Ashley POV On the way back to Jayden's room, I did not find Clark, although that might as well have been the case. The pain in my head was slowly getting the best of me, creeping up from the back of my skull. Over the past twenty-four hours too much had happened to me. Not only dealing with his cheating, the sudden shock, then even more shocking surprises, the lack of sleep, a school day full of battle plans, a dinner with the band 'BHB' that led to a threat that gave me a heart attack, Jayden's ridiculously rude attitude, and now, like the cherry on top of the cake, I had most likely become the enemy of the most famous model and actress in the whole city, Blair freaking Anderson, despite my best efforts. What a hell of a shitty life. Before walking into Jayden's room, I sucked in a deep breath. It took all the strength I had left to ignore the pain in my head and the soreness in my legs and instead, I tried to crack a smile as best as I could. "Sorry," I said to the healer again,
Ashley POV"What's going on?" A male voice whispered almost directly behind me. I had no idea that Jayden had stood up and started to approach me, and I almost bumped into him out of sheer surprise. Instantly I was shocked to see his shadowy form, though luckily my reflexes were fast enough to keep him out of harm's way."Do you always have to punch things?" he asked in an irritated tone after he had successfully dodged my fist."Don't you know any better than sneaking up on me?" I retorted. "I gave you a nosebleed when we attended a Halloween event a few years ago with our parents and you freaked me out."Then, he furrowed his brow. "I don't remember that," he stated.There was a slight waver in his tone, but it was enough for me to understand that the constant dread of not being able to remember something was eating away at him again. I pursed my lips, reprimanding myself for my lack of tactfulness, then shook my head. "I have the pictures, I guess. I can show them to you later.""W
Ashley POV"Where's your jacket?" I was suddenly astonished when I saw Jayden wearing only the clothes that I had packed for him. The temperature outside was very cold, probably below zero degrees Celsius, and his skin looked very pale due to the chilly air."I wonder," he said. Both of our breaths came out in white gusts. "Amnesia, you know."I let out a sigh, "I would offer mine," I started, "but it might be a bit small.""No, keep it," Jayden said in a rather calm tone. "I don't want you to catch a cold because of me."I snorted, despite the fact that I could feel my heartbeat picking up. However, it was probably just because I was exercising, an action that I was trying to convince myself to do more often. "What a gentleman.""Anything for you," he said sarcastically, even with a slight smile that disguised the impact of his tone.Even if I realized that it was just the most ordinary and light-hearted joke, nevertheless I could not help but smile. And even though it should have fe
Ashley POV Well, "almost" is the key word here. But still, he couldn't seriously walk into the kitchen, where he knew full well that I would be there. And even an idiot like Jayden Ronan Keller wouldn't be able to ignore the fact that, hell yes, I was a woman who had shown some interest in the opposite sex during her childhood. And we were both adults now, moreover, we were both mated and it could make the wolf in us, the beast in us get pulled into that. And yet, he has no reason to get close to me with his appearance and he doesn't even realize the bond we have. His dark brown hair was even darker due to the dampness. No matter how Jayden ruffled his hair to dry it with the towel draped over his shoulder, water still dripped from the ends of his hair. Small droplets dripped in the crooks of his ears and neck, following the shape of his strong shoulders, muscular arms, and well-built body due to the force of gravity. There was a white towel loosely wrapped around his hips - thankf
Ashley POV I didn't know where to start. Then, remembering the list I had written and the master list Jackson had compiled from working with Boyz Hits Bullets, I took them both out and placed them on the table. "Can you look through these?" I asked. Jayden glanced at my paper first. "Is this some kind of wish list of yours, or?" he asked as he pointed at it. His gaze turned suspicious as he looked at the master list. "I don't know what the person who wrote this meant. It's just a list of events." "How do you know this is mine?" I couldn't hold back my astonishment. "Your handwriting is pretty crappy, Ash." "Oh my," I muttered. "It's gotten better over the years." "Apparently not, because... the letters look the same as always." "It's not a wish list, you know," I said, rolling my eyes at his scorn. "It's a list of things you and I have gone through over the past five years." For obvious reasons, I had intentionally not written down the day of my engagement with him, and anythi
Ashley POV So, despite being only a few steps away from the handsome face of Jayden Keller, I knew that I had to stay away. Before he or I did something really bad, something that I couldn't do or even worse, that I wouldn't be able to deny or take back. "I have to go to school," I said as I straightened my body position. My two hands were clenched at my sides and I felt my cheeks start to heat up. "I'll take care of the dishes. You rest or whatever. When I get back, we will start piecing back together the memories you've lost." "No," he said quickly, getting up from his bed. There was nothing - not even the slightest hint of redness in his expression that suggested that the moments that had just occurred, where the two of us had shown affection and intimacy. And perhaps it was best if we both forgot about it. "Let me do the dishes since you're already cooking." "Don't be silly," I said as I picked up the dishes and started washing them, still feeling the heat on my cheeks. "What
Ashley POVSchool went on like any other Tuesday. Only Eva almost pulled out her hair in the second period and had probably aged about ten years by the end of the last class. She was a gentle girl, but her dedication to Jayden's boy band could make a mother's dedication to her firstborn seem cruel by comparison. She was trying to get various information from me, getting anything from the various features I displayed surprisingly, but I didn't budge. All I could tell her was that Jayden was in a car accident but not dead, which she probably already knew. She kept trying to convince me that the two of us should meet him at the healer's, but I was used to her trying to use me to meet him. It wasn't anything aggressive, it was more often taken as a joke for me and her, but now it was as if she was really worried that day.Not that it worried me, because I knew that Jayden was fine and I knew Eva would get over her overreaction soon. Eventually. Besides, I bought her food for the rest of t
Ashley POVSomehow, I resisted the urge to breathe away, either out of relief or annoyance. My fingers felt stiff around the knife handle. Despite my instinctive feeling of wanting to punch, I wasn't too fond of violence. And, I won't lie, I was a little scared as I wandered around the house and wondered to myself if Jayden had been kidnapped or stabbed and was bleeding profusely in a corner. Luckily, he was fine.But why was he sleeping in my bed?I slowly approached him, ready to wake him up and tell him that he should eat before the cheese on his pizza got cold. The ceiling lights weren't on, leaving only the city lights below to fill the dark room. Stopping beside the bed, I was just about to turn on the wall lamp that sat above my bed when I noticed, for the first time, the dark circles under his eyes and how his skin looked too thin on his cheekbones and jaw. He had lost weight, even if it was only water weight, since the accident, and a significant amount. Whether it was due to
Ashley POVMonday was chill. I spent the day wandering around the area near my hotel, snapping pictures of the city. Somewhere along the way, I stumbled upon a hobby store packed with all kinds of trinkets and ended up buying some dolls and tiny figurines for Eva before heading back. I also swung by a small shop to grab some snacks.A hot shower melted away my exhaustion, and soon enough, I was lounging on the bed in a ridiculously oversized bathrobe, binge-watching Netflix for hours. I meant to change into my pajamas, but I crashed before I even got the chance.For a moment, I floated in darkness— no real-life drama, no danger, just peace.Then, a buzzing noise across the room yanked me out of my sleep. Still half-asleep, I clumsily rolled out of bed and made my way to the desk where I'd left my phone charging. My eyes fluttered as I tried to shake off the drowsiness. It was bright outside, but I didn’t really stop to think about it.Not until I, still groggy, picked up the call and
Ashley POVIt wasn’t jealousy or some masochistic urge that led me to my newest idea. No, seriously, it wasn’t. Honestly, I just wanted to know more about her, because she was the reason behind everything that happened that night at the stadium back in February. Because I could swear she had planned every single one of those so-called coincidental meetings between me and Jayden, which eventually led to the accident and his amnesia.I mean, I had no solid proof, but judging by the way she acted and spoke… something felt off. My gut just told me so.I didn’t think Blair had planned for Jayden to go on a drunken rampage afterward and get hit by a car— especially judging by how damn annoying she was in the Silvercross Healing Center parking lot— but she sure as hell wasn’t innocent, either. But I also knew she hadn’t known about my engagement to Jayden at the time, which was obvious from Jayden’s own words and what she said to me after he kicked her out of his hospital room.Besides, I st
Ashley POVThe streets weren’t exactly empty, but David had been circling the block for the past half hour, worried about my safety. That’s why he managed to pull up right where he had dropped me off just a few minutes later. Before getting into the car, still a little tipsy, I waved goodbye to the BHB band members— except for Jayden and Jamie, who were still upstairs looking for something they’d left behind.Even though it felt kinda weird leaving without saying goodbye to everyone, maybe it was for the best that I didn’t see Jayden again. At least, not that night.I had to wipe my eyes more than a few times on the way home. Not even the alcohol could numb the sharp ache in my chest.The moment I got back, I collapsed onto my bed and passed out.The next morning, fighting off a pounding headache, I came to the conclusion that my trip to Milan needed to be about more than just Jayden’s concert. I had to make this trip for myself too. And since Eva was too busy to come along and Jared
Ashley POVIf my brain wasn’t so clouded with exhaustion and alcohol, I might’ve reacted properly to what he just said. But right now, I was way more drunk than I wanted to admit. I pushed aside every thought fighting for space in my head, whether real or not, because his body heat and the scent of white musk, soap, and just him made something inside me shiver with longing. I didn’t trust myself in this state. I didn’t trust myself when my lips were this close to his neck, where his scent was strongest.So instead, I focused on one thing— holding on."Ash, I have a question."He had already reached the second floor, adjusting his grip on me. I glanced at him, curious, urging him to continue. "Shoot.""I was wondering if you’d come to our show at the end of May," he said quietly as he stepped onto the last staircase. "I know it’s around finals, but..." I felt him swallow hard. "I want you to be there. To see us, to see me... perform."I pretended to think about it for a second, but hon
Ashley POVAll the attention from seven pairs of expectant eyes suddenly weighs me down. I rub my palms together, trying to shake off those stares, and then it hits me.I give Jayden a simple smile and bump my head against his. "Something embarrassing from your childhood, Jayden."He narrows his eyes, snorting. "That’s like a double-edged sword you’re playing with, Ash."I shrug. "I’m not the type who can’t tell the difference between fairies and dwarves in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.""Seriously?" Jax asks."Plenty more," I reply."Ash," Jayden says, his tone carrying a warning, yet there's a hint of embarrassment and worry in his caramel-brown eyes."If we drink, we’ll figure it out," Jean says flatly, not at all impressed by my suggestion. "That’s a bad bet, Miles. Don’t even think about it.""Not at all," I replied coolly. "I can handle my drink better than anyone at this table, I promise. So you’re not gonna get something from me that I don’t wanna share.""Sounds almost like
Ashley POV“Hey,” I said as I sat down beside Miles— the seat that had indirectly become my choice simply because it was the closest to where I had been standing near the door. Besides, I felt like I knew him better than anyone else here— except for Jayden, of course.Jayden had just taken a seat across from me when an argument broke out between him and Jean over what to order and how much. Miles set his half-empty drink down on the table and was forced to lean in closer to me just to be heard over their rapidly escalating banter— or rather, a full-blown dispute.“Did something happen on the way here?” he asked.“Just the usual traffic,” I said with a grimace. “For some reason, today felt unbearably long.”“We started without you two.”“Yeah, Jayden already told me. It’s fine.” I rubbed my arm. It wasn’t surprising that Miles smelled faintly of beer and food, but that scent was only temporary, merely clinging to him. This close, I could pick up a mix of coconut, aftershave, and the fr
Ashley POVIn the end, they won the award. I found out about it as I was stealing glances at Eva, who was watching the live broadcast in one of my classes, and almost cried when the winner was announced. She was so overjoyed that even when Jayden called during lunch to update me with the situation there, she was even bold enough to congratulate him, albeit timidly, which amused me. Since he was in a hurry, he hung up as soon as he told me about their victory... Needless to say, I had to mention it though, and as much as it left a bitter taste in my mouth, my mood turned to joy as I recalled Friday.The rest of the week passed by in a blur and before I knew it, it was time for me to meet the band members of Boyz Hits Bullet on May 26th.Four days left until the show began.Four more days until everything I had been putting in would come to fruition.Four more days until my place in Jayden Keller's life would be wiped out.It was between half past seven and eight in the evening, with tr
Ashley POVAfter hearing the sound of the front door key, I nearly snapped the pen in my mouth out of sheer frustration. But I didn’t. Instead, I put the pen down and took a long, deep breath. Pushing the pain in my heart out of my mind— something that felt both easier and harder to do each time.Easier, because I knew I could suppress the pain with sheer willpower, and willpower was something I rarely lacked. Harder, because a part of me, the part buried deep within my wolf, actually wanted the suffering to stay. It was masochistic, purely so, but the act of stitching my shattered heart back together was starting to feel comforting, even satisfying.Anything to fill the void Jayden left when he returned to the apartment he shared with his friends.Days turned into weeks. News about Jayden and Blair’s relationship swept through the entire city and the international world— Hollywood. The night their Instagram post went viral like wildfire. Before long, fans of both pop stars gathered u
Ashley POVFor a while, it was eerily quiet. The weather had changed, from cloudy to sunny, and a gentle breeze caressed my cheeks. As I sat there, I couldn't believe that I had told Eva everything. Nevertheless, an overwhelming sense of relief filled my chest as I reflected on my decision. For two and a half months, I had kept my thoughts and actions to myself with no one to talk to... and now, finally, I had her to share them with.I couldn't help but wonder, would I feel relieved by making a decision with Jayden after everything was over?Out of the blue, Eva got up from the bench, rubbing her back simultaneously. “Get up,” she demanded. “Why don't we grab some lunch?”“We should probably call the professors first and tell them about why we skipped class,” I replied as I looked at the campus building, guilt weighing on my shoulders.“Fine, do that while walking. I'm starving.”As I made the call, she took me to a cheap Chinese restaurant near the university. The restaurant was too