Ashley POVI sucked in a deep breath, trying to find the right words to respond, but before I could open my mouth, he cut me off again.“They will be here soon,” he said quickly, his tone of voice firmer now. “We should probably order some food soon, and I should get dressed.”“Fine,” I said quietly, following his cue to change the subject. It was clear he didn't want to talk about this further, and even though I wanted to know more about what he was really feeling, I knew that this wasn't the right time. The rest of the Boyz Hits Bullets would be arriving in less than an hour, and I could feel the terrible pressure building up on my shoulders. They were the key to helping Jayden recover his memory or at least help him return to his dream as a famous singer. I knew I had to stay calm, but the closer the time got, the more nervous I felt like I was taking a college entrance exam.Though the other BHB members were usually nice people, or at least most of them weren't bad, I had no idea
Ashley POVEva Williams. She's been my best friend since I was eleven and she was twelve. The girl who practically forced her friendship on a lonely, loud-mouthed rich girl, which was me until I finally gave in and accepted the friendship. I never expected to have a best friend like her, who with all her flaws became a comfort to me in the midst of my loneliness. She tormented me with her excessive admiration for a boy band, Boyz Hits Bullets, which frankly never caught my attention. On the other hand, she was the only person who had never fought with me, though she wasn't afraid to challenge or express her own opinions either. That made me respect her, more than anyone else.Eva was a petite girl who had lost her father due to cancer, leaving her with younger siblings who didn't even remember their father and a mother who struggled with financial matters. Somehow, though, Eva always managed to keep smiling. She was my senior, but she refused to be called ‘senior.’ She could cry tears
Ashley POVAs they passed him by, Jayden was not looking at the six of them, but I could see his jaw clenching and his fingers wringing over the handle of the bag. Worry clouded my heart as I stepped out of the doorway and into the elevator lobby to let the six guys through. In my head, I sent out a short prayer to whoever might hear it, hoping that if this night didn't bring any luck, at least it wouldn't turn out badly or painfully.Please, good fortune.“Where to?”Hunter stopped right in front of me, making the other BHB boy band members stop as well, and his eyes were level with mine. He smiled reassuringly, and despite sounding carefree, I could hear the worry in his tone.“Just follow that hallway,” I hastily told him while gesturing over my shoulder. "The kitchen is on the right, there's water, both sparkling and flavored in the second fridge. You can take whatever you want. There's a dining room opposite, to the north, where we can sit, and two bathrooms at the end of the hal
Ashley POVWe waited quietly for a minute. Then, through the heavy double glass doors, I spotted two cars driving towards the building, both of which caught my eye. There was Mavis behind the wheel of the first car, and the familiar pizzeria logo on the car behind her. Eva's cell phone vibrated, but she ignored it. I followed her out of the building, nodding at the guards we passed, and, while glad the time was right to get some food, I wished I'd brought a jacket.I waved goodbye to Mavis, who waved me back, then motioned for Eva to get into the car. However, before Eva and I parted ways, she gave me a quick hug, her smile widening as I turned her down. “See you next week,” she whispered in my ear. “And,” she quickly added, ”I think you and Jayden bought pizza to share tonight.”I carefully pulled away from her arms and smiled sheepishly. “I see. Or we, rather. And I'll tell you everything soon. I swear.”“I know you will, and I look forward to it.” She smiled. “Have fun with seven f
Ashley POVAs I had guessed, Jax and Jean were standing in the kitchen along with Jamie and Hunter, waiting for me and Jayden to come in. As Jayden placed the bag of snacks on the kitchen counter, next to where I had placed the pizza boxes earlier, he kept looking down while I showed them where they could find plates, cutlery, and glasses. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the double doors to the dining room slightly ajar, which were rarely touched even when my parents were home, and Tyler and Miles slipping out between them as Jean called them to grab the pizza.I had to find a way to talk to Miles, just the two of us, as quickly and quietly as possible.Despite the friendly atmosphere, it was clear that the other six BHB boys felt awkward in my parents' apartment. Whether that nervousness was due to the fact that we were in Beverly or just because they were in an unfamiliar place, I have no idea. But as the eight of us sat around the long glass table that fit eleven people in the c
Ashley POVThe boys went back to their seats in silence. However, the mood was now lighter, and as the eight of us continued eating, small talk began to flow through the room. The boys joked, laughed, and enthusiastically retold stories of their past with Jayden. Jayden, despite still not being able to remember anything, seemed more cheerful than usual. I was relieved and surprised to see him no longer looking glum when reminded of his amnesia. Hunter and Jamie, especially, did their job very well to keep the conversation flowing and light, so there were no awkward silences or tense moments.When everyone had finished their bites, I decided to play some music in the background as the others took a break and snapped a few photos as a memento. Jayden, unexpectedly, offered to take some photos for me. Smiling slightly, I leaned back on my knees, looking through the albums that were neatly arranged on the CD storage racks located on each side of the floor-standing speakers.The night was
Ashley POVTyler glanced at his phone screen. “It's only a little past eight. I've wanted to watch 'Insidious' since it first hit theaters,” he pleaded, almost begging. “Can't we stay?”“I don't know,” Jax said, glancing at his phone. “We have an early morning rehearsal tomorrow.”“Isn't that a horror movie?” asked Hunter warily.I nodded and held my hand up in front of my mouth as I swallowed the last slice of pizza. “I mean, it does have its funny bits, but basically, it's good horror.”“Then I back out,” Hunter said.“Me too,” Jamie added quickly.“I've never seen it, right?” Jayden's voice sounded low, and I turned to look at him. His eyes sought confirmation from me, and I shook my head. “No, I don't think you've seen it.”Jayden looked down, staring at his plate. “I want to see it,” he said, still in a quiet tone.Both Jamie and Hunter jumped in and sucked in a deep breath before starting to plead with Jax not to let them watch the horror movie. I almost laughed at their antics,
Ashley POVTruth be told, it had never really bothered me until recently, because I never knew anything was different. The time I spent with Eva at school and the occasional sleepover or hangout was enough for me. After all, I was a student at one of the most prestigious universities in Beverly.But after spending time with Jayden, and now seeing him start to take the first steps towards recovery, I realized something. I realized that I didn't really have a place in his life. He had achieved popularity and fame in music, supported by his friends, with his own determination and hunger. I wasn't even part of his backstory.Or at least, that's what I thought at the time.My smile turned wistful instead of amused. When I pressed the button to lower the projector screen, images of a bitter future flashed through my mind. Even though the people behind me were arguing about who sat where I knew Jayden had noticed my changed expression. We stared at each other for a moment, and I could almost
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