Brave New Girl (Behind Closed Doors Book 1)

by Grace Herbst

  Ashley could hear the surprise in Lucas’s voice from behind her. “You were best friends with Roxanne and she never invited you to her place?”

  “Yeah, our friendship was really one sided,” Ashley agreed. “I may have told her my secrets, but she never told me hers. In fact, I’m not even sure she has any real friends.” Ms. Bartlett glanced at her. “I’m serious. I don’t think she cares about anybody but herself.” Ashley had a feeling that would be tested later.

  “That sounds like another girl I know,” Lucas hissed from the backseat. His tone had anger written all over it. “I still can’t believe you’re going to go through with this. You know there’s nothing here for you.”

  “Lucas, I told you to let it go,” Ms. Bartlett warned before Ashley could say a word. “If Ashley wants to stay here, then that’s her choice.” Lucas wanted to protest, but Ms. Bartlett didn’t let him. “Yes, I had a responsibility to tell her dad and Michelle that she was with me. As much as Ashley hated it, I did call Michelle and told her Ashley was with me and she was safe. That was the right thing to do.”

  “The other right thing to do is to come back home,” Lucas snapped as he turned to Ashley. “Did you ever think how your new friends would feel by you leaving them? Especially me? Do you know how happy I was to have a friend to talk to that was going through similar things I had gone through? Feeling like an outsider? I really liked that girl. But I’m not sure where that girl is anymore.” He didn’t say anything more as he leaned back into the seat.

  Ashley felt even guiltier than before, but she didn’t think he would listen to her apology. It wouldn’t fix anything. She still wanted to continue with her plan by staying there in the city and finding somewhere else to crash. However, she started to wonder about how her selfishness was affecting everyone else. It felt just like when she was rebelling against her dad and not caring about the consequences of her actions. Maybe she truly was going backwards instead of forward.

  Chapter 18

  Ashley wandered around the mall, trying to forget about everyone pressuring her to return to Emerald. It wasn’t a surprise to find the shopping center hadn’t changed too much since she had last entered the mall. That was months ago when Michelle was looking for a wedding gown and her bridesmaids’ dresses. She eventually chose dresses from the bridal shop in downtown Emerald.

  Ashley had to push the thought of Emerald out of her head. She was in Sapphire City. She was in her favorite mall. Since it was so early in the morning, there was hardly anybody around. Ashley had the mall practically all to herself. She should enjoy browsing through the stores while she went on the job hunt. However, there weren’t many stores open. But it gave her a chance to think about where she would be interested in applying for a job.

  As she walked through the mall, a jewelry store caught her attention. Knowing this mall like the back of her hand, she knew this store was new. Walking in, the store clerk gave her a friendly smile as Ashley began to look around at the rows and rows of different engagement rings. “Good morning. What can I help you with today?”

  “Thanks, but I’m just looking. You have a beautiful jewelry collection,” Ashley complimented.

  The store clerk smiled proudly. Before she could reply, there was another voice. “Thank you. We do try to make sure we have our best pieces out for display. Now are you sure I can’t persuade you into buying a pair of earrings? We have a wonderful collection of earrings that I’m sure you would love to wear.” The store clerk led her over to another display. “Or perhaps you would like something that represents your birthstone? What month were you born in?”

  Before Ashley could respond, she heard a familiar voice. “As I recall, her birthday is in October. Isn’t that right, Ace?” Ashley turned around to see Roxanne and a couple of her friends. Ashley didn’t recognize the other two girls and she figured they were probably new to Roxanne’s crew. She walked over to the display case where Ashley was standing. She glanced through the glass case at the jewelry. “That means your birthstone is opal, right?” Ashley was quiet at first before she nodded her head. “It’s just a suggestion, but maybe you should wait until your birthday. You’re turning sweet sixteen, right?”

  Ashley was getting more and more annoyed with Roxanne. “Actually, it’s seventeen. But why don’t we skip the small talk?”

  Roxanne just grinned. “Well, it looks like I’m not the only one who strolls into town unannounced. Unlike you, I’ll be more welcoming. My friend is having a little party tonight and you are welcome to come.”

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass,” Ashley replied. Like the last meeting, there was no temptation. “I’ve had more than my fair share of parties to last me a lifetime.”

  “Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind.” The conversation was interrupted by another woman marching up to the group. Ashley noticed the woman wasn’t happy and she was directing her anger at Roxanne. However, Roxanne didn’t even seem worried. As always, she had the look of amusement on her face. “Hello Loretta.”

  Ashley noticed the tension between the woman and Roxanne even before the woman responded. “Roxanne, you know you are not welcome here. Why don’t you and your friends leave before I have security escort you out?”

  Roxanne tried not to laugh. “Really? I know I’m banished from home, but this is a public place.” Ashley hung on her words. Was this woman Roxanne’s mother? “Are you really going to kick your daughter out of your own store?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about,” Mrs. Spencer replied. “I have no daughter. If you were my daughter, you wouldn’t have broken into my store and stole my jewelry.” Ashley knew Roxanne was estranged from her parents, but she didn’t know it was this bad. “I can’t prove it now, but I know it was you. Therefore, I don’t trust you in this store. So please leave.”

  “Alright. I can take a hint,” Roxanne replied. “Come on girls.” Her friends made their way to the entrance while Roxanne turned to Ashley. “If you change your mind about the party, it will be at my apartment building.” She told her the details, but it didn’t register with Ashley. “See you around, Ace.” Roxanne followed her friends out of the store.

  Mrs. Spencer shook her head disapprovingly. “I should apologize for her, but she isn’t my problem anymore.”

  It didn’t seem to bother Mrs. Spencer that Roxanne and Ashley knew each other. She was too focused on the knowledge that Roxanne had made an unexpected visit. As much as Ashley wanted to know more about Roxanne’s estranged relationship with her mother, she didn’t want to intrude in her personal life. Instead, she asked a different question. “Did you say your store was robbed?”

  Mrs. Spencer brushed it off. “There’s no reason for alarm. It happened last spring and it wasn’t even at this store. It was at another location. My best jewelry was stolen. Even though the police claimed they doesn’t know who it was, I know it was Roxanne. Or one of her friends. She’s an embarrassment to the Spencer name.”

  Ashley pressed for more answers. “Why would you think it was her?”

  “Because she loves to borrow jewelry and never gives it back to the rightful owner,” Mrs. Spencer said. “Instead, she shares it with her friends and I have to fight to get them back. Does nobody want to do the right thing anymore?”

  Ashley began to have a suspicion about Roxanne. “That doesn’t mean she would steal your jewelry.”

  “That girl knows her jewelry,” Mrs. Spencer replied. “She was taught well about spotting the difference between real or fake jewelry, not to mention the cost. The more expensive it was, the more she had to have. And that’s all I’m going to say about that girl.”

  Ashley was too shocked to give a response. Now she was really feeling guilty. She knew exactly what robbery she was talking about. That robbery was the last fun adventure she had with Roxanne before she had the car accident, but she wasn’t about to confess her involvement with that robbery yet. She wanted to talk with her former partner first. Ashley wanted to do the
right thing. She had a feeling Roxanne didn’t care about ethics, but she wanted to give her a chance to redeem herself as well.

  “Miss, are you alright?” Ms. Spencer asked her, snapping her out of her reverie. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  Ashley was upset, but it was for an entirely different reason than what Mrs. Spencer was thinking. “I’m fine. I should probably get going,” she said and she left the store without waiting for Mrs. Spencer’s response. Ashley now knew she had to talk to Roxanne and confront her. If that meant she would have to attend that party, she was going to do it there. Knowing she would have to go back to the lions’ den terrified her, but she had to do it.

  Ashley now wished she had paid attention to Roxanne when she was telling her about the details of the party. However, her mind was blank. As much as she didn’t want to contact Roxanne, she had no choice. She sat down at a nearby bench and called Roxanne. She answered on the first ring. Ashley could hear the pleasure in her former friend’s voice. “Hey Ace. Did you change your mind already?”

  “Actually, I just had an interesting conversation with your mom.” Ashley corrected herself before Roxanne could do it. “We need to talk.”

  As always, Roxanne was cool and collected. “I see. And what possibly do we need to talk about?”

  “You’ll find out at the party,” Ashley said, not wanting to discuss it in public. “Just tell me the details about the party again.” Ashley was relieved Roxanne told her the address and the time of the party and she quickly wrote the information down. “Thank you. I’ll see you there.” She didn’t let Roxanne respond before she hung up the phone.

  Ashley didn’t move from the bench. She couldn’t help but think about how different her relationship was with her father compared to Roxanne and her parents. From the conversation she had witnessed, it sounded like Roxanne never had a good relationship with her parents. It made Ashley wonder what Roxanne did to force her parents to kick her out of the house. It was apparent that Roxanne had always been rebellious, but what could possibly have fractured her relationship with her parents where they didn’t even want her involved in their lives?

  It made Ashley worried about her own relationship with her father. They had been so close up until Michelle came into the picture. Now there was a baby on the way and she has now decided to move back to Sapphire City. Would she and her dad get to that point where they weren’t even speaking to each other? If they would speak, would they be on a first name basis? Or would it get to the point where she wouldn’t even be able to walk into his office without getting kicked out by security?

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She recognized the ringtone. She stared at it as the phone continued to ring. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone and put it to her ear. “Hey Dad.”

  “Hey sweetie. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. You look like you were deep in thought,” her father told her. “How are you doing?”

  Ashley caught his words. She frowned. “Wait, how did you know what I was doing?”

  In her heart, she already knew the answer. He was here at the mall. He found her. It was confirmed when he answered. “Turn around,” he instructed. Ashley did what she was told and she saw her dad standing a few feet away from the bench. She was at loss for words. She got up from the bench as he walked over to her. Ashley wanted to ask, but her father answered for her. “I had a feeling you were here. This always was your favorite place.”

  “You weren’t supposed to find out,” Ashley told him in a whisper. “I wasn’t expecting to run into Ms. Bartlett at the gas station.”

  To her surprise, her father wasn’t angry. It was more relief than anything else. “I’m glad she did,” Kyle replied. “But I don’t quite understand why. Why did you feel like you needed to run away?” Ashley couldn’t find the words to explain to him. “It looks like we need to talk. Why don’t we go and get some lunch? You can tell me all about it.” Ashley nodded. It was time for her to give him an explanation.

  Chapter 19

  Soon, Kyle and Ashley were sitting at a table in her favorite restaurant. A place they used to be regulars at where the staff knew their names and orders. Although the staff had changed, there were still a few familiar faces. They greeted them as they came through the door. One of the hostesses who knew them escorted them to their table. After ordering their drinks and food, they were left alone. The smile that was on Ashley’s face had disappeared as soon as they were left alone.

  Kyle looked at his daughter. “I’ve missed that smile of yours. I can’t remember the last time I saw you light up like you just did.” There was a short pause. “Look, I know there has been a lot of changes over the past couple of years. We went from a family of two to a family of three. And now it’s going to be a family of four. And I know this transition has been hard on you. Believe it or not, it’s been hard on me too.” Ashley looked at him. “I never expected to fall in love with Michelle as fast as I did. I wanted to take it slow because of you. Even Michelle wanted to take our time.”

  Ashley’s face turned to surprise. “Really? Michelle wanted to take it slow? If that was true, then why didn’t you guys slow the relationship down? Did you think Michelle’s biological clock was ticking away and you felt like you had to rush to start a family?”

  “Ashley, you know better than anyone not to listen to gossip,” Kyle reminded her. “Yes, it has been her dream to settle down and start a family. She was aware she was running out of time. Yet, the decision had nothing to do with our relationship. The reason why we felt like we had to rush was because of you.”

  Ashley was completely lost. She pondered the thought as their food arrived and the plates were put down in front of them. Kyle continued as soon as the waitress was gone. She ate and listened as her father spoke. “You were going downhill and I felt helpless. I didn’t know what to do and I leaned on Michelle for support. We grew closer than ever and we just knew we wanted to be together. It certainly wasn’t easy juggling myself between you, Michelle and work. And I know I failed you and that was why I kept an eye on you all summer. I didn’t want to make another mistake.”

  Ashley interrupted him. “You didn’t fail me. It was my decision to hang out with Roxanne and her friends.”

  “I know, but I should have been more attentive to you and your feelings about me dating Michelle,” Kyle told her. “Just like now. I knew you were feeling uncomfortable with the thought of being a big sister. Especially at your age. I get it. You are almost out of high school and you are going off to college soon. How could you bond with a kid that you are barely going to see?”

  “That’s not my main fear,” Ashley said as she picked at her food. Kyle looked at her. Now it was her turn to talk. This was what she had been holding back for the last couple of days. “I know you told me you weren’t replacing me with the new baby. But with the way you and Michelle went with your relationship, I couldn’t help but think you were forgetting about me and starting anew. You had a new wife and now you were expecting a baby. You could cut back the hours so you could have more time to spend with Michelle and the baby. You could do all these things that you didn’t have a chance to do with me. I might as well just stay here.”

  Again, Kyle didn’t seem to get upset. He was quiet for a moment. “I see. Why don’t we take a drive after lunch? There’s someplace special I want to show you. Maybe we can even drive by the old neighborhood.”

  “That would be nice,” Ashley replied. There was silence for only a moment before she spoke again. “So how is Aunt Jennifer? Is she okay?” she asked, knowing her dad would tell her the truth.

  Kyle took a deep breath before he spoke. “I was hoping you wouldn’t find out. I didn’t want to worry you. Your aunt has several injuries including two broken ribs. At first, she was in a coma, but she was able to wake up.” Ashley let out a relieved sigh. “So she’s going to be alright. Right now, she’s in the ICU. The doctor wants her to stay at the hospital one more d
ay for observation, but she will be able to go home soon.” There was a short pause and Ashley knew he was going to tell her about the assault. “Now your aunt has not been able to identify her attacker.”

  Ashley was shocked. “What? Why?” she exclaimed angrily.

  Kyle tried to calm her down. “Because the assailant was wearing a black ski mask. She did give them a couple of suspects. Unfortunately, the police can’t get her client list because of doctor patient confidentiality. They aren’t planning to drop the case though. They are working hard to find who did it.”

  “We know who did it,” Ashley insisted. “Why can’t the police see that?”

  “There’s a process to the investigation,” Mr. Meyer replied. He seemed calmer than he was the other night when he received the news about his sister. “The police have to look at the evidence and gather a suspect list. They have to check alibis. And it’s a little challenging when they can’t get the client list. Even if the police do get a warrant for the client list, I don’t believe Mr. Green would cooperate in letting them question his son again.”

  Ashley hated to admit it, but it was probably true. She remembered how Simon’s dad reacted to the accusations against his son at the dance. She couldn’t imagine how he would react to knowing his son assaulted another person. He would probably help him with his alibi.

  “I don’t want you to worry about it though,” Mr. Meyer said. “The doctors are taking care of your aunt and the police are handling the investigation.”

  There was no reason to mention her aunt’s assault was partly the reason why she ran away. Instead, Ashley finished eating as she wondered where her father was planning to take her. She also couldn’t wait to go through the old neighborhood. She had not been back for a few months. They weren’t supposed to return to the city until Christmas to visit her grandmother.