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Me:sounds good. I need to get back to what I was doing. Don’t forget to stay out of the sun, stink bug, I heard vampires turn to ash in direct sun.
Stink bug (fiancée):fuck you :D
I smiled, pocketing my phone. My day was never complete without getting under her skin. She was my favorite pass time. I would never admit this to her of course, but I loved our dynamic.
Talking to Maddie surprisingly gave me the courage I needed to knock on Ash’s door.
I stood in front of the white door for what felt like minutes but was probably a few seconds. I knocked.
I waited.
After a few seconds had passed, I go to knock again, but then the door swung open. Standing on the threshold was a very disheveled-looking Ashleigh McNeil. She reminded me of pre-rehab Ashleigh, and my whole heart sank.
“What do you want?” She said in a monotone voice. Her eyes looked dead, and the green in them looked faded.
“Hey, Ash.” I didn’t move an inch. “Mind if I come in?”
“Shouldn’t you be with your futurewife?” She said the word wife with so much venom, I flinched. “Please don’t pretend like you care about my well-being now, Marcus. I don’t need you, nor do I want you here.”
She went to go and slam the door in my face, but I stopped the door. She tried to fight against me, but I was much stronger and taller. I barreled my way into her house and shut the door behind me. It was only when I was inside, did I get a good look at her.
She was wearing baggy sweats and a shirt that she was drowning in. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair had changed from a darker brown to a much lighter brown. The color didn’t suit her at all, but I wasn’t about to voice that opinion.
“Get out,” she gritted. “I don’t want you in my house.”
I could smell the pungent smell of alcohol. I charged toward the living room but then stopped when she jumped in my path.
“Move.” I knew what she didn’t want me to see because I could smell it. “Move Ash or I swear to God I am calling your parents so they can get you back into the ward.”
She glared at me but then she moved aside. I walked into the living room. There were wine and beer bottles littered around the room. There were empty boxes of take-out on the coffee table, and an old movie was playing on the screen.
When I turned back to face her, she was glaring at me.
“Are you spiraling again?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “And what is it to you, Marcus? Do you suddenly care about my well-being? Well, it’s a little too late for that now.”
I stormed over to where she stood. “You know I care about you, Ash. I have always cared about you. I don’t want to see you slipping again. I know you are off your meds now, and you feel stronger but maybe we should call Dr. Finigan and see if we can start you on a new course.”
I felt the slap before I heard it. When my neck snapped back in Ash’s direction, she was fuming. Her face was red and her once dulled out eyes were now filled with fury.
“How dare you!” She pushed my chest trying to get me to step away. “I’m not spiraling, Marcus. I’m just fucking sad. I’m so sad that my chest hurts, and it feels like my heart is physically breaking. I’m not spiraling. I’m just fucking sad because my best friend left me for the new girl.”
Tears were streaming down her face. Her face was so red I thought she was going to pass out. I tried to take a step toward her, but she pushed me away from her. I tried again, but she kept pushing me away.
I fought against her resistance and eventually managed to envelop her in my arms. I held her close to my chest as her body racked with tears. She clung to my shirt for dear life like it was her life support.
I don’t know how long we stood like that but, when she finally pulled away from me, my shirt was damp from all the tears and her eyes were puffy and red.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered brushing away a few of the falling tears.
“No, don’t apologize. I should be the one apologizing to you.” I cupped her cheek in my hand. I knew that my actions would likely confuse her, but she needed comfort right now, and I knew that my touch offered her some of that.
She leaned into my touch, and I immediately felt guilty. This was a bad idea. So, I slowly retracted my hand.
“I needed you, M. I needed you by my side. You knew that I was moving back, and then you just left me.”
“I'm sorry I wasn’t there, Ash, but I’m here now.” I took her hands in mine. “And I’m not going anywhere, okay? I promise. I can be your best friend. I can be that support that you need.”
