24

Ashley
My eyes ached as I got up from my bed. I slept only for an hour and I was certain that the circles around my eye would be big. My ears picked out bustles of laughter as I pulled up my pants.
I walked over to my tiny living room to catch Emily and Elena giggling over breakfast which was golden-brown pancakes. My nostrils flared as the tantalizing smell hit my senses.
“You are awake, finally. ” Elena chuckled with her hands dipping into the plate for another pancake.
I shot a restless smile at her and my eyes darted over to the wall clock just above my kitchen.
The time was seven-thirty sharp and my hands reached out to fondle the nape of my neck.
“It’s kind of pretty early. ” I muttered slowly, a yawn escaping from my lips.
“Don’t look at me,” Emily chuckled, “Y-Your sister woke me up for an early breakfast. ”
“It’s the baby, girls. The baby’s hungry.” Elena verbalized, a smirk imprinted on her face.
My mind drifted off to what I read on Elena’s phone and I swiped three fingers against the tip of my nose. What did Joe mean by he had signed the divorce?
Why did he sign it?
They had only been married for six damn years and this was their first baby, together. The smile on Elena’s face jolted a desire in me to tear up and wonder if she looked through her phone.
“Are you okay? You look pale?” Elena observed, turning her head to shoot a glance at me.
Impulsively, my hands reached to touch my cheeks.
“I’m fine.” My lips moved slowly as each word dropped from my lips.
“Or maybe it’s because of her date with Mason… tommorow?” Emily said.
I heard Elena giggle like a child and my hands pushed farther into my shorts.
“Are you nervous? ” I heard Elena say and a sigh escaped from my lips.
“No.”
“Has he called or texted?” I heard Elena ask.
“No, not at all.” I shook my head.
I observed as Elena lifted up a shoulder and shot a wry look at Emily before tilting her head to look at me.
“Are you sure he’s into you?” Elena questioned.
“I don’t know, ” I muttered, “Maybe he’s just-” The words got stuck in my throat and all of a sudden, I wondered why Mason hadn’t called or texted.
Was that normal? Was he okay?
“Just what?” Emily asked.
“I just don’t know.” I whispered, placing a hand on my forehead. It was beginning to ache and pound and I felt the skin around it heat up.
“Are you not excited?” Elena took another bite of the pancake.
My eyes were fixated on hers, looking for any sign of nervousness, agitation but all I saw was undiluted happiness. Elena always kept to herself when she was sad or depressed. She failed several job interviews and after each interview, we both are and drank to our fill.
I never saw her cry.
“I am, ” I fiddled with my fingers, “Are you okay?”
Elena shot a confusing smile at me, “You mean the baby?”
“Of course, I meant the baby.” I voiced out, afraid to ask what my heart intended to.
I already thought of different ways on how to express myself but I worried about Elena.
What if she didn’t want me to find out that she and Joe might be having problems?
She was pregnant and if there was anyone she needed to lean on, it was me.
“I’ll go take a bath, ” I said, “-And I’ll call a Uber to get you home.”
I watched as Elena shot me an invisible kiss before I fled towards my room, shutting the door as briskly as I could. I peeled off my clothes, racing to the bathroom to get a bit of relief. As soon as the water touched the tip of my forehead, a tear managed to drop from my eyes, down to my cheeks and mix with the gushing water running from the shower.
I had no idea how to help Elena. I was completely confused. I was conflicted between asking Joe if anything was wrong or if there was another woman neither was I brave enough to ask Elena why Joe wanted a divorce.
****
I felt alone walking the pedestrian walkway even with Emily by my side. My hands patted my jeans severally and I wasn’t even counting. I lost count of the number of people who walked past me. I felt like a ghost on the streets of Midon, lost and confused.
“Are you even listening to me?” Emily tapped me on the shoulders and on impulse, I tilted my head.
“Huh?” My eyes widened in confusion and my mouth gaped open.
“I said, my parents called, ” Emily repeated, “What is wrong with you, Ash? You seem so distant.”
I swallowed a globe of saliva, “I-I was just thinking about something. ”
“What?” Emily asked, “Spill.”
“It’s just…..” I was about to speak when Emily cut in.
“It’s about Mason, isn’t it?”
I shook my head, “No, why would it be about Mason?”
“You’ve been acting really weird and I think you are just nervous. ” Emily said.
“I’m not worried about the date. I am not.” I emphasized with another shake of my head.
“Now you’re raising your voice at me. ” Emily countered.
“No, I never did that.” I rebuffed.
“You did, Ash, ” Emily shrugged and wrapped a hand around my shoulder, “And I’m worried about you.”
I spent the next five minutes arguing that I was perfectly fine while Emily kept glaring at me in disbelief. When I entered the bakery, my mind suddenly remembered that Leo took off the previous day without telling anyone but I was too exhausted to think about scolding him.
Emily even offered to buy fried chicken and I declined hastily with my eyes fixated on my phone. I walked over to the storage room with it, tightly gripped in my hands. Resting my head against the locked door and my right hand, tightly gripping the knob. I pressed a couple of numbers on my phone and the name Joe, revealed itself on the screen.
With my fingers touching my naked lips, I anticipated, waited but he didn’t pick up his phone. I sighed and rubbed a hand across my forehead.
I heard my phone vibrate and my heart raced. I lifted up the hand that was holding my phone up to my face and my expression darkened.
Why was Mother… no…. Why the hell was Lucy calling?
Was she that desperate for cash? Did she even know that Joe signed a divorce paper?
With rage boiling in my heart, I snapped my phone shut and wiped a frustrated tear that was running down my cheeks. I unlocked the door and I heard someone move. My eyes locked with Leo’s and I wondered if he was stalking me.
“Are you okay?” I heard him ask and I raised a brow in confusion.
“Why do you care if I’m okay or not?” My response was blunt and rude. I knew that but I was completely engulfed in anger.
“You just looked so unhappy and I just wanted…. ”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips and my fingers massaged the tip of my nose.
“You’re searching for someone to play with and I can assure you that I’m uninterested in bantering or arguing with you. ”
“That’s not actually….”
“It is, you’re clearly bored, ” I cut in, “And I would appreciate it if you could step aside. ”
“You’re not even letting me finish.” I heard him mutter.
A smirk landed on my face, “Why would I let you finish?”
I was about to push his frame out of the way if I could when his hands suddenly gripped my arms, restricting me from any movement.
I felt his breath fan my face as he gently pushed me against the door, He slowly raised my hands and interlocked them, pinning my wrists to the door with his right hand.
I felt my heart stop for a second as his gaze was completely focused on me. His eyes searched mine and in anxiety, I looked away.
“Even if you’re sad or unable to speak, must you take it all out on another person?”
I felt all the saliva in my mouth dry up when he spoke. What audacity did he have to speak to me that way?
“-And always let me finish.” He slowly emphasized with a grin, “Frowning make you less pretty.”
His grip on my wrists slowly unloosened and I felt my heart race when I watched him walk away. My hands touched my cheeks, pressing them in fury.
I reached to massage my cheeks and I found myself reminsicing on the way he looked at me. It felt unfamiliar and strange. It was as if his eyes were piercing through my soul.
I shook my head when I remembered the fact that his lips were few inches from mine.
Why was I thinking about his lips?