Ashley's Bend (35 page)

“It’s nothing really, Kelly. I promise. Can we just drop it?” I hated getting short with my best friend, but if I didn’t, she would keep on questioning me and I would end up spilling everything to her, risking her and everyone else’s life.

After lunch with Kelly, I went back to the apartment to rest before I had to go to work at the club. I decided to take a shower first to rinse off the stress and the dirt of the morning. Just as I finished getting dressed and towel dried my hair, I heard the doorbell ring.

“Coming!” I yelled as I raced down the hall from my room to answer the door. My mouth opened and I gasped as I opened the door to see the last person I thought I would.

“Hello, Ashley.”

“Hi, Jared.”

He looked good. He was clean shaven and dressed much better than the last time that I saw him.

“Wh...what are you doing here?” I asked him apprehensively.

“Listen, I’m not here to cause you any trouble if that is what you’re worried about. I am here...I’m here to apologize, Ashley.” He shifted his weight side to side and looked nervous. Far from the confident and proud Jared I used to know.

“Can I come in? I just want to talk, I promise,” he asked as he held up his palms to me in surrender.

“Sure, come on in,” I appeased. I stood back and held the door open to allow him to enter the apartment.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked him out of hospitality. Just because I allowed him to come in, didn’t mean that I was going to let my guard down, especially after the hostility he showed toward me the last time we spoke.

“No, thanks. I won’t be here that long.”

Thank goodness for that.

I walked into the living room and sat at the opposite end of the couch where he sat.

“My main reason for coming here, Ashley is to apologize to you, for everything. I messed up the greatest thing in my life when I had the affair. I am sorry that I became so indulged in myself and my own life, that I put you on the back burner. You always sacrificed yourself for me and my career.”

I just nodded to him but didn’t say anything.

“I went to a rehab place for a few weeks. The drinking had gotten out of hand, even before the affair and worse after what I did. I’m not using it as an excuse, but it was a big part of it. I’m sorry that I showed up at your work and made a scene.”

He clasped his hands together and placed them in his lap. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening them again.

“I got you fired. I was the one who told your employers that you were working at that club. I was so set on hurting you the way I felt hurt when you left, that I didn’t care about the consequences. I was hurt and jealous that you had moved on from our divorce so quickly, although, I cared after I got a visit from your boyfriend.”

His last statement had my head snapping up so fast that I nearly gave myself whiplash.

“What are you talking about?” I prodded him.

“Your boyfriend, Dominic, paid me a little visit after you were fired. He gave me a lot of money to disappear and I used it to admit myself to the rehab center. I wanted to get my life straight. What, he didn’t tell you? I’m not trying to start any trouble here, Ashley, I promise.”

Shocked didn’t begin to describe the feelings I was experiencing at Jared’s admission. Dominic
paid
him to go away? It’s no wonder that I hadn’t heard anything from him in several weeks.

“Oh shit. He didn’t tell you. Fuck he is going to be pissed I said anything.”

I reached out and placed my hands on where he was wringing his together. I suddenly realized it was the first time that I had touched him since the night I caught him cheating. I almost withdrew my hand but didn’t.

“I won’t say anything, Jared. I am just shocked is all.”

“He must truly love you for him to pay off your ex-husband to get him out of your hair.” He chuckled. His face grew very serious before he opened his mouth to continue speaking.

“I did love you, Ashley. I still do. I will never regret marrying you, but I will regret what I did for the rest of my life. I’m sorry I hurt you. I would like it if we could maybe stay friends. I’d rather have you in my life as a friend, than not have you at all.”

Was I still in love with Jared? No. But part of me
loved
him still. You don’t spend most of your young adult life married to someone and then walk away with absolutely no feelings intact. I think that maybe with time, it was possible that we could be friends. It wouldn’t be automatic, but it was still a possibility.

“I’m not sure, but I’m not dismissing the idea either, Jared. It will just take some time.”

I heard my phone chirp on the dining table, but I chose to ignore it for the time being. Jared and I seemed to be having a real breakthrough, and I didn’t want to deviate away from it at the moment. He rose up to stand, and I followed him. He made his way to the front door and stopped just before reaching for the doorknob. Turning around to face me, he tentatively reached for one of my hands.

“Thank you for listening to me. I just want you to be happy, Ashley.” He then leaned in and kissed my cheek before he walked out the door.

Of all the things to happen, I never expected Jared to stop by my apartment. I knew it had to take a lot of courage to come to me like he did, and I felt like we finally got closure. I would always hold a special place in my heart for him, but it was Dominic who owned it. I was still shocked by Jared’s confession. Why did Dominic go behind my back and confront Jared without saying anything to me?

Glancing at the clock, I realized it was getting late and that I needed to get ready if I was going to make it to The Celtic Knot on time. I passed by the table and grabbed my cell phone to see who texted me earlier. Only to find several texts waiting for me.

Dominic: How is your day going?

Dominic: That good huh?

Dominic: Ashley?

Just as I read the last text, my phone started to ring in my hands. Dominic’s gorgeous face lit up my screen and I almost missed the call because I was too busy staring at his picture in my hand.

“Hello?”

“Why didn’t you answer my texts? Where are you?”

“I’m at home about to get ready to head to the club, why?”

“Ashley, you cannot go off the fucking grid like that. I need to know that you are safe.” He sounded angry and irritated. He was far from the gentleman who I had been talking to for the last few days. I welcomed the anger. I hoped that it would help me to let go of him easier.

“I wasn’t
off the grid
, Dominic. I was just busy. I’m not in any danger, I’m fine.”

You are the one who is in danger.

“I’m sorry, Ashley,” he sighed, “I just want to get out of here and be home and I’m frustrated. I’ll see you in a few days, okay?”

“Okay,” I conceded before I hit the end call button as quickly as I could. I didn’t think my heart could take it if he told me he loved me, or worse, if I told him. No, I had to stay strong, for him, for Kelly and Knox, for me. Jared was right. I had spent so much time sacrificing myself for others. This time was no different. If I had to sacrifice my heart to keep him and my friend’s safe, then I would do it.

It was Friday night, and the club was nearly packed to capacity. I welcomed being busy as a distraction. Each second that it got closer to Sunday, my heart broke a little more. I was delivering drinks to one of the tables, when I looked up and my heart froze. In through the doors walked Officer Russell. He was looking around the room and he found his target when his gaze landed on me. As nonchalantly as I could, I made my way over to him as I fought my way through the crowd of people. I peered over my shoulder to find Knox still busy helping one of the bartenders mix drinks behind the bar and I quickened my pace to get to Officer Russell faster.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I spat at him through gritted teeth, “I was told I had until Sunday.”

He looked around the room with a strange look on his face like he was more than eager to take Dominic, and The Celtic Knot down. I understood now why he asked so many questions when I met him the day of the vandalism.

“I was just sent here to make sure you were...
keeping your word.
We don’t need you trying to get brave and backing out now.”

“I have no intentions of…” I started to say when I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder from behind and turned my head to find Knox staring down at me questioningly.

“Officer Russell, to what do we owe this honor? Are you here on business or pleasure?” he asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. No doubt he was still feeling pissed off about the way Officer Russell questioned him and Dominic the day of the vandalism.

“I was just telling Ms. Woodson, here, that we still have no leads on the vandalism case.”

“Don’t you think that sort of thing can just be said over the phone instead of you having to pay a visit to the club on a Friday night?”

“I was in the area, and thought I would just make a stop to let you know. We haven’t given up. It was probably some punk kids anyway.”

Knox rolled his eyes at the officer and I could tell by his stature that he was feeling irritated. Knox and I had grown to be pretty good friends in the time I had been involved with Dominic, so I had learned to read him well.

“Some punk kids who just happen to leave threatening notes?” he bit out in frustration. This revelation was news to me. Not one time since the incident happened had I heard anything about any notes.

“What notes?” I asked angrily that this news had been kept from me.

“
Fuck
.” I heard Knox mutter under his breath as he ran his hands frustratingly through his hair.

“What notes, Knox?” I asked again when he did not answer.

“Well, I think I will be on my way. I’ll be in contact, Mr. Tanner if we have a break in the case,” Officer Russell said. “Good evening, Ms. Woodson,
I’ll be in touch
.” And with that he turned and left the club but not before looking back and giving me one more warning glare. I shivered, not out of fear of him, but out of fear of what I was going to have to do.

I turned to face Knox, placing my hands on my hips in that
you better tell me now
kind of way. He sighed deeply and looked around at all the people surrounding us.

“Let’s go up to the office, Ashley.” I held my hand out for him to lead the way and I followed him up the stairs and into the office. Memories of Dominic taking me on the desk flooded my thoughts as I entered the office and I had to fight back the tears that threatened to form.

“Fuck, I’m dead when Dominic finds out about this.”

“Finds out about what, Knox? Quit beating around the bush and tell me what the fuck is going on!” I demanded as I slammed my hands down on the desk in anger. The sting of the wood hitting my palms did nothing to dissipate my anger and frustration from being left in the dark by two men that I trusted.

“When the club was vandalized, they left a note. Since then there have been several more, but none in the last week.”

“What did the notes say, Knoxville,” I said sternly.

“Stuff about revenge and bitches. That they would have...
you.
” He said the last part hesitantly and in a near whisper.

“They were about me? And you and Dominic saw it fit to keep that from me?” I was nail spitting angry. To know a guy that I fell in love with and a guy I considered to be a friend kept something so vital as threatening letters that were directed at me had my blood boiling. I knew the answer to the next question that I asked Knox, but I needed to know if they knew it.

“Who sent them?”

“We don’t know, Ashley,” he said as I paced back and forth in the office. “Nic seems to think it was your douchebag ex.”

“Jared?” I squeaked out in a high pitched voice. I was shocked to discover that they would think that Jared was the culprit behind the incident and the notes, but I needed for them to keep on believing that, for their sake.