Brave New Girl (Behind Closed Doors Book 1)

by Grace Herbst

  Ashley was distracted by the sound of her phone and she looked at who was texting her. It was Chloe, wondering if everything was okay. Ashley wrote back and told her that everything was fine. Chloe sent back a reply, telling her she was there if she needed her. Ashley was grateful for the gesture. It made her realize the true friendship she had with Chloe.

  “You don’t want to hear about the drama with my former friend,” Ashley said aloud into her phone and her words were shown onscreen. She pressed the ‘send’ button and waited for Chloe’s response. She heard the familiar sound of a text and Chloe was willing to respect her wishes and not press her further.

  Ashley was grateful as she didn’t want to tell her friends about all of the activities she did with Roxanne. It had nothing to do with Chloe’s reaction. She knew Chloe didn’t care about what she did in her past. It was more like she wanted to forget that chapter of her life. Of course, the only way to do that was get rid of that box.

  Back and forth conversation with the texts stopped long enough for Ashley to look through her photos on her phone. She scrolled down all the way back to the previous September when she had first met Roxanne at the mall on that Saturday afternoon. The Saturday afternoon that opened her eyes to another world. The fun side that needed to get out.

  It wasn’t like Ashley didn’t have fun before she met Roxanne. She went shopping. She went to football games or the school dances, but Roxanne convinced her that her kind of fun was boring. Just like she commented that Emerald was boring. At the time, Ashley felt like she should have just walked away. Instead, she challenged her to show her the real way to have fun and Roxanne accepted it. That was the beginning of her downfall.

  Ashley had to push those memories out of her mind. That was in the past now. At the same time, hearing about Michelle’s pregnancy triggered all those angry feelings she had from last year. All the jealousy he experienced from her dad spending time with Michelle. Although, the judgement in believing Michelle was just a gold-digger who wanted her dad’s money had gone away. She truly did love her father.

  The baby was another story. Ashley didn’t even want to think about the baby again. She had already expressed her feelings about the unexpected news. Even though Lucas helped her to understand the reason why her dad and Michelle were excited about the new baby, she still wasn’t happy with the news. She had no problem keeping the secret from her friends. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

  When she finally emerged from her bedroom and returned downstairs, it became obvious that Michelle had told her aunt the news. The scene was similar to the way she found her father with her stepmother that morning. Michelle had that smile. The smile that had a mother’s glow. Her aunt Jennifer was also smiling. The only difference was her father was absent.

  “Ashley, I suppose you heard the good news,” Jennifer said. Ashley nodded. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it? You’re going to be a big sister.”

  Ashley knew that tone. She wanted her to express her feelings about it. “Yeah, it’s just what I always wanted.”

  “You can trust I will keep your secret,” Jennifer promised. Michelle gave her a grateful smile as Jennifer embraced her in a hug. “I’m so excited for you and Kyle. And I’m sure Mom will be thrilled.”

  Ashley thought of her grandmother and how she would react to the news. She had wanted more grandchildren ever since her son had told her that he and Michelle were engaged. The news would definitely thrill her. It might convince her to visit more often. Rose Meyer still lived in Sapphire City and kept busy by doing activities with her friends. Ashley thought it was nice her grandmother was still close to her childhood friends. Yet, she felt guilty for losing her friends because she made the wrong choices by hanging out with Roxanne.

  “Would you like to stay for dinner?” Michelle offered. “I know you only meant to stop by, but I can set an extra plate.”

  Jennifer gave her a smile. “As lovely as that sounds, Richard and I’ve already made dinner plans. However, I promise we will join you tomorrow night.” Michelle accepted her offer before they said their goodbyes and she led Jennifer to the door.

  “Did you two talk about Simon Green?” Ashley asked after her aunt had left the house.

  “Yes, but I don’t think there is anything to worry about. Simon’s parents took him out of school,” Michelle replied. “And according to his grandmother, they are also planning to move out of Emerald to avoid any more trouble.”

  Ashley looked at her surprised. “Moving out of Emerald? Can they do that? What about the investigation? Simon is a suspect, isn’t he? Isn’t he supposed to stay in town?” she asked. She didn’t know the whole police procedure, but she knew any suspects to a crime were supposed to stay in town.

  Michelle laughed. “Slow down, Nancy Drew. I don’t know if he’s a suspect or not. I’m just telling you what Carolyn Green told me.”

  “So Carolyn Green wasn’t angry at us?”

  “No, she knows her grandson has some issues, but his parents are in denial,” Michelle explained. “Of course, I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t want to find out anything was wrong with my child either.” She could see her stepdaughter had a thoughtful look on her face. “Is something wrong?”

  Ashley shook her head. She was still debating on whether or not to tell Penny about Simon. It wasn’t really her business. Besides, she knew Penny wouldn’t listen to her anyway. Could she tell Lucas and perhaps he could get through to her? It was worth a try.

  That evening, she called Lucas. They began with normal conversation. After several minutes, Ashley took the chance and told him about Simon. She was careful not to mention where she got the information. Lucas let out a frustrated groan. “I knew there was something wrong with that guy. I had no idea he had problems. What the hell is Penny thinking?” Ashley didn’t know how to respond.

  “I’ve got to go and warn her about Simon. She may be my ex-girlfriend, but I don’t want to see her get hurt especially by a guy with issues. Thanks for telling me.”

  “Be careful,” Ashley told him before they exchanged their goodbyes. She hung up the phone, wondering if she did the right thing. Her aunt wasn’t even supposed to tell her in the first place. It wasn’t really her business. It was between Simon and Penny. If Penny wanted to date someone with problems, it wasn’t her place to tell her. At the same time, Ashley couldn’t ignore the fact that something was wrong with their relationship in the first place. Lucas had to warn Penny about Simon. She just hoped she would listen to him.

  Ashley didn’t see him before school the next morning either. However, she did see Penny and she couldn’t help but notice she was glaring at her. The angry look on her face confirmed Ashley’s feeling that the meeting didn’t go well. It was only a matter of time before she would confront her and Ashley wasn’t looking forward to the conversation.

  Chloe’s voice snapped her back to reality. “What the hell is her problem? Is she still mad at me because I forced her to give back the earrings? We’re not even pressing charges against her.” Ashley didn’t get a chance to respond as Chloe stormed over to Penny and her friends. Ashley and Jill were right behind her, trying to warn her it wasn’t a good idea to confront her, but their warnings fell on deaf ears.

  However, Penny spoke up first as she looked at Ashley. “If I wasn’t allowed in your business, what makes you think you can butt into mine?” she demanded.

  “I was only trying to help,” Ashley defended. “I think I would want to know if my boyfriend had some issues to deal with and it would be better off if we would break up for a while while he gets help.”

  “Simon doesn’t need help,” Penny defended. “Neither do I. So why don’t you just leave us alone?” She and her friends walked away without another word.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Chloe asked Ashley angrily as they made their way back to their table. “What did you guys mean by Simon having some problems? Should we be worried?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Ashl
ey replied, hoping someone would change the subject. However, her friends didn’t want to let it go until she gave them an explanation. She let out a heavy sigh before she spoke. “I just heard Simon has some issues to work out.” That’s all that she was going to say.

  Chloe’s angry face turned to concern. “Issues? What kinds of issues?” she asked.

  “I don’t know the specifics,” Ashley replied honestly. “I just know it’s better if Penny stays away from him.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did after the drama he caused at the dance,” Jill replied. “We should have another dance since he ruined the first one.”

  “Simon didn’t ruin the dance,” Chloe defended. “Penny did when she refused to give me back my great-grandmother’s earrings. If she would have just given them up, Mrs. Campbell wouldn’t have gotten involved and neither would Simon’s parents.”

  “If there was a crime, the police would have to question everyone involved including Simon,” Gwen told her. “The police had to get involved. I just wish there was evidence to prove he’s the robber who has been stealing from the neighborhood. I would feel better if the culprit is caught and is in jail.”

  “I wish Simon would pay back the money he stole from my family,” Chloe replied. “I doubt that will ever happen though. He is sticking to his story that he is innocent and had received the earrings from a friend. Yet, he won’t give up any names. It’s obvious he’s guilty and doesn’t want to admit he has the rest of the jewelry, not to mention the money.”

  The subject was changed. Ashley kept her eyes out for Lucas, but she didn’t see him until lunchtime. However, he wasn’t willing to share the story until they were alone in the auditorium. His encounter with Penny was just as bad as it was with Ashley. Penny had accused Lucas of being jealous of her relationship with Simon and she didn’t believe him when Lucas insisted that he wasn’t jealous. Of course, Penny didn’t want to hear it and closed the door on him. After Ashley told him about Penny confronting her, they both agreed to steer clear of Penny for a while.

  Chapter 12

  Over the next few days, Ashley hung out with her new friends while she avoided Penny, who didn’t look like she wanted to talk to Lucas or her anytime soon. That was just fine with Ashley. She tried to help her by warning her about Simon, but she didn’t want to hear it. There was nothing else she could do about it. It was up to Penny to make that decision to continue dating Simon or not. Ashley hoped she would make the right decision and dump Simon, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t do it.

  Her time with her friends was better than it was at home. All her dad and Michelle discussed was the baby. It was funny how they didn’t want to get too excited about the baby too early, but it was clear they couldn’t help it. Ashley kept quiet about how she really felt about being a big sister. She didn’t want to ruin the excitement by telling them she doesn’t want a little sibling.

  Deep down, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling resentful and angry that she was going to share Michelle with a stranger. She also felt jealous of all the attention that this baby was going to get and she was worried they were going to forget her. Her lack of control in this situation made her contemplate running away.

  Lucas invited Ashley to go to the movies with him and she accepted the invitation. It was the perfect distraction and she wanted to have an excuse to get out of the house. However, her father was reluctant to allow her out of the house after what had happened at the dance. Luckily, Michelle came to the rescue and assured him she would be fine.

  Kyle looked at his daughter. She gave him a pleading look. He let out a heavy sigh. “Keep your phone on and please call us if you or Lucas get into any trouble.” Ashley nodded before she said goodbye. “And be back by curfew.”

  “I will,” Ashley promised before she followed Lucas out of the house and to his car. She gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. My dad has been a little too overprotective of me because of the Simon incident.” Lucas nodded understandingly. “So what movie are we going to see?” she asked, changing the subject. There weren’t many movies out she wanted to see so she was willing to go and watch one he wanted to see. When Lucas gave the suggestion of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, she agreed and they took off towards the movie theater.

  Even though they were going as friends, Lucas offered to buy their tickets for the movie. After a little bit of discussion, Ashely accepted the offer. They stood in line for their popcorn and drinks. They were planning to share a bucket of popcorn while they were going to have their separate drinks.

  After the movie was over, they headed over to the diner for dessert. It was crowded, but they managed to find an empty booth. While Ashley had her usual Chocolate Chip Cookie Shake, Lucas decided on a Chocolate Banana Shake. He gave Ashley a smile. “It’s nice to be served for once. As much as I love this job, I like having downtime. It’s going to be hard to leave it when I graduate next year, but I’m moving on to bigger and better things.”

  Ashley let out a heavy sigh. “You’re lucky. I still have another year of being an outcast before I can get out of here. I’m not sure where I’m going to go, but I’m not staying here while my dad starts his new family.” Lucas gave her a look. “I know. I should talk to them to tell them how I really feel about the baby, but I don’t want to disappoint them. My dad is really happy now. I don’t want to ruin it.”

  “So you’re just going to keep on pretending you’re excited about the baby?” Lucas asked.

  “How could I when nobody is supposed to know about the baby yet?” Ashley pointed out. Lucas was amused at how she found the loophole. “I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts. If everyone like my aunt Jennifer could read minds, then everyone will know before they actually want to reveal it. I’m sure Michelle’s friends will figure it out before she tells them. According to my aunt, Michelle has the motherly glow. What does that even mean?”

  Lucas laughed. “I don’t know.” There was a short pause before he spoke again. “Are you really just going to pretend you’re excited to be a big sister? You’re not even going to try and be happy about this?”

  “As I said before, my dad is starting over with a new family,” Ashley said. “It’s not fair. I was just getting used to Michelle. Now I’m going to have to get used to a new baby. It’s a little too much for me.”

  Lucas didn’t answer as their drinks arrived and Ashley took a sip of her shake. “You’re still not planning on running away, are you?” Ashley didn’t answer since she didn’t know if she would still run away or not. She was relieved when Lucas changed the subject by talking about the movie and the previews.

  They stayed at the diner long after they had finished their drinks. They were enjoying each other’s company too much to leave. Eventually, Lucas did take Ashley home. When she arrived in the foyer, both her dad and Michelle were waiting for her in the living room.

  Their conversation stopped when they saw Ashley. She walked into the living room as Kyle gave her a warm smile. “How was your evening with Lucas?” he asked his daughter as she joined them. “Did you have fun?”

  Ashley nodded. “Yeah, we went to the movies and then dropped by the diner for dessert.”

  Kyle smiled in return. “It sounds like you had a nice time with Lucas.” His smile faded as he spoke again. “We need to talk.” Ashley looked at him curiously. There was silence as Kyle cleared his throat. “We’ve noticed you’ve been really distant from us lately and we just want to make sure everything is okay between us.”

  “Not only us, but with the baby as well,” Michelle added. “We didn’t plan to have a baby so soon after the wedding, but it’s a nice surprise. We’re happy about it and we hope you are too. However, we would also understand if you’re not.”

  “No, I’m excited for you guys,” Ashley said, doing her best to sound cheerful. “For us.”

  Her father wasn’t falling for it. Not this time. “Ashley, I know you. You don’t have to put on this act. I know you don’t want to be a big
sister.”

  “Aunt Jennifer told you?” Ashley guessed. She shook her head in disbelief. “Why can’t Aunt Jennifer keep things to herself? I know she’s a psychologist, but she needs to mind her own business.”

  Kyle understood how she felt. “Your aunt is well aware that she reads people when they don’t want her in their business, but she didn’t say anything. I’ve noticed how distant you’ve been. I thought there was a certain reason, but I didn’t want to accuse you of being jealous of the baby. However, that is the impression I’m getting from you.” Ashley didn’t answer. “You have to know I’m not replacing you with the new baby. I would never do that. I would never want to do that. You’re still my daughter and I love you.”

  “So do I,” Michelle assured her. “I love having you as my stepdaughter. And I’m sorry if you feel like we have been making you feel unwelcomed. Or uncomfortable. It’s just that we’re really excited about expanding our family.”

  Ashley stopped her from going further. “You don’t have to explain. I get it. You should be happy. You’re having my baby brother or sister. Just give me time. I’m still adjusting to the news.” Kyle and Michelle nodded their heads understandingly. “I’m going to go to bed.” Nobody stopped her as she left the room and went upstairs to her bedroom.

  As Ashley got ready for bed, she couldn’t help but think about what her father and stepmother had told her about their family and the baby. Apparently, she hadn’t hidden her feelings very well. She knew her father and Michelle loved her, but she still wasn’t sure about this baby. She was just glad she had plenty of time to figure out her feelings before Kyle and Michelle made the announcement. Right now, she was still against it.

  It felt like she had been asleep for only a few minutes when she was woken up. She could hear movement in the hallway. She could also hear her father’s angry voice while his wife was trying to shush him. Something was terribly wrong. Her father was usually up late working on a case. Not until three in the morning though. What was going on?