Ashley POVAt the same time, I stood up and stepped away from him, offering a hand. "Get up," I said, my voice somehow managing to break through without faltering in the slightest. "The floor is dirty."Jayden seemed to hesitate for a moment before he pocketed his phone, took my hand, and stood up. "Like there are dust particles everywhere. How often do you get someone to clean this place?"To my relief, he sounded normal and smiled even though I felt as if there was an open wound in my chest. "Twice a week when it's just me, twice a week if dad's home, and every day if mom's around." I shrugged at his wide eyes. "If anyone important was going to visit, mom would put people here permanently, three days before and after their visit."Jayden whistled, whether that meant he was impressed or just surprised, I couldn't tell. Then he frowned. "But I don't see anyone here. They're not invisible, right?""They only come on Mondays and Fridays," I explained, "right before lunchtime.""Has anyo
Ashley POV"How long have you been awake?" I asked immediately, afraid he'd see me changing."Since you touched me. With your cold fingers, I thought death was coming for me."Judging from his carefree tone of voice, I knew that he meant to joke. But his sentence evoked more than a decade of dormant memories about him, about the many black bruises and the hollow expression of a boy when confronted with questions, and it made me feel uncomfortable. No, it was more than that. I felt sick."If I were Death, I hope you'd be ready to fight me," I said quietly. "With all your strength. And you won't give in, no matter what I try to tempt you with."Jayden furrowed his brows and his caramel brown eyes hardened slightly. "Ashley...""I'm being serious." I clenched my fists and felt his grip on my wrists tighten as my muscles tensed. "I know I promised not to bring it up again, even to you. But I've been carrying too much responsibility lately. So please forgive me for this time."His eyes wat
Ashley POVGiven the rather intimate events of the previous night, I had no idea what would happen the next morning. At the very least, I thought there would be some awkwardness, or avoiding each other's gaze. But Jayden had already made breakfast and was waiting for me by the kitchen counter when I was awakened by the shrill alarm tone and managed to drag my still sleepy body into the kitchen. He looked very calm, his hair wet from his shower, and even threw me a teasing smile when I appeared.Wasn't I just dreaming the whole thing?Albeit, given the emotional turmoil inside me, the pain as well as my faith, I knew that it couldn't be happening. It was too real. And I subconsciously blushed back at his smile, even though I pretended not to."Breakfast is ready and done," he said as he put two bowls of oatmea
Ashley POVIn that instant, I felt my heart stop beating. Or perhaps it was time itself that no longer made room for my brain to analyze and think about his words. I felt both awestruck and dazed, and my mind seemed completely overwhelmed and unable to comprehend what was happening, no matter how hard I tried.Because, yeah, Jayden had an amnesic state. He couldn't recognize his girlfriend whom he deeply loved a week ago, but he knew he had her. But still, was that scumbag really trying to flirt with me?I practically let out a sigh. Why is he making everything so complicated? Why can't he remember Blair, that girlfriend of his who is so dear to him? Why was he so cruel to me?And worst of all, why am I starting to question the decision to let him go?"What are yo
Ashley POVI darted quickly in and out of the room to grab a lighter purse from the wardrobe, then waited for him in the hall to get ready. I had finished shifting all my essentials from my backpack into the purse and was sitting on a stool that was combined with a shoe rack, playing a game on my phone about ten minutes before he was done.All he seemed to be doing was changing into a pair of tight black jeans, wearing a gray beanie on his head, and dangling a black mask strap over one ear. He carried a fashionably wrinkled black winter coat with a high collar in the crook of his arm and grabbed a pair of dark brown leather boots with his healthy hand.I frowned at him. "What took you so long? David hates waiting.""It's his job, isn't it?" he snorted as he tossed the coat onto my lap and the shoes onto the f
Ashley POVAt that spot, I froze and stared at him with an incredulous look. "What?" That I finally managed to speak.If he could see the panic that possessed me, I had no idea, but even if he did, Jayden didn't seem to give a damn. "You heard me," he said casually and leaned back in his chair. "I want a kiss. A proper kiss, to be precise.""Is this a joke?" I asked, still in shock. "Where are the hidden cameras?""You didn't see either of us break into laughter, did you?""But why?" I don't want to say it, but I force myself to say it. "You already have a girlfriend that you loved... no, you love even more.""I just need to confirm something."I lifted an eyebrow even as my heart skipped a beat. "Like what?" I demanded, hoping to sound a bit firm.To my surprise, Jayden looked young. Extremely young and extremely shy. "Do you really want me to spell it out for you?" he asked quietly, almost reluctantly.I looked at him intently. He pursed his lips steadily and didn't seem to want to
Ashley POVI had to admit that what Jayden said was true, but I knew that I couldn't back out at that point. He had already read my reaction, and he knew that he was onto something. I could not help but use his pride or his stupidity or maybe both to keep my plan, the plan to bring him together with her, on track.I just hope this decision won't come back to bite me in the ass later on."You've hurt my pride," I said dramatically as I clutched my hand to my heart. Though I was using an obvious tactic, I did my best to put out a lie that sounded honest in my tone. "And since it seems like you don't completely trust me, I guess I have to prove the truth to you.""I do believe you," he stated abruptly, his caramel brown eyes softened slightly. "But I feel like something is missing in this picture here. And your
Ashley POVThe atmosphere became eerily quiet as the two of us ate. Though it was awkward at first, seeing how our conversation ended. The atmosphere quickly came back to normal. Before long, we called for the waiter to take our plates and get us drinks. Jayden went to the restroom while the young waiter collected the plates and cutlery. I made small talk with him before he left and he returned."So," he began as he flopped onto the couch. "The best of three?"I nodded nervously. "We'll pick our own song.""High score or level system?""Level system," I said. "It's easier to keep track that way.""Well, ladies first," he urged me, moving his healthy hand toward the screen at the far end of the room.
Ashley POVI rolled my eyes and used my other hand as a barrier to block my vision from seeing something I didn't want to see. “You'll never know,” I stated. “Better to be safe before you regret it.”“I'll go change in the bathroom,” he said with a grunt. “I just wanted you to know about the appointment.”His figure disappeared, and I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. The allure of his scent was too strong for me, for some reason. “Why?” I asked without turning around.“Would you like to come along with me?”I frowned. “I can't,” I said quietly. “I'm going to see Jared that day. He and I... we're getting a ring.”It wasn't my idea, nor was it Jared's idea to do that. The first week in April, my parents returned here for a short break and to meet up with Jared before they were forced to return to London. According to my mom, their business venture there hadn't been entirely successful, and still needed more time before they came to a final agreement. Despite the bit
Ashley POVAs time ticked by, March ended and April slowly turned into May, I found myself and Jayden drifting further and further apart. It wasn't a deliberate move by either of us, or at least not a deliberate effort. It just happened.Jayden was spending more time at the dance studio, and he started coming home with a sore throat some days when he decided to hum along to the choreography. He started singing and reading the lyrics whenever he had time in my apartment, and despite me pretending not to notice, I actually did. I loved his voice, pleasant and velvety like that, soothing my mind and body. And he kept showing drastic improvement with each passing week. Also, when he wasn't dancing or singing or memorizing song lyrics, he went and exercised.“I'm getting fat,” he told me as he read comics on the extra bed one night.I was editing an essay at the time, and didn't think much of it until he mentioned it. “I guess not,” I replied bluntly with a shrug.“I've gained almost five
Ashley POVHe didn't speak, but he didn't need to. His silence was enough. However, the stubborn part of me wanted to push him to bring up the topic... more specifically, how he had been affected by his father.“What about you?” I continued cautiously.His eyes narrowed slightly as they scanned my face. “You know about Jayden,” he pointed out.I averted my eyes.“How long have you known?”He didn't sound accusatory, or angry. No, instead, there was something more familiar, something I also felt related to his... childhood.“Too long,” I replied stiffly. I didn't like being reminded of my mistakes, so I replied automatically, defensively with, “You?”“Me too.”And when my eyes locked with his, I saw that it was there. The endless shame, regret, and guilt. It reflected a part deep inside me, so much so that I could hardly bear to look at it.But I forced myself to do so. Because if I hated it, so did Jared. Yet he was brave enough to stick to his stance.Dinner ended shortly after that.
Ashley POVLooking at the menu, I already knew what I wanted to order. My mom's favorite dish at The Monarch was pasta with a sauce made from roasted oysters, so I went with that. By the time the waiter returned with our drinks, Jared and I were ready to order. She took the menus from us, and as I watched Jared pour himself a glass of dark red liquid, I decided to strike up a conversation that would hopefully shed some light on our upcoming wedding and Jayden. It took me a few precious minutes to gather my courage and organize my thoughts, but I finally went ahead with it.I started the conversation with a light topic. “How was Europe?”Jared quietly observed the interior design of the restaurant and kept doing so as he answered. “Warm,” he said, “and dirtier than I imagined. But also incredibly beautiful in moments I didn't think possible.”“How so?” I asked.“I often hitchhike with my group of friends,” he told me as he raised the wine glass to his lips. He took a slow sip, his eyes
Ashley POVAs Jared and I walked out of the building, I spotted David parked and waiting in the car. But instead of going over to him, Jared stopped at the end of the concrete steps and pulled out a small red cardboard package. It was an automatic action, I could see that, from the way he pulled a lighter from the same pocket and pointed it at the cigarette already tucked between his lips.“Wait,” I chided, ”You can't smoke in here.”He glanced at me. “Why not?” he muttered, stroking his cigarette.Peeking over my shoulder, I glanced at the security guard outside the entrance. “That's illegal,” I said after making sure they weren't watching us.He didn't speak, but his lighter stopped halfway to his lips.“I'm not joking,” I continued. “It's illegal in almost all public places.”“I see.” He hurriedly lowered the lighter and stuffed the cigarette into his shirt pocket. “Where else can I go?”“Er.” I scratched my cheek and looked around for the smoking booth shyly. I didn't find one. “G
Ashley POVSmartly dressed in a suit and tie and polished leather shoes, Jared stood outside the apartment entrance, looking like he was ready to walk the red carpet. He had just finished shaving, revealing a clean jaw, and his dark hair was stylishly combed to the side along the neatly cut sides of his head. The scent of men's cologne and aftershave mingled with the sweet scent of flowers coming from the large bouquet of red roses he held in his left hand. I could see gold on his cuff and silver and black leather on his left wrist, which indicated a watch, and probably an expensive one.Compared to how he looked yesterday, for a moment I thought that I was hallucinating.Jared was also checking me out but seemed unfazed as my eyes were glued to him. “Good evening,” he greeted in a stiff, flat voice.“Hi,” I replied plainly. “Is David here too?”“He's waiting in the car.” Jared stepped closer to me and handed me the flowers. “Here. This is for you.”The bundle of roses was surprisingl
Ashley POV“Ash! You home?”Quickly walking back to the entrance, I found Jayden crouching down and untying his shoelaces. He looked up at me, and despite his caramel brown eyes looking heavy with fatigue, his lips curved into a smile. “Did I just wake you up?”“It's Saturday,” I replied automatically. “Who cares if I wear pajamas all day? You look exhausted though,” I added, a little softer.He snorted. “Hunter's a tough trainer,” he replied as he got up and wriggled out of his boots. “But never mind, I'm starving and smell like shit. Let me shower first before we warm things up.”“About that...” I averted my gaze as a pair of curious caramel brown eyes immediately focused on me. “I have plans tonight.”“Oh?”I scratched my arm. “Yeah. With Jared. He'll pick me up around six.”“From here?”I nodded stiffly.“Okay. Looks like I'll have to eat the leftovers alone, then.”I looked up, stunned, and saw him smiling at me before he darted past me and into the bathroom. I had no idea what k
Ashley POVIt was almost eleven hours later when my eyelids finally snapped open. With a big yawn, I sat up in bed and stretched my upper body before dragging myself to the kitchen. The extra bed was empty as I walked by, and as I poured myself a glass of water, I spotted that there were already dishes in the sink.“Jayden?” I called out hesitantly.Hell, no. He wasn't there.As much as I was instantly relieved when I realized that, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little sad. After all, it was surprisingly lonely having breakfast alone.And despite all the decisions yesterday, I still wanted to see him.The most likely scenario was that Jayden had left for a choreography dance rehearsal with his bandmates, especially since it had become such a routine that he no longer told me that he would be gone for most of the day. It was just that I felt it was a good idea to check the messages on my phone, just in case. And so, after making some warm oatmeal to satisfy my ravenous hunger,
Ashley POV“It's never going to be what you want,” I said softly. “I have my responsibilities and duties as the heiress of Red Moon Inc. just as you have your responsibilities and duties as, you know, Jayden Keller... the hunky celebrity and the golden man.”I sneaked a glance at him, trying to elicit a smile from him, but his face remained stony. His eyes showed no emotion. In the end, I had to look away again. “I have to put my parents and the company first,” I continued, “while you have to put your band members and your image first. Nothing is more important than that to you and me.”“Being forced into marriage is nothing,” I said candidly. “It's just like a drop in the ocean compared to what my parents have sacrificed and done and still continue to do. It's a star in the entire galaxy compared to how hard my grandfather fought and struggled throughout his life to establish this company. And while it's mostly a marriage of convenience now, it's not a bad deal. At least I know Jared