Chapter 97

Ashleigh stepped through the hostel doors in a haze. Her body was here, but her mind was still trapped in the car that had sped off minutes earlier. The way Adrian kissed her… it felt like he wanted to take a piece of her soul with him. She had to use practically all of her willpower to claw her way out of his arms and make it here. As much as she loved the thrill of his touch, she hoped this wouldn't become his new way of negotiating with her because she wasn't sure how far he'd want her to go next time. 'Miss!" the hostel manager called out, snapping her back to reality. She looked to see Miss Maisie and Mrs. Johnson eyeing her with a curt smile, their eyes showing mild concern. 'I-I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked. Miss Maisie waved her hand gently. 'We were just asking if you feel better Miss Hartman, we were informed of your departure due to illness" 'I'm better now, thank you." 'Good." Mrs. Johnson said, taking a seat behind the computer. ' We'll begin the check-in process now. We'll need your temporary student card" Ashleigh fished for it and handed it to her, then Mrs. Johnson swiftly worked on the formalities. 'And will they be following you upstairs?" Mrs. Johnson added, glancing behind her to Tristan and Jake. She turned to see the duo holding onto her suitcase with a tight grip, looking straight ahead. Adrian refused to let her go on her own with the suitcase even after all she did to appease him, and now they were like an annoying shadow. 'Yes they will, but only to get my boxes upstairs. After that, they will leave ma'am" she reassured them, and they nodded skeptically. Tristan and Jake were efficient, ensuring the trip to her room was brisk. But their presence drew more than a few stares and whispered comments, and by the time they reached her door, Ashleigh's heart was racing. She fumbled for her room card when the door clicked opened from inside to reveal Megan. Her hair had grown out and now fell past her shoulders, behind her the fluorescent lights in the room cast a warm glow on her face, softening her features. 'Ashleigh…. you're back" she said silently, her eyes darting over Asheigh's features. She straightened. 'Yeah." After that, a long silence stretched between them, thick with unsaid things. For Ashleigh, She didn't expect that Megan would even wait after opening the door for her, but now even as they looked at each other, she could see a flicker of softness in her eyes. Her eyes darted over to Tristan and Jake standing behind her.'And are they coming in with you?" Ashleigh nodded. 'Just to drop off my suitcase. After that, you won't see them again….at least not this close. Is that okay?" Megan moved out of the way and let them in.They entered, set the boxes by her bed, then bowed and left. Ashleigh moved to her side of the room which was still untouched, and began unpacking her things. She tried to fit her new clothes the best she could into her already full wardrobe, deciding to rearrange later when she was much settled. Megan stood behind her, speaking up once again. 'So… the guards are with you now?" Ashleigh glanced over her shoulder, pointing to herself. 'You're talking to me?" Megan rolled her eyes, crossing her arms 'Well there's no one else here now, is there?" Ashleigh's eyes narrowed, and she faced her squarely. 'I'm just surprised you can speak to me now….. considering I was not even worthy to be your roommate." Megan blinked, taken aback. The shock flickered in her expression, but she said nothing. Ashleigh turned back to her suitcase, hands moving a little faster than before. She didn't plan to be the one to fix things…..not after everything that happened. A moment later, she stopped, the least she could do was explain. She let out a long sigh, resting her hand on the stack of clothes. 'They're here under Adrian's orders since the investigation is still ongoing. They won't intrude private spaces, and will only step in here if absolutely necessary." 'I understand." her voice died down, and Ashleigh resumed her task for a while in silence. Megan's voice came again, but it was gentle this time. 'Ashleigh… look, I was insensitive to you at first because I was selfish. I wanted to protect my space and my relationship," she started, her voice echoing through the stillness of the room. Ashleigh froze, then turned slowly to her. 'But you came and your optimism and concern irritated me at first. not even my ‘friends' cared for me that much…. at least I thought they did." Ashleigh stood up at her again. 'Wait what?" Megan nodded, 'Yeah." wiping tears forming at her eyelids aggressively. 'What you said about them at the club was true, Alexander confirmed it via CCTV and when I confronted them over the break, they weren't remorseful for a minute." Ashleigh's heart softened and she felt like placing a hand on her shoulder, but her hand stopped midway and she just stood there. 'It's stupid anyway, I don't know why I still cry about it." she whispered. Ashleigh's heart softened. She took a step forward, stretching her but she stopped midway. Her hand dropped to her sides. 'You're still crying because you trusted them," Ashleigh said quietly. 'It hurts when people you care about betray you. That's normal." Megan nodded, her lips trembling. 'I'm sorry if I made you feel like you overstepped. And I never even thanked you properly. If you hadn't stepped in, I don't know where I'd be. And Alexander and I…..we wouldn't have reconciled either. So… thank you." Ashleigh hesitated, caught off guard by her genuine words, there was no sarcasm, no distance in Megan's tone….. Only gratitude. 'It's okay," Ashleigh said at last. 'I'd have done it for anyone in your situation." A fragile silence settled between them but it was a peaceful one this time. 'Are we… okay?" Megan finally asked. Ashleigh thought for a moment, then nodded once. 'Getting there." Megan smiled, just slightly. 'Good. I'll leave you to it." ******************* Ashleigh moved swiftly through campus, eyes glued to the map on her phone. Tristan and Jake followed a few feet behind, always close, never speaking. She was starting to miss the days she didn't know they were around. The GPS dinged as she rounded the corner, and her eyes lit up as she spotted the landmark Arthur told her, which was a large fountain surrounded by benches and grassy patches. She ran through the grassy path, glancing through the benches for signs of Arthur. Soon enough, she spotted the flashy leather jacket and his frantic waving. She jogged up to him. 'Arthur, I—" Her words faltered as her gaze fell on the second person. Sitting beside him, arms crossed and sunglasses propped on his head, was Damien. Her looked the same, just more rested. Their eyes met briefly before he looked away, and all the air seemed to leave her lungs as their last encounter at the hospital before he left came rushing back. Arthur let out a low whistle, ignoring the tension. 'When you said security, I didn't realize you meant full-on bodyguards." Ashleigh rolled her eyes, a reluctant smile forming on her lips as she dragged her gaze from Damien. 'Arthur." 'I see someone's not playing anymore," he teased, giving her a nudge. 'We love to see it." 'Stop," she muttered, hitting his arm. Damien looked up briefly. 'Good to see you back. You look better." Ashleigh gave him a hesitant 'Thanks. You too." He nodded once, then looked down at his phone, plugging in his headphones. Her shoulders slumped slightly at the thought of him still ignoring her. She felt like saying more to him, but decided that hearing his voice at all was enough for now. At least she was starting somewhere. Arthur grabbed her wrist and tugged her down onto the bench beside him. 'Okay, you can do the dramatic reunion later. Right now, it's tea time" He glanced over her shoulder. 'Hey, secret service agents, give her space to breathe. I'm not the stalker here." Ashleigh nudged him with her elbow. 'Don't joke about that." She turned to the guards and gave a nod. They moved back slightly, but were still close enough to intervene if needed. Arthur smirked, leaning to whisper in her ear. 'Mr. Cagliari really isn't playing. Wife's on lockdown." Ashleigh sputtered, shaking her hands. 'It isn't like that…." Arthur's eyes scanned her face, then her lips before he froze. 'You kissed him, didn't you?" Ashleigh didn't answer, causing his eyes to widen a fraction more. 'You kissed him?!" He shrieked dramatically, his voice echoing through the field, causing Ashleigh to bury her face in her hands in embarrassment. But this time, the embarrassment felt… warm and familiar. This time, maybe she liked the burning feeling.