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“It should be,” he says. I feel his eyes on me as I keep mine on the road. “But he’s not normal in any kind of way. He had a different fucking floozy every week when my parents divorced. I’ve also never been able to work out why he took me away from my Mom and Sister.”
“Maybe he cares somewhere deep down?” I offer. But I really don’t know the answer to that. I don’t know the guy, but from what Ashton has told me, he doesn’t sound like a loving person.
“The only thing he feels deep down is his bank account,” he sighs. “But even given all of that, and all the things he missed and never said, and will never say. I’m still here for him. Ironic, isn’t it.”
It sounds awfully sad more than anything. My heart breaks for him a little further.
“Ash, don’t torture yourself. You’re a good person, and it’s beautiful how good you turned out, given the circumstances. That’s a sign of real strength and character on your part.”
He smiles softly and rests his head back. “That’s my Mom’s doing.”
“She sounds like a wonderful lady.”
“She is. She would love you.”
I smile, hoping if things continue to go well, I might get to meet his mom and sister.
Soon after, we’re near the terminal and navigate to a parking bay. I was quick to throw some clothes and cosmetics into a suitcase. I can access everything else work-wise on my laptop.
“I had a great time with you this weekend,” he says as I grab a trolley, and he loads his bags on it. I notice he doesn’t reach for mine.
It sounds really sad, like I’m never going to see him again, yet here I am going with him.
I look up at him. “I had a great time, too,” I tell him. “The best, Ash. It’s been great getting to know you and hanging out with you.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes like it did before. “Me too,” he says.
Something has changed. It happened so fast that I didn’t even see it.
His next words confirm it. “You know, I think I should go back to Seattle alone,” he says.
The words are simple enough, but they seem to cut deeper than they should.
I’m not exactly understanding what he means. “Alone?”
“You don’t need to be there,” he says.
“You changed your mind?”
He nods. “I think it’s something I need to do by myself. I’m sorry, Maddison.”
I don’t know where he’s coming from as I stand there like an idiot, stunned as he reaches forward and kisses my forehead.
He wanted me to come when we were in the car. What has changed?
I open my mouth to ask him, but I see the finality in his eyes. It over-shadows what was there before. I know he’s confused,hurting, and going out of his mind, but why doesn’t he want me there?
“Ash, you don’t have to be by yourself.”
He nods, pulling away from me, not touching me again. “I’m sorry,” he says. And admittedly, he does sound sorry. That gives me some comfort for his sudden change of heart.
He takes one last look at me before grabbing hold of the trolley and walking away from me to catch his flight. Alone.
I stand there staring after him with the wind knocked out of my sails.
CHAPTER 21
Ashton
