Episode 71

Ashley's POV.
Robin stayed for the night. I decided to check on my father after having dinner as Millie requested. I had to do the cooking as Katie was busy with her 'boyfriend' up in her room. I engaged in a couple of talks with Millie. Apparently Katie's dad was out of town on a business trip. I missed him but had to deal with him. I didn't think I could face him anyway, after missing his Charity event program many months ago. All thanks to Ric. I growled quietly at the thought. And he had the audacity to say all those things to me? How dare him say all that to me?
Just then, my phone started ringing from the table. The older woman from earlier who had introduced herself as Alia took the eggs I was currently breaking into the bowl from me so I'd take my call.
I checked the caller and Frenchie's name flashed on my phone's screen. It's about time.
"Hey" I said the instant I picked it up.
"Hey, Ashley. Is everything alright?" He asked.
"Yeah, everything's great" I replied, knowing fully well he was asking this concerning whatever Ric might have said to him earlier.
"Okay"
"I'm sorry, I missed your call and haven't been able to call. You said you wanted to meet?"
"Yes"
"I'm not around right now, Frenchie. I left New York and won't be returning any time soon"
"Why not? Don't you work for Ric anymore? Doesn't he love having you around him all day anymore?"
I wiped a hand across my face tiredly and replied "enough about Ric, frenchie. Why did you call?"
"Victoria likes to know when you'd be meeting her as you agreed"
I knew it. I knew this was gonna happen sooner than later. I had agreed to meet with Victoria in italy and start working for him as we'd agrees in exchange for manhattan. I'm doing this for Ric, I'm doing this for him. Nothing's gonna go wrong. If anything, everything's gonna go right.
"Yes. I'll take a flight there in four days"
"Alright. I'll pick you up then"
"Thank you but I'd rather go myself"
"Are you sure about that? You. . . . "
"I am" I cut the call instantly, feeling a strange pain in my chest. My stomach suddenly felt so empty and I just wanted to scream till this raging pain I'm feeling goes away. I'm doing the right thing. I couldn't be with Ric forever anyway. We were never meant to be to begin with.
But why does this hurt so so much? I wanted to go up to my room, curl myself into a ball and cry till I go numb.
After getting dinner ready, Katie and Robin came down for dinner. Looking at their faces, it was obvious what they've been doing up there but I wasn't in the mood to tease anyone right now and thus, I ate my food silently.
After eating dinner, I decided to go home to my Dad. The distance between Katie's house and mine was just a seven minutes drive and fifteen minutes walk. Katie used to ride her bicycle to my house every evening after school so we'd go swimming. She was so terrible at swimming.
Katie and I decided to take a walk all the way to my place while Robin stayed back. As we walked down the quiet street, silence drew in slowly after us.
"Is everything alright, Ashley?" Katie asked.
"Yeah," I gave her a fake liplined smile " I can tell everything is alright with you now huh?"
She smiles sweetly and replied "yeah, it's obvious isn't it?"
"It really is. I'm so happy that you're finally back with Robin. Happy that you're finally happy again, Kay"
"I'm glad he came, Ashley. Deep down I wanted him to. I know that he completely loves me now and it makes me so happy"
"I'm happy for you too"
"But you don't look so happy,Ash. What's the problem?"
I watched my feet for a while as they continued to walk ahead, then let out a long shaky breath before looking up again.
"Why don't you tell me about your time in London?"
"I'll tell you after you tell me why you never told me about all that's been happening between you and Robin, Kay "
It's her turn to look away now. "I'm sorry, Ash. I knew how much was happening in your life. Your dad, your work, I didn't wanna add another thing to worry about so I guess I put it all in till I needed to leave"
"I wished you had told me, Kay. I felt like a completely bad person when I learnt you left. I'd left you alone to fight your own battles when you were always there to fight mine with me without questions"
"Ashley," she takes my hand into hers "you've been so sad, under so much pressure at work that when I finally saw how happy and psyched you were about going to London with Ric, I didn't wanna ruin that. Seeing you happy was all I ever really wanted"
"But still, I should've paid more attention to you"
"You shouldn't blame yourself, Ashley. I'm sorry for not calling while you were in London. I was so scared of Robin calling me making me go back to him that I shut everyone out."
"That's okay, Katie"
"So, are you gonna tell me about your vacation with Mr hot CEO?" she said cheesily.
A smile crossed my lips as memories from all that happened between us in London replayed in my head. All the love making. All his tender words to me.
"I told you, Kay. It wasn't a vacation"
"Sounds like one the night you called me"
"Okay, we were gonna. . . . Have sex?"
"Oh my God!!! Did it happen?!"
"Not that time, no. But. . . . "
"Oh my gosh, this is big news! It's so nice that you finally got laid after so long!"
"I didn't get laid, Kay. It was more like. . . . . "
She puts a hand around my neck as we continued to walk " I get you, Ashley. You love him and I know that he loves you too. This is just the best news ever. So tell me more!"
"We had a fight before I came here, Kay" I stopped walking and she did too, stepping aside to face me on the sidewalk.
"Oh my God, Ash, what happened?"
"We had a fight. . . . About someone. Do you remember frenchie?"
"The cute guy with the green eyes?"
"Yeah," I nodded "well he called while I was at Ric's place and he picked it without my consent. As if that wasn't bad enough, he accused me of cheating on him with Frenchie"
"Oh my goodness, this is huge! He really did that?"
"Yeah, I got so upset, I said a few words back and left him"
"This doesn't sound good, Ash. Has he tried calling you back?"
"Yes. All day but I'm not picking"
"Look who was being all 'love doctor' to me a few months ago," she teased but I couldn't bring myself to laugh or even as much as smile "I'm so sorry about this, Ash. But don't you think he's just being jealous? It's very typical of men"
"I don't know what to think anymore, Kay. We said so much to each other. I. . . . . Said so much to him"
"If it makes you feel better maybe you should pick his call. Or better still, call him"
I shook my head positively "no, I can't. . . " I shut my eyes, feeling tears well up in my eyes. Saying that hurts so much, I wanted to grab hold of my chest if that would help.
"Ash,. . . Why not?"
I opened my eyes again and replied " because I can't be with him, Kay. I'm leaving him"
"What? What do you mean you're leaving him?"
"I. . . . Got another job offer" I tried to hold back my tears by looking up most of the time.
"What?!" I could feel the anger in her voice "you're still gonna take that job offer from that Amoretti guy?"
"No. It's from Victoria"
"Victoria? Is it the victoria I'm thinking about? Isn't she Ric's. . . . . "
"Mother, I know" I completed.
"I was gonna say 'enemy' but that's way better," she said sarcastically before turning her serious tune back on. "Why would she offer you a job at this time?"
"After meeting with Ric, it didn't go well. She wasn't gonna give up the project and I knew she wasn't just after this project, I had a bad feeling. She's bad, Kay and you can call me stupid all you want but I did the only thing I knew was best for him" the tears ran down my face freely now.
Katie reaches over my face with a hand and said "oh you're not stupid, Ashley. You're the most amazing, selfless and caring person I know"
"I. . . Things were gonna end so bad, you know? I had to step up before it was too late. I met with Victoria and she agreed to give back manhattan if I worked with her"
"Damn,Ash. What's with everyone wanting you to work for them? I get that my best friend is a brainiac and all but she also needs some break sometimes"
Her statement actually got me and broke into a laugh. More like a cry-laugh. She starts laughing too, our eyes locked. She closes the distance between us and places both hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes.
"I'm really happy for you Ashley and I can't really tell you about what but you make me proud. I'm sorry I was never there when you needed to talk but I'm here right now to listen to all you have to say, listen to all you've been dealing with alone. And I know one thing. You love Ric and he loves you too and leaving him may not be a good thing, may not be something you wanna do right now but just know that. . . . Sometimes, it's really okay to just let things go and not do anything. Just be there and. . . Not care about anything. Now is that moment, Ashley. Right now. So you tell me right now what you really wanna do and that would be the best choice you ever make"
I stared back at her, taking in all she just said, processing every word and making sense of each one. She was right. I could sit back and do nothing. But I was doing this for him. The project has always been what he wanted and I would do anything for him. I loved him that much. And if leaving him was me telling him how much I loved him, then I'd do just that. There's no other way around this.
"God, Kay," I chuckled as I reached to wipe away another falling year "you make me feel like I'm about to die"
She laughs and waited for me to speak.
"Yes. I'm doing this. I'm taking this job and I know that I'm gonna be happy" I replied.
She smiles at me, then wiped at my tears "then it's settled. It's what you truly want and you do not ever have to feel bad about it. Okay?"
I nodded and she pulled me into a hug.
"I love you, Kay" I said honestly.
"I love you more" she replied.
We stood for a while longer, hugging before pulling apart.
Taking my hand again, she said " come on, let's go see your dad. And we can go to that creepy old park downtown and have a little fun. You only live once"
I laughed at her remark, nodding my head as I was lost of words. Somehow, I felt a heavy weight got lifted from my chest.