Ashley, who had gotten information on Raymond earlier, rushed to the hospital, planning a chance encounter with him. She had been frustrated for almost two weeks now. She didn’t get to reach Mira to know maybe she had carried out their plans. And Raymond, she hadn’t had a chance to meet him since their first encounter at the airport on her return. All her efforts to meet up with Raymond proved abortive.
“What are you doing here?” Raymond’s voice echoed one more time bringing the almost drooling Ashley from her reverie. Why did she leave such a perfect man back then? Had she known he was the heir to Walton’s enterprises, she wouldn’t have accepted that person’s offer back then.
Regaining her confidence while looking at Raymond’s furrowed brow, she chuckled. “What else did you think I came here for? Of course, I came for treatment.” It was like she wanted to remind him that they were still at the hospital, and what else she would be doing there if not for getting treatment.
“You know whether you are lying or not. And let me tell you Ashley, you better stop pestering me. With a lift of my finger, I can make you come down from that queen of the entertainment industry position you cherished so much. Don’t try my patience.” Raymond warned her.
As Raymond spoke, his eyes seemed to bore into Ashley’s soul. She felt a shiver run down her spine, and for a moment, she wondered if he was still that affectionate, caring man she had been with five years ago. She understands Raymond too well, but this familiar yet unfamiliar Raymond in front of her is not the one she is used to.
But what Ashley didn’t know was that Raymond’s anger was not just about her sudden appearance. It was about the memories she stirred up, memories of the past he thought he had long buried. Memories of a love that had been lost, and a heart that had been broken.
As Ashley’s eyes locked onto Raymond’s, she saw something there, something that gave her pause. It was a glimmer of pain, of vulnerability, and for a moment, Ashley felt a pang of guilt. But the moment was fleeting, and Raymond’s mask slipped back into place.
After Raymond said his piece, he walked off his powerful stride the evidence of the anger and disgust he felt for Ashley. “Raymond,” Ashley chased after him as the click of her high heels followed her movement. Ashley hugged him tightly from behind making Raymond freeze in place for a few seconds. If this was five years ago, butterflies might be fluttering in his belly by now, but Ashley’s touch just makes him want to vomit.
“Ashley!” Raymond’s eyes snapped shut, his chest rising and falling with deliberate slowness. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, the sound of his breathing echoing through the hallway. His lips pressed together, forming a thin line, as he exhaled slowly.
His hands, still at his sides, clenched into fists, the tendons in his forearms flexing with tension. His voice, low and even, vibrated with restraint. “Get… off… me.”
“No, I won’t.! Ashley refused to leave Raymond, wrapping her arms more tightly around his waist. Her thick painted face rubbed on Raymond’s back, as she sniffled. “As an Oscar-winning actress, her acting skills were top-notch. Her eyes instantly watered as she sobbed.
“Raymond,” she sniffed, “all that happened back then was not my fault, had you told me about your background earlier, all this wouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.” She sobbed, her powdered face staining Raymond’s white T-shirt from behind.
“I’ve always loved you and I still do till now. Can you please forgive me? I came back just for you this time. I promise I won’t leave you anymore.” Her sob echoed throughout the quiet hallway. It was like everywhere was cleared earlier just for them to meet. No one passed the hallway since both of them had been there.
Raymond yanked her tightly wrapped arms from his waist abruptly, surprising the crying damsel whose eyes widened unbelievably as she stumbled backward on her six-inch high heels. “Ahh,” Ashley cried in pain as she fell on her butt, her eyes welled up with real tears this time, unlike the one she was faking earlier.
Raymond just gazes down at her coldly, his blue-piercing eyes darker than the night ocean. He walked towards her step by step, his slow but powerful steps colliding with the concrete floor. He squatted in front of her, making her smile happily. The Raymond she knew would never want to see her in pain. “My legs hurt Raymie…please help me up?” Ashley gazed up at him, her lower lips trembling. She stretched out her hand as her eyelashes fluttered in a cute way that always made Raymond adhere to all her demands in the past.
Raymond’s eyes glazed over her features, his pupils dilating as his focus drifted away. His gaze seemed to bore into the distance, his eyelids growing heavy as if weighed down by the memories that suddenly flooded his mind.
A faint crease formed between his eyebrows, and his lips parted slightly as if he was about to speak, but no words came out. His chest rose and fell with a slow, measured breath, the only sound in the silence.
For a moment, he was lost in the haze of his memories, his expression a mask of quiet introspection. His memories drifted to one of his happy moments with Ashley.