Ashley POVI tried not to think about it as I inserted the Insidious disc into the Blu-ray player. As soon as the intro to the movie started playing, someone let out a shriek, causing me and the others to turn our heads in unison. Hunter was the target of the jokes this time. I had to wipe my tears as I burst into laughter at his horrified expression. It was funny, considering he usually always appeared so bold. But I could see he really cared about Jayden if he was willing to spend the next two and a half hours being tortured to spend time with his old friend. But, it also made me wonder.How much has his attitude changed around me, compared to when he was with his friends before he got amnesia?Once I had adjusted all the settings and made sure the video and audio were fine, I turned around with the remote in hand and found Jayden already sitting comfortably on the couch. The other four people on the main couch were still adjusting to each other, while Jax and Miles seemed to be tal
Ashley POV“The idea has crossed my mind,” I admitted coldly, ”but I don't see any logical reason how or even why. He didn't care about me before the accident, I know he didn't. So why not make this easier for everyone involved, and get Jayden off the hook with something like an arranged engagement?"He tilted his head slightly to the side. “That's selfish, and you know it.”My eyes widened. “How is that selfish?” I accused, trying my hardest to keep the tone of my voice low. “I'm trying to make it easier for him to get back together with Blair, to make things with you guys like they used to be. I'm trying to do the right thing here.”“I can see that,” Miles said softly, which surprised me. “But for you to take that choice away from him, that choice is the truth about your relationship and his, especially after seeing the way that both of you are with each other... that's selfish.”“What do you mean, ‘the way that both of you are with each other’?” I asked, somewhat bewildered. My min
Ashley POVBy the time I came back to my senses after that, I was hiding the engagement ring in my pocket, having almost forgotten to come back with the bowl I was originally going to bring. While the rest of the boys were still glued to the projector screen, mesmerized by the thrilling scene that was unfolding, I knew that Jayden was looking at me in his peripheral vision. He then glared at Miles intently, a glare that Miles ignored as he passed out drinks to everyone before Jayden got to his feet and came to meet me in the middle of the living room.I was arranging the glass bowls in my hands as I stepped onto the couch. “I can handle it,” I whispered as I detected Jayden coming closer, my voice slightly strained.“Now it's your turn to stop being such a hero,” he told me sternly, then picked up half of the bowls, piling them on top of his injured arm.“Hey!” I hissed as quietly as I could. “Think about your arm, idiot!”He snorted before turning around and walking over to the coffe
Ashley POVEven Jean had stopped eating at that point, and Tyler stopped chewing frantically shortly thereafter. I bit my lower lip so hard that I lost the taste in it, tormented by the tension of the atmosphere, and I held the cushion half an inch below my eyes, ready to pull it up if anything in the movie jumped out at the audience. Second by second passed as I kept getting closer and closer to Jayden, who by then had crossed his left leg over the other. Taking a deep breath to muster up what was left of my courage, I sneaked a hesitant peek over my shoulder and looked at Jayden.In an instant, his piercing caramel brown eyes shifted from the screen to me.I swallowed nervously, but before I could open my mouth and ask Jayden about the exciting offer he had made earlier, he simply nodded. My eyes widened as he separated his legs, and once again let me into the space between his legs. He grabbed the cushion that was previously discarded during the movie, and placed it again over his
Ashley POVI started chuckling along with the others but stopped abruptly when I caught Jayden's response. He stiffened, his face frozen in either amusement or bewilderment.He almost looked... pissed off.Tyler stared intently at Jean. “Dude!” he barked. “Why'd you have to tell her that?”“He already has.” I stared at Jax in disbelief as he let out a long breath and held his forehead with one hand. “I caught him practicing while washing dishes.”“So it was like that?” Miles raised his eyebrows. “I thought you were practicing acting.”Tyler's eyes widened. “Dude, stop it!”“He did it in the middle of the night, twice,” Hunter grumbled. “He slept right next to me, I thought he was in a trance or something.”“Same,” Jamie said and shuddered dramatically.Tyler wasn't really blushing, but he was close. “Why should I have to live with you guys,” he muttered as he stepped into the elevator.Miles snorted, and the others joined in the laughter.“Jayden, I'll send you the address of our danc
Ashley POV “Jayden?” I croaked. “Hmm?” There was a small chuckle. “No, sweetie, it's just your old man.” I almost thought I was still sleeping when I opened my eyes to find my dad smiling serenely from where he sat on the edge of my bed. The panoramic window in my room was still covered by a curtain that blocked the sunlight from pouring in, the only light in the room was the table lamp that I assumed my dad had turned on. Jayden's bed is empty. He must have carried me inside while I was asleep, I thought. “Good morning,” my dad greeted, smiling. “Dad, why are you home?” I asked as I rubbed my eyes, forgetting for a moment that my dream wasn't just a dream. “Is mom here too? And where's Jayden?” “She's still in London,” my dad replied. “I'll be back to see her in Manchester after lunch, but I thought I'd check up on you first.” “You mean you're going back to headquarters to pick up some important documents or something,” I corrected a little more crisply than I intended. He sm
Ashley POVMy vision became blurry, and I almost burst into tears. I tried to say something, to admit that I was grateful to him and Mom, that I wished I could have helped him, that he should have told me earlier, that I was sorry, but he silenced me with a gentle squeeze of my hand.“Don't cry,” he said softly. “It will only make my conscience even worse.”“What?” I tried, my voice breaking even on a single word.“The fact that you were dragged into something against your will, it's all because of me...” He gave a sigh and looked down at my hands. “I'm sorry. I hope... I hope the choices I made back then won't make you too stressed, unhappy, or sick. Or make you hate me.”“Of course not!” I snapped, almost furious. I clenched my fingers around his hand and shook it in frustration. “I never will. Never.”He breathed a sigh of relief. “I'm glad to hear that. And are you sure of your decision? Your mom and I, both of us are not going to force—"“I'm sure,” I interjected, feeling more ce
Ashley POVOnce I finished washing the dishes, I went back to my room and picked up the cell phone that was recharging its battery on the table before sinking into bed. Knowing that Jayden was practicing with them made me contemplate giving Miles a call in person, so I decided to send a text message. It took a while to string together words that didn't sound awkward. Or so I hoped.10.32 - Hi, this is Ashley. I was wondering if you had time to meet up and talk about Jayden's past in private. You guys probably forgot to write down something on the master list of notes that could still help him recover his memories.I quickly erased the smiling emoticon I had added to the message, then clicked the send button. My heartbeat quickens as I wait, despite my efforts to ignore it, and it gets even faster when my phone vibrates after a few minutes.10.35 - Sure, I have some free time now. Want me to get there right away?Well, that's actually better, but I know I can't risk Jayden finding me w
Ashley POVJared reached out and shook Samuel’s hand without even blinking. That surprised me, considering Samuel’s old injury, but Jared’s grip was firm and smooth.“Jared Keller,” he said with a hint of a smile. “And I’m sure the best wedding photographer in the city is more than capable of taking a few photos of me and my fiancée.”His voice, usually cold and even, actually sounded warm this time— nothing like the sharp tone he usually used with me. But that didn’t bother me. Not one bit.Because I knew Jared. I knew that when he wanted to, he could charm anyone— regardless of gender. That cool, intimidating aura of his didn’t stop him from flipping a switch and turning into the smoothest guy in the room.And honestly? The fact he was using that tone with someone other than me or Eva? It was kind of a relief.When Jared talked like that, people couldn’t help but feel confident, maybe even proud— like they mattered. Like Jared saw something special in them, even if they barely knew
Ashley POV“And... smile!”The umbrella lights flashed across the room, making my vision blur for a second. I blinked quickly, waiting for the black dots to fade as my eyes adjusted to the pastel walls, the endless fake white and blush roses surrounding me, and the bulky guy standing behind the camera set up in front of me.Raising his hand, he gave the universal “okay” gesture. “Beautiful, beautiful,” he said excitedly. “Now, if you could just tilt your head a little to the side and angle your chin to the right...”Without a word, I followed his instructions, rewarded with a delighted squeal and another blinding flash. “Yes, that’s it! And maybe move your hand like this...” he said, demonstrating with his left hand. I copied him. “Yesss! Perfect! I gotta say,” he went on with a big grin, “you are the most stunning bride I’ve ever seen, Ashley Van Smith. Your fiancé is one lucky guy.”The camera clicked and the lights flashed again.“Thanks, Sam,” I said once my vision started coming
Jayden POV“Jay, are you okay?”“How many times do I have to answer that?” I didn't look up from my phone screen even though I'd probably read the same news article about criminals a thousand times. Somehow, the drive to the restaurant felt like an eternity, or, at least, that's how I felt when I was stuck in the car with nothing to hear but silly questions.I was fine, though.“How many times does it take you to spill the fucking truth,” Hunter asked, his voice coming from dangerously close behind me.I lifted my phone over my shoulder so he could see what I was doing, then snorted. I took the only open passenger seat in the front on the pretense that I was feeling sick because I was so damn starving, but now here I was suddenly wondering if it would be better to sit in the very back seat.But there was Miles already seated, and I didn't like the way he was looking at me as I turned towards him.“Jayden...” Jamie's tone was low, worried.“Get off of my back,” I snapped. “I'm fine, ok
Jayden POV“No,” I stated simply. “She… Everyone thinks we're just family friends.”“Well,” she went on, the glint in her eyes turning cold. Extremely cold, like merciless stones of ice. “As of today, that won't be a lie anymore.”My brows furrowed, I couldn't help but let the fear caused by my anxiety creep up my voice. “What do you mean?” I asked in a tone that hopefully sounded calm.She pulled the engagement ring off her finger and held it out to me. “I'm calling off our engagement,” she said harshly. “I won't - won't marry a cheating bastard like you. You can live happily ever after with someone else, like Blair Anderson.” A mocking sneer spread across her face. “Smile, Jayden - you're finally getting rid of me, may you live happily ever after with your dear girlfriend.” What she said after that sucked the life out of me as if part of my soul had been taken away. “Oh, and before I forget, I, Ashley Van Smith, of the Red Moon Pack, reject Jayden Ronan Keller, of the Crimson Pack,
Jayden POV“What are you doing here, Ashley?”It wasn't my intention to lash out at her, but I was too shocked to find other words, so my tongue moved faster than my brain. She looked flabbergasted at my words, her face turning redder than a ripe tomato as she caught sight of me and my group of friends. Her lips parted and sealed, then parted again, but this time to my astonishment. She was stunned. Angry, too.And hurting more than I'd ever seen her before.“Jayden,” Tyler said hesitantly, breaking the silence down the hallway that had suddenly become eerily quiet. “Isn't she a friend of your family?”“Is it really her?” asked Jax, glancing curiously between me and Ashley while scratching his face.Later on, Jamie stepped in front of me as soon as I snarled at Ashley with both shoulders raised but immediately loosened up at Tyler's words. “Oh yeah, I've seen your face before, on the news.”Hunter snapped his fingers. “That's right!” he said as he realized something. “Whenever you two
Jayden POV23.02 - Fine, I'll go get your stuff. See you in five minutes?23.02 - Perfect! Hey, baby, you're not mad at me, right?Rolling my eyes, I replied with the word “No”. To be frank, I'm not mad at her. I'm just tired of her. Blair was prettier than most, very talented, and kind despite being more of a loner than Jean and overall she was a very nice girl. She is the kind of girl that guys dream about, because of her sweet and lovable nature, her graceful and slender figure. In fact, she was exactly what I wanted when I first laid eyes on her. I used to think I could finally fall in love, and it would be with her because she's almost perfect in every way. I mean, how could a guy not like a woman like Blair?At first, it was fun and exciting. I had never had someone... someone who I knew was definitely interested in me and talked to me for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She made me break down my walls, to the point where I felt I could trust her. I thought I could
Jayden POV—Flashback a few hours before the accident after the concert in NY in February—“Good job, everyone! That's a wrap for our concert in NY!”Clark escorted the seven of us from backstage to one of the leather couches in the dressing room before darting off somewhere. Some of the other coordinators and managers who had been with us for a few months to a few years came next, all with smiles on their faces. I poured the last contents of my water bottle over my head to cool down as I sat next to Jax. The liquid dripped down my face, neck, and back, soaking the black T-shirt I wore at the end of the concert, and though it felt relatively warm, I was still able to breathe a sigh of relief.“There's a place called the bathroom.” Tyler leaned over to my right and tugged gently on my sleeve. “Man, you're soaked.”“You too,” I retorted as I stared intently at his hair stuck to his forehead.“I'm starving,” whimpered Jean as he fanned himself frantically with someone's magazine. He plop
Ashley POVJayden was checking himself out in the massive mirror, eyes trailing from head to toe. His dyed light brown hair was a mess, and he had just enough makeup on to cover the small scar on his left cheek. Titanium earrings dangled from his ears, and rings wrapped around his fingers. He wore a red bomber jacket over a teal patterned shirt, paired with tight— very tight— black skinny jeans and branded sneakers to complete the look.“Hey,” he greeted, locking eyes with me through the mirror.I pushed a rolling clothing rack filled with expensive-looking shirts and jackets. “No white tees? What’s going on?” I asked.Jayden let out a small laugh. “Sorry to disappoint,” he replied, adjusting his collar. “Anyway, where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”“I was at the mall,” I lied, trying my hardest not to rub my wrist. “I’m actually feeling kinda sick. I don’t know if I can stay for the whole concert.”He immediately turned to me. “You have to,” he said, a hint of
Ashley POVChugging his water bottle, Jayden turned his attention back to his friends. Miles, however, kept sneaking glances at me, his expression unreadable. I gave him a small smile anyway, hoping to reassure him that I was fine.A lie, of course. I was fine. I just had no idea how.“Are you and Miles having a thing or...?”My jaw practically hit the floor, and I gawked at Blair in disbelief. “What?” I blurted, unable to hide my shock. “Of course not!”She tapped a finger against her chin, flashing me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, that was kind of fishy.” She came closer, the scent of her strawberry perfume stinging my nose even more. “Come on, we’re friends. You can tell me.”I was this close to telling her that friendship didn’t work that way. Hell, I wanted to punch her square in the jaw. But I managed to hold back and just shook my head. “No, really,” I said, sneakily shifting away from her. “There’s nothing going on between me and him. Or anyone else in this group, for that matt