by Reese, K. R.
“I asked you a question first. Are you afraid of me now?” He slowly walked toward her, his face angry and trained on her. Did she do this damage?
“I’m not afraid of you, Michael,” she said. He continued coming towards her. She didn’t believe that he’d hurt her, but did she know for sure? He told her himself that he was known for having a temper, having more than one lawsuit because of it. He closed the distance between them, and Ashlee leaned against him. Michael wrapped her in his arms. He didn’t say anything, just stood there holding her.
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” His voice was low, his words a little slurred, but he seemed to be mostly sober. “Ashlee?” Michael said, taking her face between his hands and forcing her eyes to meet his. “Please, I didn’t mean to get mad.” Ashlee could only nod. How had she never noticed the true color of his eyes before?
Acting on instinct, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. She kissed him, but didn’t get any response at first.
That first day after the fight, Michael came back to the house after dark and Ashlee wasn’t home. He panicked and fear swelled inside his chest. He called everyone he knew; Ella and Trevor, his parents’. No one had seen her all day. He paced the living room for hours, unable to relax. When he finally went upstairs, there was a note beside the bed on the nightstand. Ashlee’s curvy writing.
Went for a drive. Should be back tomorrow sometime. Don’t worry about me, though. I’m not running away, just need some space to think.
-A
Somehow we managed to get from being pissed off at each other to Ashlee kissing him. Michael was too shocked to respond. He’d just been angry with her; he had just scared her… hadn’t he? For a second, he just stood there. He didn’t know what else to do.
A raw need grew, though, and he began to respond. When Michael started to kiss her back, she bit his lower lip. He opened his mouth to her, sliding their tongues together. He was a goner. This kiss was better than any kiss they’d ever had. Ashlee’s hands started to roam, cautiously at first, from his neck down his chest. He pulled her against him.
This seemed to turn her on more; she began trying to wrap her legs around him. When Michael put his hands behind her thighs and lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Michael,” she panted next to his ear, grinding against him. “Take me upstairs.” Michael let her hands roam, holding her even closer. Where did this Ashlee come from? He liked the other, subtler Ashlee, too, but he was partial to this one as well. He moved to her neck, kissing gently. Her hands threaded through his hair.
“What do you want, Ashlee?” Bite. Nip. Suck. Leaning her head back against the door, he seen that she was enjoying it. He slowly moved his hips forward and she let out a soft moan. “Please tell me,” he sounded like he was begging. What the fuck just happened? The next kiss, Michael began to lose himself, barely hanging on.
“Take me to bed,” she whispered, latching onto his earlobe gently with her teeth. She was driving him insane. He held her tightly, rushing up the stairs. They fell into the bed, pulling at each other’s clothes.
Michael’s hands each claimed one of her breasts, testing their weight in his hands. After a few minutes, he began to move his thumb over her nipples. Ashlee’s breaths began coming in short pants, her eyes never leaving his. He held himself up on his elbows, leaning down to kiss her. They started out gentle, but quickly turned frantic. Her body began writhing and shuddering underneath him.
“You’re beautiful, Ash,” he whispered in her ear. She gripped his length at the same time as she pushed his boxer briefs down along with his pants, and pulled him closer.
“You sure, baby?” He asked. She whimpered and Michael couldn’t help but smirk as he slowly slid inside of her. In the back of his mind, something was screaming at him to stop. She’s still upset, still angry; this shouldn’t be happening. But here they were, and he had no willpower to stop it. His rhythm picked up a little, and eventually the only sounds were their panting and moaning. Ashlee raised her hips to meet his, almost sending him over the edge.
“Come for me, Ashlee,” he said. Her hand slid down her stomach to her clit. God, she was going to kill him. Her back arched off the bed, and she continued massaging herself as he slammed into her repeatedly. Changing the angle that he started with, Ashlee immediately threw her head back. He couldn’t hold off any more as an orgasm ripped through him, she moaned louder and every muscle in her body writhed beneath him.
They laid facing each other for a while, exhausted. Michael watched as Ashlee’s eyelids began to droop closed, slowly falling asleep. He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her. The sex this time – wow, it was amazing. There was a moment, staring into her eyes, that he finally realized that he was completely in love with her.
Minutes after she dozed off, there was a knock at the door. Her eyelids fluttered open and she sat up.
“Damn it,” he said. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
He threw his pants and shirt on, leaving the room and went downstairs. The clock in the living room said it was only eleven, earlier than he assumed. That still didn’t explain who would be pounding on Ashlee’s door this late.
Something is wrong.
Michael had a gut feeling that when he opened the door it wasn’t going to be something he wanted to hear. Unlocking the deadbolt and swinging the door open, there were two uniformed men standing on the porch.
“Can I help you?”
They flashed their badges and proceeded to ask him his name. Goosebumps rose on his arms. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Jessica Little.” They continued stating him his rights, but everything was a blur. A sob behind him caught his attention. Ashlee was standing at the bottom of the stairs with her hand over her mouth.
“Ashlee, call Trevor. This can’t be right.”
She just nodded her head as he was escorted away in handcuffs. Fuck. There was no way he was going to prison for something he didn’t do. But more than anything, he needed Ashlee to believe that he was innocent. Things couldn’t end this way. He didn’t do anything wrong.
Michael knew that, but no one else did.
Chapter Twelve
After Michael was arrested on her doorstep, Ashlee panicked. She ran back up the stairs for her phone and called Trevor on the way out the door. She didn’t know where she was going, not exactly, but she knew she had to do something. Murder. Ashlee didn’t believe that out of Michael. Sure, he had a temper, he told her that, but he wasn’t capable of murder.
By the time she pulled up outside Ella and Trevor’s house, she was shaking. Trevor met her on the porch. Rather than saying anything, he gave her a hug and escorted her inside. “It’s going to be fine, Ash. My dad has the lawyers on the way to the station now. This will all get straightened out.”
She nodded and sat down on the couch. “I was going to go to the station, but I didn’t think they’d let me see him since I wasn’t family.” She felt the blush rise to her cheeks.
When Trevor’s cellphone rang and he excused himself, Ashlee’s heart started pumping harder. Ella handed her a cup of tea and sat down beside her. She knew he’d been with a lot of different women, but she didn’t think that any had ever been serious. Her stomach was doing somersaults and her chest hurt.
“Ash, don’t get so worked up. I’m sorry he was arrested at your house. Trevor will figure this out. You can stay here until then, if you want.”
“Yeah, I’ll turn it on right now. Thanks.” Trevor’s voice made Ashlee whip her head around. He was coming towards them, grabbing the remote on the way. He flipped on the TV and turned the volume up enough that they could hear.
“He was arrested for the murder of Jessica Little, former receptionist at his business, Titanium, in Oregon. The two were believed to have a serious and sexual relationship until about three months ago when he left the state for a family emergency. Jessica and Michael share a 2-year old son, Hunter, who is current
ly being looked after by his aunt. He will appear…” But everything else was static to Ashlee’s ears. Michael has a son. Why hadn’t he said anything?
Trevor flipped the TV off and knelt beside Ashlee. Her breathing was heavy and if she didn’t calm down, she was going to hyperventilate. “Ash, no, don’t do this to yourself. We don’t know if what their saying is true. Until we talk to the attorney, we don’t know anything. You need to relax.”
She just stared at the TV, not having any words. Snapping back to reality, she looked at Trevor. “What if… Three months ago? That was right before he came here for the wedding. When was she murdered? Michael’s been with me for over a month now. There’s no way he could have…”
“Ashlee, he hasn’t been with you the entire time. You’ve been fighting for the past week and you’ve been hiding out here.” She knew that was true, and that they’d have to testify to that if they were asked, but everything in her wanted to protect Michael. He wouldn’t do this. He couldn’t have done this.
“Oh, God,” Ashlee bolted for the bathroom before she threw up all over the living room. She knew it was going to happen, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. This was the fourth time today, so it was expected. What the hell was going on with her?
“Ash, the guestroom is ready to go whenever you’re ready for bed. I’ll wake you up if anything changes tonight, but it isn’t likely. Get some rest.”
She ignored Trevor, trying to calm her nerves. This can’t be happening. Michael knew how much she was afraid of being hurt again, knew how much she’d avoided a relationship for that exact reason. Why would he do this to her?
The words from the new report continued running through her mind, running together at times, became a constant buzz in the background. Michael couldn’t have done it, right? We had just made love; there’s no way he murdered someone. She finally pulls herself off the bathroom floor and goes to the bedroom. Sleeping was a joke. Ashlee tossed and turned for hours, listening to the quiet house. It was driving her crazy.
When the screen of her cellphone illuminated the room, she jumped up. Her entire body was shaking when it was a number she didn’t recognize. “Hello?” She was desperate to know who was on the other end of the line.
“Ashlee, it’s Michael. Are you okay? Where are you?” The questions kept tumbling out of his mouth before she could answer them.
“I’m fine. What’s going on? How are you calling me?” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself tightly.
“I’m bailing out tonight, but I needed to talk to you. I needed to make sure you were okay.”
Her small smile made her feel a little better, but not entirely. She knew she needed to ask, but she didn’t know how. There was so much she didn’t know about Michael, never cared to ask, and now she was fuming about something that could just be speculation and rumors.
“Do you need me to pick you up? I wasn’t asleep. I can leave Ella and Trevor a note so they don’t worry in the morning.”
“About that. Listen, Ash, I have to go back to Nevada. That’s where my lawyers are and it’ll be easier to get this all straightened out if I’m there instead of here. I’ll fly back as soon as it’s over though.” Ashlee heard the words, but couldn’t respond. She was gasping now, unsure of what to say next. She finally managed a sentence, her voice sounding strangled. “I can’t keep doing this, Michael. I’m sorry.” She hung up the phone, only hearing ‘Ashlee’ a few times before doing so. She dropped her hands at her sides and started pacing the room. There were a million strange feelings running through her system – fear, pain, hurt – but, there was something else, too. Something she didn’t want to think about anymore.
Ashlee quietly left the house, leaving a note and locking the door. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she couldn’t stay in Wilson Creek. The small-town life was perfect for her, always had been, but right now she was suffocating. Michael’s leaving and not making any promises to come back soon. That wasn’t the worst of it, though. The news reporter’s words still rung loud in her head. Two-year-old. Hunter.
She consciously drove to her house, throwing the Jeep into park and running inside. She just wanted to be alone. Ella and Trevor had offered her the guestroom because they were worried, but really, she just needed her own space. He’ll come back. She kept trying to think of positive things, but it wasn’t completely possible.
Chapter Thirteen
It had been very three very long weeks without Michael. He had called and text, but Ashlee had ignored every one of them. The voicemails were saved on her phone; she listened to them when she was lonely. How long is unhealthy to not leave the house? She knew Ella and Trevor were worried about her; they kept stopping by unannounced, but they’d just run off and tell Michael everything anyways.
A knock at the door had her heart in her throat. Instead of answering it, she stayed on the couch. The house was trashed, fast food cartons were scattered all over the coffee table, and snacks were sprawled out on the floor beside her. When she heard the key turn in the lock, she sat up. Ella walked in the house, alone, and was shooting daggers at her.
“Ash, I can’t do this. We’re watching you go into a downward spiral. You’ve been depressed since Michael left, and he’s more than willing to talk to you, but you haven’t given him the chance. I’m putting a stop to this. Now.”
Ashlee scowled, trying to ignore the hurt in her chest that always came with the thought of Michael. She’d avoided any conversation of him the past few weeks, but apparently today Ella wasn’t dealing with any of that.
“Look, if I wanted to be badgered, I would’ve opened the damn door.” Ella smirked at that.
“I’m not leaving, Ash.”
Ella brought the trash can into the living room and started throwing stuff away. When she was done, she hauled Ashlee off the couch and up the stairs to the bathroom. She turned the water on and left the room. Ashlee undressed quickly and stepped under the spray. When’s the last time you showered? The thought sent her into a crying fit and she began to think of everything that had happened in the months since Ella’s wedding. Everything Ashlee knew, or at least everything she wanted, was gone. Michael hadn’t come back, and Ashlee knew from Trevor that the case was over. The true murderer had been caught and Michael wasn’t charged with anything. She knew that the DNA test had proved that the two-year old wasn’t Michael’s either.
When Michael had looked at her, she swore she saw love in his eyes. She could have been imagining it, but she didn’t think so. Even when they were spitting mad at each other, she thought she seen love in his eyes. But then, something happened and everything she wanted was gone in a flash. Ashlee didn’t want to kid herself. She didn’t know if she wanted Michael to feel the same about her that she felt for him. If he did love her, there was a lot to lose.
After washing herself completely in the shower, she threw on the clean sweats and hoodie that Ella must’ve laid on the counter. She felt better, the hot water easing the muscles that had remained tense since the night Michael was arrested on her front porch.
When she steps out of the bathroom in search of some socks, she finds Ella sitting on the bed with her shoes ready. She said that they were just going to her house because Ashlee hadn’t seen outside in a long time. Ashlee knew Ella was right, and it hadn’t felt right in the house anyways.
They left and drove to her house. She seemed worried, but that’s how it’d been for weeks. If it wasn’t Ella coming to the house, it was Trevor. At least he gave her some information; Ella was a closed book. They went in through the kitchen door, and Ella led her up the stairs to the bathroom. She sat her on the stool and locked the door.
“Ash,” Ella’s voice was quiet, but had a very concerned edge to it. She held up a box of pregnancy tests. Ashlee’s breathing faltered and her eyes teared up. “You have to take one, Ashlee. You’re gaining weight, all you do is eat, and, honestly, I passed it as depression at first, but I’ve been pregnant before, Hun. I’
ve been through hiding your weight, wearing baggy clothes. It’s better to know, trust me.” When Ashlee didn’t respond, she sat the box on the counter. “Take the test, Ash.”
Once Ashlee was alone, she started to freak out. When was her last period? When did she get her last shot? A million questions with only one logical answer. She needed to take the test. That was the only logical answer, but Ashlee refused to do it. Instead, she dips the test into the toilet. Staring at her watch, she waited until the five minutes was up and looked down. Negative. No shit. Ella stepped through the door and stared down. “This has to be wrong, Ashlee.”
Ashlee shrugged and headed down the stairs behind Ella. She heard the kids playing in the living room, fighting over who got to play next. Before she could bolt out the door and demand that Ella take her home, a voice in the kitchen stopped her feet from moving. There was Michael talking with Trevor over coffee.
As quietly as she could, she pulled Ella by the arm and whispered. “What’s Michael doing here?” She obviously wasn’t quiet enough because when his name left her mouth, his head snapped around and his eyes instantly found hers.
“He flew in this morning. He just got here a few minutes ago, but his parents’ will be here in a second so they can finish up with the lawyers.” Ella said and headed into the room with the kids.
“Can we talk?” Ashlee asked Michael.
He just shrugged.
“Alone, please?” She watched as every muscle in his body tensed and Trevor left the room. “I love you,” She blurted it out before fear could stop her. He stared at her like a deer in the headlights.
“I heard you, sweetheart. I have to go, though.” Trevor gave Ella a look before placing a kiss on her lips and walked out the door, following Michael.
Michael was dealing with the fact that Ashlee wouldn’t return any of his calls. She just refused to have any contact with him. If it weren’t for Ella and Trevor reassuring him that everything was okay, he’d think she dropped off the face of the Earth. It’d been almost two months since he’d had to go back to Nevada because of the whole murder investigation. He had to take extra time to get a DNA test done with the kid and wait for the results, too.