Ashley POVHis perspective reminded me of how Miles would explain things. It felt like he was making a valid point, yet there was one crucial element he was missing. And that was...“My convictions,” I said honestly.Jared’s expression remained unchanged, surprisingly, but I thought I caught a flicker of surprise— or maybe even admiration— in his eyes. Then he blinked, and whatever it was, it disappeared. “I see,” he said. “But I stand by my intentions. One day, I want to love you.”I felt my cheeks heat up. Jared carefully placed a hand atop my head, and as he smiled at me, there was a shyness in his expression that I never would have imagined coloring anything he said or did. The weight of his gaze remained steady, yet it was mingled with such earnest determination that it left me almost incapable of looking away.Oh, how my heart raced wildly when he spoke his next words.“And hopefully, you’ll come to do the same for me.”Before I could react, Jared stepped away, glancing at Sylvi
Ashley POVKnowing that Jared still had office work to do, while I still had college work to do, we decided to go our separate ways after that. As we waited for David to arrive to pick me up, Jared went to the nearest secluded area where he could smoke a cigarette, while I checked my phone to see if there were any notifications.To my astonishment, Jayden had sent me a picture of his bandage-free, pink-colored right arm, with a text.16.45 - Freedom! They told me not to worry too much about the arm, but it was technically healed and functioning again. Time to see if I can get you in a wrestling match again.I gave a small snort in reply, but the smile that appeared on my face was lighter than air.17.58 - I never lost when we were kids. Don't try to trick me. I'm not going to strangle your freshly recovered arm either, you idiot.His reply comes shortly after.18.00 - Come on! Live up to your nickname, Miss Violent! When are you coming home?It seems like he's in a happy mood, but I c
Ashley POVThe next day on the way to the first classroom, Eva abruptly lunged at me outside the main building. Although I had expected it, she still managed to catch me by surprise as she pulled me to the side of the road.“Is it true?” she asked, her voice trembling with anticipation. She was wearing a light midnight blue coat with a hint of red on her lips and nails. “Are they really going out?”“Yes,” I replied simply, trying to release her grip on my wrist, but her grip was strong, and alas, so was she.“Do you have any idea what this means? For them as celebrities? For the industry as a whole?”“Eva,” I scolded sternly as several passersby looked at me curiously. “Our class starts in less than five minutes. Do we really have to do this now?”“Now or later during class, you decide.”“You're a nasty friend.”“Say it for both of us then.”Realizing that she wasn't going to give in, I gave up on getting away from her with a loud groan. Instead, I pulled her further out of earshot an
Ashley POVIt was an impulse decision that meant I had to follow my best friend who had a spare ticket because her other friend was sick. Her seat was one of the most expensive, almost in front of the stage. She was a huge fan, the type who buys everything related to the boy band, even seemingly useless things like paperweights. That was her biggest idol the one and only, Jayden Ronan Keller. My worst nightmare right in front of my eyes — Oh, and also my mate and fiancé. Of course, she didn't know that last part. Nobody does, or I wouldn't be standing in one of the front rows, still breathing. She only knew about my family and Jayden's long-standing relationship and that we often celebrated holidays together. Some media had reported about us because I was supposedly the heir to Red Moon Inc., the huge international company owned by my late grandfather, Alpha Eros Van Smith of the Red Moon Pack, and well, he was Jayden R. Keller, the personnel of the boy band "Boyz Hits Bullets aka B
Ashley POV Well, I'll take it back. His mom is actually a good woman. It's just his father that's the problem. But that doesn't change the fact that Jayden R. Keller, my mate and fiancé, already has a girlfriend who even dared to cheat on me behind my back. Isn't that ironic? Meanwhile, Blair walked to the sink beside me and carefully washed her hands. Her pale skin looked whiter than it did in the commercials, though I couldn't tell if that was due to good genes, makeup, or the pale light from the overhead light. Really, public bathrooms always have horrible lighting. I have to admit, though, that she was still beautiful. In fact, she's even more beautiful in real life. Commercials take some of the humanity out of the people who star in them, and even dramas have managed to dull her light a bit. Or maybe it's her "imperfections" that enhance her beauty. The slight curve of her nose, the slight dip of her ears, the slight imbalance between her upper and lower lips - every little th
Ashley POVThe situation became silent, as if in suspended animation. The only thing that reminded me that I was still alive, or that time hadn't stopped, was my racing heartbeat. And, of course, the fact that I could feel my face quickly turning red. It was as if life wasn't going to let me off the hook for such an embarrassment. It was just too cruel."Jayden, isn't she a friend of your family?"The figure of the man who spoke, finally breaking the spells that had everyone glued, was about the same height as Jayden. I couldn't see his hair or most of his face, but I recognized him by the deep voice that had captivated the entire stadium an hour and a half ago with a very painful song. It seemed like he had introduced himself at the beginning of the concert."Is it really her?"The other man who spoke was the tallest of the group. He opened one side of his mask behind his left ear, revealing his whole face. I recognized him, he was the leader of the group, Jackson or better known as
Ashley POV A few excited shouts and cheers were heard as soon as the exit door opened. The guy broke away from my gaze and slipped out after Jax. Then it was just the two of us. It took about ten minutes for the guards to shoo the fans away and for all the staff to be let out of the building. It took me another ten minutes to prepare to confront Jayden. I stared at the worn rubber floor for that long, trying to find the right question. Since when? How? Why? As soon as the door closed and everyone was out of the room, he walked over to me. I looked up as he stopped half an arm's length from me. His face was without makeup and the ends of his hair sticking out from under his hat looked wet. His expression was hard to read as he crossed his arms and stared intently at me. It was then that I realized he was much taller than me. When did he grow so fast? "Why are you here?" The question that popped into my head was cut off. "Eva invited me," I replied stiffly. His eyebrows knitted toge
Ashley POVHe didn't follow me, though. But I knew he had seen my tears. I tried to wipe them away as I hurried out of the stadium. I didn't know why I was crying. I should have been screaming with joy, celebrating his betrayal, maybe drinking a beer by myself. I was free. My life is so ironic, isn't it? Like some kind of cheesy drama in a TV series. Then why did it hurt so much?When I arrived, I saw Eva's face immediately turn serious when she saw me, and she silenced her tired and cranky mother and her friends. There seemed to be something in my expression that made them worry and not talk to me, as they remained silent all the way home. Eva's mom made sure to drop me off first, even though the trip to Beverly Street would take the longest because of the detour from the stadium."I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Eva asked after I thanked her mom. Her eyes were worried."Sure," I said quickly as I got out of the car. I found myself sounding much more harsh than I wanted to, so I added
Ashley POVThe next day on the way to the first classroom, Eva abruptly lunged at me outside the main building. Although I had expected it, she still managed to catch me by surprise as she pulled me to the side of the road.“Is it true?” she asked, her voice trembling with anticipation. She was wearing a light midnight blue coat with a hint of red on her lips and nails. “Are they really going out?”“Yes,” I replied simply, trying to release her grip on my wrist, but her grip was strong, and alas, so was she.“Do you have any idea what this means? For them as celebrities? For the industry as a whole?”“Eva,” I scolded sternly as several passersby looked at me curiously. “Our class starts in less than five minutes. Do we really have to do this now?”“Now or later during class, you decide.”“You're a nasty friend.”“Say it for both of us then.”Realizing that she wasn't going to give in, I gave up on getting away from her with a loud groan. Instead, I pulled her further out of earshot an
Ashley POVKnowing that Jared still had office work to do, while I still had college work to do, we decided to go our separate ways after that. As we waited for David to arrive to pick me up, Jared went to the nearest secluded area where he could smoke a cigarette, while I checked my phone to see if there were any notifications.To my astonishment, Jayden had sent me a picture of his bandage-free, pink-colored right arm, with a text.16.45 - Freedom! They told me not to worry too much about the arm, but it was technically healed and functioning again. Time to see if I can get you in a wrestling match again.I gave a small snort in reply, but the smile that appeared on my face was lighter than air.17.58 - I never lost when we were kids. Don't try to trick me. I'm not going to strangle your freshly recovered arm either, you idiot.His reply comes shortly after.18.00 - Come on! Live up to your nickname, Miss Violent! When are you coming home?It seems like he's in a happy mood, but I c
Ashley POVHis perspective reminded me of how Miles would explain things. It felt like he was making a valid point, yet there was one crucial element he was missing. And that was...“My convictions,” I said honestly.Jared’s expression remained unchanged, surprisingly, but I thought I caught a flicker of surprise— or maybe even admiration— in his eyes. Then he blinked, and whatever it was, it disappeared. “I see,” he said. “But I stand by my intentions. One day, I want to love you.”I felt my cheeks heat up. Jared carefully placed a hand atop my head, and as he smiled at me, there was a shyness in his expression that I never would have imagined coloring anything he said or did. The weight of his gaze remained steady, yet it was mingled with such earnest determination that it left me almost incapable of looking away.Oh, how my heart raced wildly when he spoke his next words.“And hopefully, you’ll come to do the same for me.”Before I could react, Jared stepped away, glancing at Sylvi
Ashley POVI frowned at him, but he simply turned his focus back to the row of displays on the shelf. My pout deepened. Even though we had spent over a month getting to know each other, the true nature of his personality as well as his past was still shrouded in mystery. Sure, I see tiny details of his differences, but I don't feel that I've gotten any deeper than just his façade. His default neutral expression and often unreadable demeanor indicated he wasn’t someone easy to approach. Yet, since he had influential and wealthy friends, I knew there had to be more behind his rigid and stoic exterior.I wondered when— or if— I would ever get to see that side of him. With time, perhaps.Maybe.“What about this one?”While my mind wandered, my body followed Jared around the jewelry store. He stood in the center of the store when he caught my attention, his gaze fixed on a set of rings that appeared slightly more special than the others due to their placement in a separate glass cube.“Whi
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