“Charlie and Noah are meeting at Charlie’s house.”
“How did you already know that?”
“Noah called me at lunch.”
“Oh.” I was quiet for a while, trying to choose my next words, wisely. “So what do you think?”
“Who knows, Charlie is probably just trying to get Noah on his side in some last ditch effort to win you back somehow.”
“Well that’s not going to happen.” I said as I lied down on the bare mattress and closed my eyes. Didn’t he get that this was way harder on me then it was on him. I was the one that got burned and constantly trying to get back in my good graces and keeping a small glimmer of hope that we might get back together was like putting another nail in the coffin. Why couldn’t he just let me be? That was never his style, not even in the beginning when he first pursued me. He never gave up. I used to think it was one of his best qualities. In this situation though, I needed him to give up because I had, the moment I found out he cheated.
I guess I fell asleep because my ringing phone jolted me awake. It was still in my hand from when I had hung up with Tess. Noah’s name flashed across the screen and I answered it already feeling anxiety about what he was going to say.
“Hey, I am outside. Can you come out?” I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. I had slept right through dinner.
“Yeah I will be right out.” Noah was sitting in his car in the parking lot and I got into the passenger side.
“We going for a drive?” I asked. Maybe he wanted to drive and tell me what Charlie had said. He pulled his backpack out from the back seat he opened the zipper and pulled out an iPad. He drummed his fingers across the smooth black screen for a moment before looking up at me.
“Charlie asked me to show you something because you refuse to see or hear him.”
I looked away from Noah and out the windshield. “Whatever it is, I don’t want to see it. It doesn’t matter.”
Noah let out a large sigh before putting his hand on mine, causing me to look at him again. “Trust me Ash, you want to see this.”
I WASN’T sure when Noah was going to show the video to Ashton, hell I wasn’t even sure he was going to be able to get her to look at it. All I knew was that he had a better shot at it than I did right now. I couldn’t sit still after Noah left my house; I tried to play Xbox, I surfed the internet, and I did my homework, but all the while, my leg shook and my heart felt like it was going to burst.. My mom was over at my aunt’s house so I was all alone in the house and it was driving me crazy. I needed to get out. I grabbed my keys off the kitchen table and swung the door open. I stopped dead in my tracks finding Ashton on my doorstep. Tears streamed down her beautiful face and when she looked into my eyes I knew she had watched the video. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly feeling very dry. I didn’t know what to do in this situation, one wrong move from me and I could scare her away. She was far too fragile right now. She took a calming breath and roughly wiped the tears from her cheeks, as if they pissed her off that they were falling in the first place. Then she crashed her body into mine. I clung to her like my life depended on it and I am pretty sure it did, I was never going to let her go again. She buried her face in my chest and cried some more. I felt my own throat getting thick with emotion, we had been through hell and somehow we were coming out on the other side. Her hands were on my back and she held fistfuls of my shirt in her hands. She choked back a small sob and then pulled away, looking up at me.
“I love you,” was all she said and that’s the only words I needed to hear. My lips came down to hers and I could taste the saltiness of her tears. I pushed the door closed behind us and pulled her closer to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I scooped her up. I carried her to my room and fell on top of her on my bed. We were both frantic, like we couldn’t get enough of one another. No matter how hard we kissed or touched or loved it was never going to fill the void that this terrible situation had created. I felt out of control, like my heart was going to burst because she was back. My girl was back.
“I love you, I Love you so much,” I told her. She was still crying, it was like a dam had broken and she couldn’t stop, even if she wanted to. She tugged on my shirt and I pulled it off over my head. Her hands were on me and they were everywhere, like she was starved to touch me. I buried my face in the crook of her neck and took a couple deep breaths. Our chests were pressed so close together I could feel our heart beats pounding against each other. I raised up and looked down at her, my beautiful girl that was the only one for me.
“I love you and I am never letting you go again, you hear me? I can’t, my life isn’t a life without you in it. I have been absolutely miserable without you.” I pushed off the bed and stood making her gasp in surprise.
“W-what are you doing?” She asked, her voice was trembling. I went to my closet and got the box I had loathed receiving. Digging through it, I found her ring and C Necklace. She sat up on the bed and wiped her tears again, her eyes were so red and puffy I thought they might close up. I put the necklace back around her neck, where it belonged, and then I clasped her hands in mine. Kneeling in front of her as she sat on the edge of the bed, I looked at her beautiful face. Even when she was a crying mess she was still the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I placed our promise ring back on her finger and kissed it.
“Never again, you can never take this off again Ashton. You have to promise me.”
She held my head in her hands and kissed my forehead and my cheeks and finally my lips. It was small, sweet loving kisses that I wish I could put in a box and treasure forever. We didn’t have sex we just rested together and held one another, kissing and relishing the fact that we both were no longer suffering. We did this until we both drifted off in each other’s tight embrace.
I woke up the next day in the exact same position I had fallen asleep, with Ashton hugged closely to my body. Her breathing was soft and even and I didn’t want to wake her just yet. I wanted to relish this moment of having her back.
“I know you are awake,” she said quietly.
I smiled and hugged her tighter. I had missed her more than she would ever know, more than any words could convey. Both of us remained there for a while just caught up in the peacefulness of the moment. My head was going in all sorts of directions with everything that had gone down lately and I am sure she was just as confused as I was.
“Ash, whenever you feel like you are ready, we need to talk about what happened.” I felt her tense in my arms. She was quiet for a while, I didn’t want to push her, so I just ran my fingers up and down her arm soothingly. Finally she raised her head and looked at me.
“I just don’t understand her.” To be honest, I don’t think anyone did. Jaimie had gone a little crazy. I mean, we all have had crushes on people but to go to this extent to get me was…insane.
“I think we need to bring the video to her parents and Zach. They need to know what is going on with her because when this all blows up in her face who knows what she will do.”
I had been to Jamie and Zach’s house a million times over the years. It was like a second home to me, but today was very different. I never wanted to hurt Jaimie or Zach; this year had been crazy and I know everyone would be quick to point the finger in Ashton’s direction. It was so easy to put all the blame on her but it just wasn’t so. In fact, nothing that had happened was her fault. I had fallen in love and for some reason that seemed to bother people, but I didn’t care anymore, it was my life and Ashton was going to be in it even if I lost hockey and everything else; I could handle that if it meant keeping her. We pulled into the Ardusser’s driveway and I turned my truck off. Her eyes found mine and I clasped her cheek with my hand. She leaned into my touch and closed her eyes. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.” She opened her eyes and nodded her head before placing a small kiss on my palm. We walked hand in hand to the front door but before we even had a chance to knock, the door swung open with a whoosh and a crazy eyed Jaimie stepped out.
“What is she doing here Charlie? And why are you holding her hand? You’re mine!”
I had never seen Jaimie look this way, it was her eyes, they were so wild and angry. So much for this situation going down civilly.
“We came to talk Jaimie, we know nothing happened that night so you can stop with the act.” She placed a protective hand over her still flat stomach.
“I don’t know what you think you know but…”
Ashton cut her off. “We have proof, so just stop. You have already done enough damage and now we know and soon everyone else will know you have been lying this entire time. Isn’t that going to be embarrassing enough? Just stop Jaimie.”
She glared at Ashton like she wanted to attack her. Her breathing had sped up causing her chest to rise and fall rapidly and she had her hands were in tight fists at her side.
“What proof?” She bit out between clenched teeth. I lowered my backpack to the porch and pulled my iPad out.
“Cam had cameras in his house that night. Everything that happened was recorded…You were there and you know what you did so I am not going to show it to you but I am going to show it to your parents Jaimie, because I am worried about you.”
Then she surprised both Ashton and I when she burst into a fit of laughter. “You’re worried about me?” She continued to laugh. Ashton frowned at me and I shook my head. “Now you’re worried about me? Where have you been all year Charlie? I have needed you all this time but you were with her.” She said raising her arm and pointing directly at Ashton.
“I love you Charlie everything was for you, for us! Before she came here everything was fine. It’s all her fault!” She was starting to raise her voice and that is when Zach came out the front door.
“What’s going on?”
“Zach, she is doing it again, why can’t she leave me alone? She is trying to turn Charlie against me.”
I had had enough of this Jaimie circus. “God dammit Jaimie enough.” I was the one that was raising my voice now and all three of them stood and stared at me with wide eyes.
“Zach, I know things have been rough this year and things with you and I aren’t in the greatest shape but I have to show you something.” I began to power on my iPad, but before I could open the video, Jaimie ripped it from my hands and threw it down on the porch and began to stomp on it violently.
“Jaimie, What the hell are you doing?” Her brother asked, obviously just as concerned by her odd behavior.
“I can’t let this happen, oh my god.” She was crouched down now as she began to cry… not just cry, she was sobbing like an emotionally damaged child. Her parents stepped out onto the porch with worried looks as they surveyed the scene before them. Ashton clutched my arm and I swung it protectively around her. As I did, Jaimie’s teary eyes shot up off the floor and looked at us. Before anyone could even flinch, Jaimie launched herself at Ashton catching us both off guard. Jaime pushed her from my hold causing Ashton to fly backwards, and hit the deck hard, hitting her head yet again. Jaimie sat on top of her and was a crazed ball of fury, swinging, slapping and scratching. Her voice was high pitched, “you can’t take him, he is mine!!” Ashton held her hands and arms over her face, trying to protect herself and to dodge Jaimie’s assault. I wrapped my arms around Jaimie’s middle picking her up and off of my girlfriend, she was still struggling and going crazy. I pushed her into Zach and her father’s hold before going to Ashton. Her lip was bloody and she had another knot on her head.
“Damn it, I am so sorry.” I helped her stand up and hugged her close to me. Jaimie was still screaming and freaking out behind us.
“You better hide bitch, I am going to find you.” She screamed. A few of the neighbors had heard all the commotion and were standing outside, watching the crazy scene unfold. Jaimie’s parents were finally able to wrestle her back into the house and Zach slammed the door shut. He turned to face us, his face was pale with worry.
“I’m sorry about that Ashton. I don’t even know what just happened or what to think.”
“It’s okay, I am okay Zach.”
He let out a big breath and rested his interlocked fingers on top of his head. “She has been acting so weird, this isn’t the first time she has flipped out like that. She has been like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. She attacked my mom the other day over nothing.” We walked back up the porch where my iPad was, now with a cracked screen, it was completely destroyed.
“What were you going to show me?”
“Cam had video of that night, Zach, Jaimie and I never had sex, she isn’t pregnant…well not by me anyway. She made the whole thing up.”
“Well this just keeps getting better doesn’t it?” He was trying to sound sarcastic but we could both see the truth written all over his face. Zach looked at the ground and then back at us. Everyone was silent for a few moments. “I better get inside and help with her. I am sorry you guys…for everything.” He turned to go back inside as we turned to leave. “Hey Ashton, if you talk to Tessa can you tell her I am sorry?” Ashton nodded as Zach closed the door.
Ashton and I got back in my truck and pulled away. It was now out of our hands, we had done our part and shared what we knew and now her family had witnessed firsthand just how unbalanced Jaimie had become. I hoped they would be able to help her because as of now I have washed my hands of it all. Ashton scooted over next to me, into her spot and nestled into my side.
“What now beautiful girl? Should we take you to the doctor and get checked out?” She raised her head and kissed me under my jaw. “I am fine. Can we just go back to bed?” She asked with mischievous twinkle in her eyes. I smiled at her because I was crazy about that idea. I was also proud of her, I knew that violence would always remind her if the abuse she grew up with and the fact that she had just been attacked and was able to shake it off….well it was a good thing, she was making progress with it all. We went back to my house and I crawled under the sheets with my beautiful girl.
JAIMIE WASN’T in school after our confrontation that day. Like always, there was numerous rumors flying around about what had happened. Zach was being pretty tight lipped about the entire thing. All he would say was that it was a family matter and that it was being handled. He had confided in Charlie a little, just letting him know that Jaimie was indeed never actually pregnant and that his parents thought it best she “go on a relaxing retreat” for a little while. Charlie informed me, that more than likely, it meant that she was getting the help she so desperately needed. We were both very happy to put Jaimie and the whole cheating and pregnancy ordeal behind us. We were together again and should never have been broken up in the first place. After that day, we spent every moment together, making up for lost time. I had called Tess and Dee and filled them both in on what happened. Tess decided since they kicked her out so close to graduation, what was the point in finishing high school and being miserable living in her parents’ house. So she moved to Portland, got her GED and was now enrolled in a cosmetology program for the fall. In the meantime, she decided to work for her cousin, who owned an interior design company. I was so happy for Tess, I knew she was talented in more areas than one. She just got in her own way a lot. She told me it was because of how strong I was, it made her want to be strong too. I was so excited to graduate and see her again. Dee was pretty much shacked up with Fred. She still had her house but spent most of her time at the café or his house. She seemed happy and that made me happy. She never had much news on my folks after my run in with them here. They hadn’t returned home and nobody knew their whereabouts. While that bothered me, I couldn’t let the idea of them returning to hurt me, run my life.
Noah and Charlie had found new respect for one another after the video and the fact that Noah had helped Charlie get me back and show me the truth caused Charlie to see Noah in a new light. The two of them actually hung out without me a couple times, doing guy stuff. I always told them if they removed me from the situation, they would get along. They heard a few rounds of “I told y
ou so” from me after that. We all fell into yet another comfortable routine and I just hoped it would hold until graduation and we moved.
“I have a meeting with the guidance counselor after school today. Can you come pick me up when I am done?” I asked Charlie, as we stood by our lockers exchanging books for last period. He walked the few steps and stood in front of me.
“Of course, beautiful girl.” We kissed goodbye and headed in our own directions. The last bell of the day rang and I made my way to the counselor’s office. I knocked on the door and heard her tell me to come in. I entered her small office and was slightly shocked by the state it was in. Her small desk was piled high with random papers and stacks of what I assumed was student’s files. She was shutting a file cabinet and her arms were full with even more files.
“Ashton Becker right?” I nodded.
“Have a seat.” She motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs that sat opposite her desk. I sat and put my back pack on the floor, not really knowing why she had called this meeting. I figured I would let her start. She skimmed a few pages of a file that I assumed was mine before looking at me and smiling.
“Okay, the reason I called this meeting is that I like to try and sit down with all our graduating seniors before graduation and just check on their progress. To try and get a feel for where you are headed after high school and if I can do anything to help in that process.”
Was that all? This meeting was going to be a breeze because I already had a clear cut plan.
“I was accepted to the University of Southern Maine. I plan on moving to Portland and attending school there.”
“Well that’s wonderful Ashton. I see here you take your academics very seriously, practically an A student.” I nodded in agreement. I had always taken my studies seriously in the hopes that it would help open doors for me to get out of my parents grasp, and it had.
“What do you plan on majoring in?”
“I am not sure yet. Figured I would take a couple classes and get a feel for things before I nailed down a major.”
Getting Out Page 26