I hear dad's footsteps as he leaves to go talk to Aspen and Ashlynn and silence settles around the table. After a few moments I hear a chair scoot back and then I feel arms wrap around my shoulders, "I'm so sorry, Boston" Raleigh whispers to me, "we all know the truth. Hopefully she will remember soon, before things get out of hand."

"*Before* things get out of hand?" Jackson says, pushing back from the table and standing up, "in case you didn't hear, Aspen accused Boston of rape. I'd fucking say things are *already out of fucking hand*, Raleigh!"

"Hey!" I shout at Jackson, "Don't take it out on her." I tell my brother, a hundred different emotions hitting me all at once, the one hitting the hardest though is fear.

Fear that she will never remember.

Fear that I'll never get her back.

Fear that she will try to press charges against me, and it would be my word against hers. I mean yeah, I know that between our classmates, my brothers and her friends, there are plenty of people to testify to what I'm saying being the truth.

But, I don't want it to have to come to that.

*I want her to remember.*

*I need her to.*

The sound of people screaming breaks me from my thoughts just before I hear footsteps running down the hallway, towards the other end of the house, "No! She doesn't feel safe here, Collin. And I can't blame her." Ashlynn yells at dad and then I hear another door slam shut.

"Real mature, Ashlynn." Dad yells, "Boston didn't do what she is accusing him of doing, damnit!"

"Of course, you would take his side!" Ashlynn shrieks, "But my daughter is the one who is scared and doesn't feel safe sleeping in the room RIGHT. FUCKING. NEXT. TO. HIM!" She shouts, enunciating each word.

"So, you're just going to leave?" Dad says, his voice softening as if all of the fight has left him.

"Yes, we're leaving!" Ashlynn hisses, "do you really think that I would make her stay here when she doesn't feel safe?!" She asks, sounding exasperated, "she's my daughter, Collin. You do what you need to do for *your* son, but I am going to do what I need to for *mine*."

Hearing that their leaving causes me to take off running towards the stairs. I make it to the stop as Dad and Ashlynn step out of their room and Aspen steps out of hers with Lincoln hot on her heels, "Aspen, please. I'm telling you that he loves you and he would never, and I mean *never* do anything like what you are accusing him of doing."

"Shut up, Lincoln!" Aspen spits, turning around to glare at my brother, her hair whipping behind her as she does. When she turns back around and notices me at the top of the stairs, she stops dead in her tracks.

"Please, just don't do anything rash." I beg her, "maybe your memories will return, and you will realize that you misread what you remembered. But, please, Baby—"

"Don't fucking call me that!" Aspen shouts, "I'm not your baby. I'm not your girlfriend. I'm *your* nothing!"

"Don't say that..." I plead, all the fight leaving me as I see that I can't make her see something that isn't there for her.

I can't force her to remember.

"Just please, try to remember." I tell her before turning around and making my way back down the stairs and out the front door. Being around me is hurting her, scaring her and seeing her fear me is completely breaking me.

*I hate knowing that she thinks that I would do something like that to her, but what else is she supposed to think when she can only remember small fragments. And, I don't even know which small fragments those are and it's not like she's going to stop and take the time to try and talk it out with me so that I can try to explain anything to her.*

*And honestly, I can't blame her.*

I drive around for hours, my cell phone goes off constantly, but I just ignore it, unable to talk with anyone at the moment.

My whole world just blew up with three little words and as long as she doesn't have her memories back, there is nothing that I can do to fix any of this.

*Please remember*, I beg. *Please remember and come back to me.*