Chapter 6 – Arguments escalating
“Lucy, can you please put me out of my misery? I don’t think I can stand it much longer,” she heard Ash’s pained words, and snapped out of the morbid thoughts that were shuttling through her mind.
“Ash, we are fine. Okay, I’m shocked, and I probably need to go away to think about it for a while, but I haven’t given up on you,” She told him with a small smile.
“Do you want me to take you home?” He asked softly, but sadly.
“I think so. I just need to get used to this different side of you.” Lucy nodded at him, and Ash felt his heart clench.
In the darkening sky, he drove her back silently. Ash wasn’t sure what to say, while Lucy couldn’t stop her thoughts from scattering to the wind. She felt awkward just sitting there saying nothing.
“I’m sorry for what happened with Nick,” Ash broke the silence.
“Stop apologising for the selfish jerk, Ash,” Lucy protested, looking over at him with a frown.
“He shouldn’t have done that.” Ash slashed a hand through the air angrily, as he pulled up to her door.
Lucy hesitated at getting out. She didn’t want the night to end with everything being so uncomfortable. She knew that she would have to bare her soul a little, so he knew that she wasn’t running away. With all that she had learned tonight, she just needed a chance to sort it out in her mind.
“What you said earlier in the car, that I wouldn’t want to be seen with you, well that’s not true. I’m not going to treat you differently. I’m very comfortable around you, once I get used to this whole Martin James thing. I would also love another chance at our date,” Lucy told him honestly, and for the first time since their dreadful date interruption, he smiled at her.
“Thank God for that,” He said on a sigh, making her smile in return.
“I’ll ring you when I’ve got things sorted out, and I stop freaking out about this.” She promised, and he nodded.
She opened the door and unlocked her seat, before putting her feet out the door. Only the touch of his hand on hers stopped her, and she turned back to him.
“Please, don’t tell Penny.” He whispered urgently.
“I won’t, it’s not my secret to tell anyway. If she figures it out, you are in a deep amount of trouble.” Lucy let out a snort of laughter at what her sister would do if she knew whom Ash was “You know her deepest desire is to meet Martin James, and to run off into the sunset with him.” She warned him with a smirk, and he just let out a groan.
“I like your sister just fine, but she wouldn’t be the one that I would want to run off into the sunset with.” He said warmly.
Lucy felt a blush creep onto her face at his words, and the way he gently touched her hand. She saw the curtains on the window near the door twitch, and she let out a grumble. She couldn’t believe that they were waiting up for her, especially when it wasn’t even that late.
“I’ve got to go,” She said quickly, as she slipped her hand from his, and got out of the car “No, you stay…. aw, damn, I’ll talk to you soon, okay.” She told him, as he went to get out of the car, and she gestured for him to stay.
He looked disappointed, but drove off with Lucy cursing her family all the while. Once Ash was gone, Penny was racing out of the door to meet her. Lucy had hoped it was Daz; she really wanted to talk to him about what happened at Ash’s place.
She may find her brother completely overprotective most of the time. He was also perhaps a little too forthright, but every now and then; he was just the right person to talk with.
“So, how did it go?” Penny asked excitedly. “You’re home awfully early.” Lucy sighed, and wondered how to explain what had happened.
“His brother turned up, and wrecked it,” Lucy told a modicum of truth, and watched her sister’s face fall.
“That’s not what I wanted to hear,” Penny said, sounding quite devastated.
“Well, that’s what happened. Do you know if Daz is back from his shift yet?” Lucy asked, as she walked into the kitchen to grab a snack after not having any dinner.
“Yeah, he got back a half hour ago. Are you going to chew him out for how to get rid of Nick?” Penny asked cheekily, while Lucy just shrugged.
“Yeah, something like that.” She muttered.
She left the house, and walked up to Daz’s house, further up the road. He had built himself a place a few years ago, to have some more privacy. Lucy had sighed with relief when he moved. Even though he was only a small distance away, it still gave her more breathing space.
They now argued a lot less, and had a limited chance of making each other’s life hell. She loved her brother, and understood why he acted the way he did, but sometimes he was too overbearing for anyone to cope with.
She let herself into his house after calling out his name. She crept cautiously around the corner with her eyes shut. She had barrelled in one day, only to find him making out on the couch with a woman that she barely knew. So now, she made sure to be extra careful.
“You can open your eyes. There’s nobody here, but me,” Daz said with a chuckle. She opened her eyes a slit, to see her brother sitting calmly on the couch flicking through the television channels.
“Good, I need to talk to you,” Lucy told him, as she sat on the other end of the couch. She pulled her knees up, and wrapped her arms around them.
“So, what is it? You are back from your date very early. Do I need to go and arrest someone for you?” Daz asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Only his crappy brother,” Lucy said on a sigh, as her brother looked at her expectantly. “I know who Ash is. His brother basically set it up so that I would find out.” She said on a rush.
“Okay and how do you feel about it?” Daz asked, not at all surprised by her news. Lucy shifted under his intense scrutiny, feeling uncomfortable.
“I don’t know. I was shocked at first. God, when he put those contacts in, I almost freaked out and ran from the room. I’ve gotten to know him a bit this last week at school, and he’s nothing like what’s written in all the magazines.” She trailed off, still feeling confused about things.
“I get the feeling that he hasn’t had a lot of people that he could trust in his life. At first, I really thought he was up to something, but after talking with him myself, I know he’s a good guy. Otherwise, there would have been no date tonight.” Daz replied with a grin, just waiting for her reaction.
“Yeah, right.” She snorted.
“What’s worrying you most about this? Is it the fact that he kept it from you? Is it because he's famous? What?” Daz questioned firmly, making Lucy feel like a suspect in a murder case.
“The fact that it could happen again.” Lucy whispered in despair, and Daz rushed over to give her a hug,
“I’m sorry, Lou, I didn’t even think about that.”
She didn’t like thinking about her mother, but as soon as she heard the word famous, she shuddered. That was all her mother had wanted, and she had gotten it at Lucy’s expense many years ago. Her mother only returned to flaunt her tiny amount of fame at them. Getting involved with a singing sensation would sure as hell drag that woman back into Lucy’s life, and that was the last thing she wanted.
“No one knows that he’s here, especially her. He is trying to stay hidden, okay. Ash is not like our mother,” Daz said firmly.
“I don’t want to…I want to keep seeing him. I want to go out and have a proper date with him, but I’m scared, Daz. I don’t want her to come back,” Lucy blurted out, and Daz sighed.
It took a lot for her to admit that she felt worried about things, and Daz knew that. He also knew that Ash and Lucy were good together, as much as he hated to admit it. His little sister was growing up, and it made him increasingly agitated. Add in their nasty, self-obsessed mother, and things could get more overwhelming than they ever thought possible.
“He deserves a chance, Lou. I wish to hell that I didn't have to say this, but you both deserve a chance with
each other. I watched you two at dinner the other night, and he is perfect for you. I know you didn’t notice, but you were sitting really close to each other, and you were in your own little world together. I’ve never seen you like that. You have more of a bond with Ash now, than you have with any of the friends that you’ve had for years.” Daz told her truthfully.
She had to agree with him. Something about Ash always drew her to him. Even that first night, she had felt it, when they had joked about her breaking into his room. She knew that every time she saw him, she felt that much closer to him. She just didn’t want to risk having to deal with her mother again.
“You’re right; I should give Ash a chance, shouldn’t I? He hasn’t done anything to attract her attention,” Lucy mumbled.
“Yeah, you should, and you know that I’m the last person that would normally say that to you,” Daz told her with a rueful grin.
“Thanks, Daz, you’ve made me feel heaps better.”
They chatted for a while longer, before she walked back to the main house. Daz was right; she did act differently around Ash. At school, she was almost protective of him, and it only took her a few days to realise that.
The first day of school, when she had bought extra lunch for him was her first hint. She would never have done that for anyone else, not even Ren or Col. Actually, she probably would have laughed at her friend's misfortune, instead.
It was early in the morning when she decided to stop tossing and turning. She had a quick shower, got dressed, and took a deep breath. All that she could hope for was that Ash was an early riser, she thought, as she got in her car to drive to his place.
She pulled up outside his house, which looked surprisingly calm, compared to what had happened last night. Lucy had never backed down from anything, but she still felt nerves, as she knocked on his door. Nothing moved, and Lucy waited, feeling increasingly awkward, as she shuffled her feet.
She finally heard footsteps, and stared expectantly at the door. Ash opened the door, scrubbing at his eyes, and pulling his glasses on. That was not what got Lucy’s attention; no, it was the fact that he was only wearing a pair of low-slung track pants, which turned her brain to mush.
She wasn’t sure where to look, but his nicely muscled chest certainly drew her attention. She was sure her mouth had gaped open just a little bit. It was one thing seeing someone in a photo or poster on a wall, but it was certainly another to see them quite literally in the flesh.
“Hi, my sweet Belle, is everything alright?” Ash asked, slightly baffled as to why she was there. Lucy felt her heart clench, and a thread of anger rushed through her. Was he expecting some other girl at his door?
“My name isn’t Belle, Ash, its Lucy,” she said firmly. He looked at her seriously for a moment, as if he was trying to sort through his thoughts.
“Nope, I renamed you Belle, because that’s what your laugh reminds me of, and I love your laugh,” he told her with a dazzling smile, making Lucy completely speechless. She had no idea what to say in response to that, as a warm glow spread through her.
“Um, okay.” She finally blurted out.
“Does it bother you?” He murmured, his smile dropping a bit.
“No, I’m just surprised, that’s all. You have a habit of doing that to me.” She replied, sending him a wondrous look.
“Good, I’ll have to try and keep doing that then.” His smile went back to full wattage, and Lucy felt overwhelmed.
She sucked in a deep breath, and tried to reorganise her scattered thoughts. Between that smile, and his toned chest, she was finding herself a tad distracted. He noticed her staring, which just made him smirk at her.
“C’mon in, Belle, and tell me why you’re here before the sun is fully up,” he said, while gesturing for her to enter. “I’m guessing it’s about last night.”
They walked into the lounge room, and Ash grabbed a discarded shirt, which he pulled on, much to Lucy’s disappointment. It was obvious that he had been busy last night. Sheet music spread all over the couch. Some looked crumpled and squashed, as if he had been laying on them. His guitar sat on the coffee table, along with an expensive looking cell phone, and scraps of paper of varying sizes with scribbles all over them.
“What have you been doing?” She asked in amazement.
“Um, writing lyrics, playing music," he shrugged. "I work best when something isn’t quite right in my life,” he said, between quickly grabbing up all the papers, and putting them in a huge messy pile.
“Ash, have you had any sleep?” Lucy asked with concern.
“A few hours, but enough to tide me over for now.” He mumbled, while shoving all his papers into a folder haphazardly.
“Would you play me what you’ve been working so hard on? I’d like to hear it,” she asked, and was surprised when he hesitated.
“How about after you tell me why you are here.” He said softly, as he sat down and she followed.
She tapped her foot and wondered where to start. She realised that she hadn’t thought this through very clearly on the drive over here. She looked down at her feet tapping increasingly anxiously. Did she need to tell him about her fame-obsessed mother? She cringed just thinking about it.
“Lucy, just start from the beginning. I’m guessing that you’re not here to say thanks, but no thanks,” he said with a reassuring smile.
“I went and talked to Daz last night,”
“Okay, so maybe it’s not good news.” He mumbled, his shoulder slumping a bit.
“My Mum’s part of the reason why I reacted the way I did last night.” She blurted out, making Ash frown at her.
“What Belinda? She seemed really nice.” Ash said in confusion.
“No, not my step-mum, my biological mum, Crystal.” Lucy said her name as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Okay, why?”
“My Mum, she, um… she wants to be famous. She has always wanted to be one of those people to see her name in bright lights. I’m sorry, but she was the first person that I thought of last night when I found out who you were. That’s why I didn’t react that well.” She stopped talking almost as though she was afraid to say too much.
“Lucy, you reacted a lot better than I thought you would,” Ash said into the silence. “You didn’t run off screaming or crying or giving me your underwear. Trust me; I’ve had all of that happen before.” He said ruefully, which made her smile just imagining someone throwing underwear at him.
“So, what did Daz say? Should I get ready for the worst?” He asked, a frown appearing on his face.
“Daz reckons that you’re a good guy, and that I should give you another chance.” Lucy said wryly, while looking over at him. He let out a huge sigh of relief, before catching her eye with his.
“Wait, this is the same brother that threatened me with bodily harm right?” Ash asked, the shock evident in his voice made Lucy chuckle.
“Yes, he’s not that bad,” Lucy said with a shake of her head, “He just looks out for me.”
“So, does that mean that he’ll let me take you on another date?” He asked, trying to keep the excitement from his voice and failing.
“Yes.” Lucy answered simply.
Without even realising, the pair had moved closer to each other. Ash couldn’t contain himself, as he leaned over to brush his lips against her. Lucy was stunned at the warmth that heated her thoroughly, as his soft lips touched hers again.
“Hmmm, thank you, Belle,” he whispered, as he pulled back. “I’ve got the best thing planned. Well, more like fell in my lap, actually.”
“Um, and that is?” Lucy asked a little breathlessly, trying to focus her mind on his words, instead of his wonderful kiss.
“There’s a movie premiere in the city. I wrote a few songs for the soundtrack, so I’ve got some tickets to go.” He explained excitedly.
Lucy instantly stiffened, and she moved away from him abruptly. All the wonder of his kisses washed away in a hit of panic and dread. Ash felt disappointed,
until he noticed the apprehensive look on her face. He couldn’t understand what he possibly said that would cause such a startlingly response.
“I can’t do that Ash,” She whispered anxiously.
“What did I just say that was so wrong?” He asked softly, afraid to upset her more.
“My mother. I refuse to let her back into my life.” She said fiercely.
“And how would this do that?”
“She’s a reporter who wants to be an actress, but has absolutely no talent whatsoever.” She told him, making Ash rear away from her.
“Right, I see,” he said coldly, as he stood up and walked across the room.
A reporter? Her mother was a reporter. Ash could barely breathe with the anxiety that overtook him. He couldn’t be involved with anyone that was in any way related to the media. His life would become a disaster once again.
“You could have told me that before,” he said roughly.
“Well, you never told me that you were Martin James, so what’s the difference.” Lucy threw the words at him, only to see him flinch back.
“Reporters are one of the reasons why I don’t like being Martin James. They are always quick to judge, and even quicker to stretch the truth.” Ash declared angrily, as his hands clenched around his guitar. He picked it up, and held it protectively against his chest.
“That sounds like my Mum alright.” Lucy agreed with a grimace.
“Damn, I should’ve seen this coming. I should’ve known. How stupid could I be?” He muttered to himself, before pacing towards Lucy angrily.
“What are you talking about?” She asked in confusion, as he stood over her, an intense fury simmering through him.
“You need to leave. I don’t need another spy in my world.” He snapped through clenched teeth.
Lucy sat there completely stunned. He hadn’t listened to a single word that she had said. It seemed that all he had heard was the word reporter, and she instantly fit the category of people that had betrayed him. Lucy felt the sting of his words. He hadn’t noticed that she didn’t like talking about her mother. As instantaneous as his anger was, hers was aflame within seconds.
I Met Her On the Balcony Page 6