by S. L. Jayne
Rounding the corner just as Rylee comes hurling towards me, slamming into me, luckily I got my arms out just in time to catch her or else we’d both be on our asses.
“What the hell, Ry? What’s going on?” I asked as I took in my surroundings, policemen and woman stood around Lexi and Connor, she’s crying and Connor has his head in his hands.
“He’s dead, Ava. Nate’s dead,” she looked at me, her voice was calm but her eyes were anything but, they look confused, scared, worried, I can’ tell. My mind has hazed over, I can’t even think.
“What? How?”
“They found his car near Chelsea Street, that’s right by Logan airport, Ava, he was really coming here. Other cars stopped and the ones that called 911 had said he wasn’t driving in a straight line, they think he may have been drinking and drove right off the road, but they need to do tests to see if there is alcohol in his system,” she shrugged.
I don’t think the reality has set in yet, I know she hated him and pretty much wished him dead a few hours before his fate, but she seems so calm on the outside.
“Wow, are you okay? Are you upset? You don’t look upset,” it was all I could manage to get out.
“I’m upset for Connor losing his dad. As much as I hated him and as much as Connor is fighting back the tears, he was still his dad, he’s still angry and upset at Nate’s actions but I think it’ll hit him soon. I just can’t believe he’s gone, Ava,” she shook her head in disbelief, then turned to look at her mom.
Matt was sitting on the other side of Lexi with his arm draped over her shoulder, Ryan was sitting with Connor and it looks like they are in a deep conversation. Rylee and I head to the kitchen to make coffee, the officers were still taking a few details but assured us that everything is okay and said they would be leaving us to grieve soon.
“I need to talk to you about Thanksgiving,” Rylee said.
I could hear the uncertainty in her voice, did she know about Ryan’s plan? I thought Ryan knew I wanted to wait to make a decision? I’ll beat his ass!
“What about it, Ry? Is now the right time to talk about it? We can wait.”
“No it’s okay, I’d rather talk about anything but what is going on right now. I just wanted to know how you’d feel about me spending it with Matt. He offered last night on our way back from dropping mom and Connor off at his place, he said he wants to spend it with me. He only has his Dad and it’s his last Thanksgiving with him before him and his wife move back to Texas and Matt wants me to meet him,” she smiled. This time it was a genuine smile, I know because it reached her eyes.
Smiling back at her I nodded. “Ryan wants to take me home for Thanksgiving. I didn’t want to mention it until everything with your mom had blown over, but even if Ryan hadn’t planned this I would still tell you to go with Matt. It’s an awesome idea and I think him wanting you to meet his dad is a huge step for you both but it’ll be great!”
“Apparently his dad said he’s never met any of Matt’s friends, much less a girl.” She rolled her eyes and grinned. “His dad knows we’re friends, and before you jump down my throat about the label, we are still just friends- I have agreed to talk to him about all of that though, we just haven’t gotten round to it yet,” she beamed.
I handed out the coffees and Lexi showed the officers to the door. There was still a blanket of tension in the air, not the fearful tension from last night, this one is more like an awkward silence but thick with uncertainty and angst. No one knows what to say or do, or what will happen next.
“I need to go back to Boston to sort a few things out,” Lexi said quietly.
“I don’t want to go back yet, Mom.”
“We have to Connor, just for one night, I need to sort out funeral arrangements and a few other things. We’ll come straight back,” Lexi promised.
Rylee sat next to Connor putting her arm around him. “We’ll all go, mom can’t do this alone. You, mom and I will go Monday and come back Tuesday night, okay?”
“Okay”
“What about work? Do you need me to do anything?” Matt asked Rylee.
“No, Matt, you’ve been amazing and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for the support you’ve given us,” she smiled at him, “Mr. Ashby will be okay with me missing a couple days, he’ll understand.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I held my hand up like it was my turn to talk.
We spent the rest of the morning going out for breakfast and finalizing the flights home for Rylee, Connor and Lexi. Rylee had told Connor and Lexi about Linda at the café and how quirky she was and that made them all the more eager to eat there. The different scenery made us all a little more relaxed and the awkward silence had gone. Finally. Lexi was bearing up and Connor still hadn’t shown any signs of grieving, that worried Rylee a bit, she said it wouldn’t be good for him to keep it all locked up.
Chapter Twenty Five
Monday morning rolled around way too quickly for my liking. Yesterday went by smoothly, Lexi and Rylee went out for a few hours to spend some quality alone time together, Connor went off to do something with Matt while Ryan and I went out for lunch and then on to buy myself a laptop. I needed Ryan with me to help me, I don’t understand all the technical jargon that comes with making sure you have the right one. I left my laptop at home when we left because I mainly use my phone for everything, and I think if I tried to take it away from my mom she would be in therapy after 12 hours with Candy Crush withdrawals. Ryan and Matt went home last night after spending all weekend watching over us all like hawks, they really are a couple of the best guys anyone could ever meet. The friendship they have formed since meeting is crazy, it’s like they have known each other all their lives, Ryan says they just “get each other”, is it the same meaning in the bromance world as is it for us girls? Either way it’s great because the four of us together feels right. We all crashed pretty early last night, I think the weekend drained us all, some of us more than others but we all helped each other and will continue to help get Lexi, Connor and Rylee through this.
I say my goodbyes to them before I leave for work making sure Lexi and Connor both have my number to call me when they leave here at two o’clock and again when they reach Boston, since Rylee’s cell is still a shattered mess. They promise to call, I leave the apartment and head for my car.
I turn up the volume on my car stereo then send a quick text to Ryan telling him I love him to the moon and back and I’ll see him later. My thoughts drift to my idea about Rylee’s dad, could he really be this close? I have no clue where to start looking, except for Google, and absolutely no idea what I’m going to find. I know it’s crazy and I should maybe leave it be until Rylee decides she wants to know more about it but I have a gut feeling and I can’t ignore it. I don’t know what the feeling is telling me, all I know is that if and when the time comes that Rylee wants to know, then I’ll know the best way to help. I hate the thought of keeping anything from her and to be honest I don’t even know if I’ll be able to, the last time I kept anything from her was when I lost my virginity to Ryan and even then I cracked under the guilt of keeping a huge secret from my best friend. I think I need to ask Ryan for help on where to start.
Grabbing my coffee from the machine I make my way to the office, it feels strange coming into work without Rylee. I can hear Aimee and Kaitlyn are giggling their asses off before I get through the door. I’m sure Aimee’s cackling can be heard within in a three mile radius, for somebody so small she can hit a high note.
“Morning, girlies, what’s so funny?” I chuckle at them both almost chocking with laughter.
Kaitlyn is trying to catch her breath enough to tell me.
“Have you seen Mr Ashby this morning?”
“Nooo?” I ask drawing my eyebrows together and dragging the word out.
They both erupt into another round of giggling. What the heck?
“Okay, one of you need to tell me what’s so funny before I go seek-”
I stop in my tracks, the
door swings open and my mouth drops on its own as Mr Ashby waltzes in wearing a bright pink shirt, blue suspenders and has his hair gelled into what looks like a comb over. What. The. Hell. He looks like a children’s TV presenter, the ones that only dress like that because they are getting freaking paid for it! I feel the laughter bubble up in my throat, biting down on my lip to stop it from escaping I turn and make a dash for my office, leaving Aimee and Kaitlyn scrambling around their desks looking for a distraction.
I put my coffee down and switch the computer on. Before I can sit down I hear a tapping on the door, I call out to tell them to come in.
Mr Ashby poked his head around the door. “Morning, Ava. I just wanted to ask you to move a few of my meetings around at lunchtime please, something has come up and I need to keep that part of the day free,” he smiled.
I swallow back my giggle and plaster a smile on my face. “No problem, I’ll do that first.”
“Thank you,” he said as he left.
I pull up the schedule for today’s meetings before I do anything else. Today of all days he wants me to move meetings around, Mondays are always packed full. I notice there is a twelve fifteen meeting listed but with no name. Odd. I leave it there and move around a few others instead, giving him an hour free, I have a feeling the blank meeting is related to his new attire so I don’t want to screw that up for him.
After doing the emails and making phone calls all morning, making reminders and readjusting deadlines I have a few minutes left before lunch. I pull my cell out of my purse and text Ryan.
Me: Hey my gorgeous man. I miss you. Five hours until I see you. xxx
He responds instantly, I guess he is already on his lunch break.
Ryan: Hello my beautiful girl. I miss you too, crazy miss you. Four hours, 35 minutes and 43 seconds, every second with you counts. Xxx
A smile spreads across my face and butterflies explode in my tummy, a feeling I will never get tired of. Ryan is my then, now, and forever.
I grab my purse and head out the door to meet Aimee and Kaitlyn in the lobby. Today really does seem too strange without Rylee, I miss her already and she hasn’t even left Cali yet. I walk through the doors and come to an abrupt stop when I hear a familiar voice. Taking a slow step back away from Mr Ashby’s office door, I stand as still as possible so I can concentrate on the hushed voices.
“I need to know, Alexia. I loved you,” I hear Mr Ashby say in a desperate tone.
“We’re not in college anymore, Max. Please don’t do this.”
It’s Lexi’s voice!
My hand flies up to cover my mouth and I feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. They were in college together? How? Rylee has never mentioned her mom living in San Diego before, I always thought she was born and raised in Boston. I scurry down the corridor as fast I can without being noticed, I need to get out of here before I turn back and ask how they know each other and why the hell Lexi was under a blank name if they have nothing to hide. Does Rylee even know she’s here?
I reach the lobby and see Aimee and Kaitlyn waiting for me. I don’t think I can go to lunch, I need to talk to Rylee, or Ryan, I need to tell somebody what I’ve just heard and I don’t want to invite Aimee or Kaitlyn into my crazy head.
Kaitlyn spots me walking towards them, she gives me a worried look and says something to Aimee.
“Are you okay, Ava? You look about ready to throw up.”
I’m ready to do more than throw up. My head is ready to explode and I’m ready to burst with questions right now.
“I’m not feeling good, I think I’m going to skip lunch and go home. I’ll call Mr Ashby when I get there, he’s in a meeting right now,” I give them a small smile and leave the lobby.
The fresh air hits me and I take a deep breath before I get in my car, I need to concentrate to drive. I pull my cell out to call Ryan.
He answers on the second ring. “Hello, my girl.” His voice instantly calms my nerves.
“Hey, babe. I need you. I don’t know if Ry knows that Lexi is in a meeting with Mr Ashby right now but he said he wants to know something but she said they aren’t in college anymore. What the hell? She didn’t tell me she knew him that day she saw him,” my words came out rushed and I’m pretty sure nothing I just said made sense.
“Calm down, baby, where are you?”
“I’m outside Ashby’s in my car, I need to go home but I can’t because Rylee will ask why I’m home and I can’t tell her it’s because I think her mom and Mr Ashby have something to hide! What the hell am I supposed to do? Maybe Rylee knows? Do you think she knows?”
Ryan went quiet, I could hear his breathing but nothing else.
“Ryan?! Where are you?” I shout down the phone.
“I’m coming to get you, you’re freaking the fuck out and I’m not having you drive when you can’t even think straight. Stay there, don’t move. I’m on my way, okay?”
I nod.
“Ava?” Ryan’s voice roared down the phone.
“What?”
“You nodded, didn’t you?” He chuckled.
“Yeah, sorry. I’ll wait for you.”
Ryan is going to think I am certified crazy, there is no doubt about it.
***
The first thing I do when I walk through Ryan’s apartment door is grab his laptop, I need to google San Diego College back in 1990. Ryan sits next to me as I type in Alexia Blake along with the college name and click search. Nothing comes up.
“Did I do it wrong?” I ask Ryan.
“No, baby, I don’t think she went there. Try Ashby’s name.”
I replace Lexi’s name with Max Ashby. Bingo, a few Max Ashby’s fill my screen, I scroll through them but none of them look even slightly familiar.
I look at Ryan tilting my head to the side. “What now? They have to have been in college together, Lexi said it! What am I doing wrong?”
He raised one eyebrow and grinned at me. “Baby, I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong, I think it’s the college that’s wrong. Replace San Diego College with Boston.”
I shrug, it’s worth a try. “Lexi was with Rylee’s dad in college, if Max went there he’d have known that.”
I enter Max’s name into the search bar and click enter. Old news articles and Images fill the screen.
Star quarterback Max Ashby brings the win!
I click on an image and lean closer to the screen, the Max Ashby in the picture looks familiar.
“Search their names together,” he whispered.
Holding my breath I press enter.
Alexia Blake and Max Ashby win cutest college couple of 1990!
“No, it can’t be,” I shake my head and turn to Ryan. He is staring at the screen with his eyebrows raised.
“They could have been together, they could have broken up and then Lexi found someone else. That will explain why he said he needed to know, why he had said he loved her. Maybe she broke it off with Max to be with the other guy,” I nod at my theories.
Ryan looks at me and smirks. “I love you, baby, I really do, but for someone so clever you really can have dense moments. Look at them together, if you merged their looks you’d have a picture of Rylee staring back at you.”
Nope. No. Hell no. Welcome denial.
I refuse to believe that our boss is Rylee’s dad. He’d have said something, Rylee looks just like her mom, he’s seen them both together. My whole body tingles with realisation as Friday plays back in my mind like a flip book. Lexi’s reaction to seeing Rylee with Mr Ashby, Mr Ashby’s eyes focusing on Lexi, his sudden mood change at the elevator…
“Ryan… I don’t think Mr Ashby had blue balls when he saw Lexi, I think he had his past handed to him on a plate.”
Chapter Twenty Six
Ryan’s arm wraps around me as he kisses me on the side of my head. Letting out a long sigh I stare blankly at the screen in front of me, a picture of a young Lexi and Max looking at each other smiling and happy; not just because they have won the contest,
you can see the happiness in the way they are looking at each other.
“What am I going to tell Rylee?” My voice is almost a whisper.
“Nothing. Don’t tell her anything right now, they have enough to deal with.”
“Oh my god, you’re right! I’m so insensitive for even thinking that!” I sigh and shake my head. Ryan is right I can’t tell Rylee anything right now, I have to keep it to myself. After all, I could be wrong and that’ll do more bad than good.
Ryan pulled me over on to his lap wrapping his arm around me. I rest my head on his shoulder and my hand on his chest.
“No you’re not. Don’t think that, you’re freaked out and you did what every best friend would do and that’s immediately think of telling their friend the truth.”
“I know, I just don’t want to believe it’s true, and maybe if I say it out loud to Rylee I’ll see how crazy it sounds when she laughs at me and rolls her eyes as she says “Ava you’re being delusional again”, because right now I do feel like I’m half way to crazyville.”
Ryan snickered and shook his head. “If either of us is crazy, it’s me, because I’m the one that put the idea in your head, I pointed out what you weren’t seeing.”
“So it’s your fault… Jerk!” I giggled.
“Oh I’m a jerk now am I?” He looked down at me narrowing his eyes.
I nod enthusiastically. “Yep… total jerk for making me crazy,” I laugh
His hands slide to my side and his fingers dig into my ribs making me squeal, I hate being tickled. I fall to the side and end up on my back on the couch.
“Stop, please…” I shout through my laughter, I hate it but I can’t stop the fact it makes me laugh.
“Sorry, what? I can’t hear you, I’m a jerk,” he smirked at me and carried on tickling.
I try and catch my breath between the laughter. “I’m sorry… I won’t call you that again!”
“Call me what?”
“A Jerk!”
“Sorry, baby, you just did,” his laugh echoed around the room, he’s enjoying this far too much.