One Girl, Five Guys
» Chapter nine «
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Just before four, I opened the door to see that all the boys – bar Cody – were home already.
“How was your first day?” Jonah asked once I’d gotten in.
“Pretty good actually,” I smiled.
Before I could elaborate, Cody came through the door, cold and wet with letters in his hands. He shook his head and ice cold droplets of water hit me and the others.
“You’re not a dog you know,” Owen laughed.
“I hate the cold,” Cody said slowly. He looked down at his hands and said, “Okay, well there’s a few letters for you, Joe,” Cody handed him a small bunch, “A couple for Dylan,” He gave Dylan a pair of letters,
“And one for you, Owen,” He gave the last letter to him.
192 Ashburn Drive – Darren’s address, written on a page, appeared in front of my eyes when I blinked. I wondered why I’d visualised this and then I remembered that it must be a flash of my first day here that had broken into my thoughts....
“Is this your address ma’am?” Monroe had asked.
I looked down to the page to see Darren’s address written – with ‘Warning letters sent to:’ beside it.
“No,” I had said, “That’s my old address.”
Letters sent to Darren’s address. Letters undoubtedly with the name of the hotel printed on them. Letters telling him where I’ve ran off to.
“I need to make a phone call,” I blurted then fast walked, as to not draw unwanted attention to my exit, to my room. I picked up my mobile and rapidly hit a series of buttons to call mum.
“Mum,” I said the minute the repetitive bleeping had stopped, “I need you to go to Darren’s house and get the letters that are addressed to me. They’ll have where I am on them,” I said urgently before she could squeeze in a hello.
“Okay Ashley,” She said quickly, “But how am I meant to get in?”
“Go around the back of his house, through the gate and behind the second- no, third pot and there will be a rock which is actually one of those key rock things. Open it up and there’ll be a key to the front door.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll ring you when I get it,” She said.
“Thanks mum, you’re a life saver.”
I said a quick bye then left my phone down. When I looked up, I saw Jonah leaning against the doorframe.
“Who’s Darren?” Jonah asked me once I set the phone down. “Your boyfriend?” He winked.
“It’s complicated,” I replied shortly. I honestly thought he was gonna talk about Nick and I.
“Go on, tell me,” He smirked.
“It’ll take days,” I told him.
“I have time,” He shrugged.
“Alright,” I sighed, “Sit down.” Jonah came over to me and sat, waiting patiently for my explanation. “He’s my ex. He used to... hurt me...” I said sheepishly, leaving ‘hurt’ to be however severe Jonah imagined, but I’m sure however serious he took ‘hurt’ as, it wasn’t serious enough. “I was with him for over six months. Then my mum found out what he did, she called the police and he went to jail. Once I finished school, I moved here so I wouldn’t have to deal with Darren when he got out.”
I looked up to Jonah again, after waiting about 20 seconds for a reply. His face was stricken with hurt, “I am so sorry,” He shook his head and then repeated it again, adding my name to the end, “I am so sorry Ashley.”
“It’s not your fault,” I sighed. I just said this meaning he doesn’t have to be sorry for anything, but he did think it was his fault. I could see it in his eyes before he even spoke.
“But it is,” He looked to the ground.
“No it’s not,” I looked at him, confused.
“If I wouldn’t have left,” He got up and started pacing the room, running his fingers through his hair before continuing, “If I wouldn’t have left,” He paused and looked at me, “You wouldn’t have been together, he wouldn’t have hurt you...” He choked in his words. I tried to assure myself it was just because he didn’t know what else to say, but I knew deep down he was keeping down a ball of emotion in his throat. I know because he did this the same day we broke up.
I took him by the wrists, “Look at me Jonah,” I said softly, but sternly. His eyes rolled up to align with mine, “It’s not your fault, okay? It’s Darren’s. He’s in prison. He can’t get me. It’s in the past.” I told him this, knowing myself that I didn’t believe it. Darren will never just be something in the past. I will always look behind me. He will always haunt my dreams. I just need to learn to move on, but I can’t tell Jonah this.
He just stared at me. “Would you forgive me? Please. Just for every stupid thing I ever did, especially the day I left you."
"I forgive you," I confirmed.
He looked at me with unhidden hurt etched across his face. A few moments passed and he turned after muttering goodbye.
Just before four, I opened the door to see that all the boys – bar Cody – were home already.
“How was your first day?” Jonah asked once I’d gotten in.
“Pretty good actually,” I smiled.
Before I could elaborate, Cody came through the door, cold and wet with letters in his hands. He shook his head and ice cold droplets of water hit me and the others.
“You’re not a dog you know,” Owen laughed.
“I hate the cold,” Cody said slowly. He looked down at his hands and said, “Okay, well there’s a few letters for you, Joe,” Cody handed him a small bunch, “A couple for Dylan,” He gave Dylan a pair of letters,
“And one for you, Owen,” He gave the last letter to him.
192 Ashburn Drive – Darren’s address, written on a page, appeared in front of my eyes when I blinked. I wondered why I’d visualised this and then I remembered that it must be a flash of my first day here that had broken into my thoughts....
“Is this your address ma’am?” Monroe had asked.
I looked down to the page to see Darren’s address written – with ‘Warning letters sent to:’ beside it.
“No,” I had said, “That’s my old address.”
Letters sent to Darren’s address. Letters undoubtedly with the name of the hotel printed on them. Letters telling him where I’ve ran off to.
“I need to make a phone call,” I blurted then fast walked, as to not draw unwanted attention to my exit, to my room. I picked up my mobile and rapidly hit a series of buttons to call mum.
“Mum,” I said the minute the repetitive bleeping had stopped, “I need you to go to Darren’s house and get the letters that are addressed to me. They’ll have where I am on them,” I said urgently before she could squeeze in a hello.
“Okay Ashley,” She said quickly, “But how am I meant to get in?”
“Go around the back of his house, through the gate and behind the second- no, third pot and there will be a rock which is actually one of those key rock things. Open it up and there’ll be a key to the front door.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll ring you when I get it,” She said.
“Thanks mum, you’re a life saver.”
I said a quick bye then left my phone down. When I looked up, I saw Jonah leaning against the doorframe.
“Who’s Darren?” Jonah asked me once I set the phone down. “Your boyfriend?” He winked.
“It’s complicated,” I replied shortly. I honestly thought he was gonna talk about Nick and I.
“Go on, tell me,” He smirked.
“It’ll take days,” I told him.
“I have time,” He shrugged.
“Alright,” I sighed, “Sit down.” Jonah came over to me and sat, waiting patiently for my explanation. “He’s my ex. He used to... hurt me...” I said sheepishly, leaving ‘hurt’ to be however severe Jonah imagined, but I’m sure however serious he took ‘hurt’ as, it wasn’t serious enough. “I was with him for over six months. Then my mum found out what he did, she called the police and he went to jail. Once I finished school, I moved here so I wouldn’t have to deal with Darren when he got out.”
I looked up to Jonah again, after waiting about 20 seconds for a reply. His face was stricken with hurt, “I am so sorry,” He shook his head and then repeated it again, adding my name to the end, “I am so sorry Ashley.”
“It’s not your fault,” I sighed. I just said this meaning he doesn’t have to be sorry for anything, but he did think it was his fault. I could see it in his eyes before he even spoke.
“But it is,” He looked to the ground.
“No it’s not,” I looked at him, confused.
“If I wouldn’t have left,” He got up and started pacing the room, running his fingers through his hair before continuing, “If I wouldn’t have left,” He paused and looked at me, “You wouldn’t have been together, he wouldn’t have hurt you...” He choked in his words. I tried to assure myself it was just because he didn’t know what else to say, but I knew deep down he was keeping down a ball of emotion in his throat. I know because he did this the same day we broke up.
I took him by the wrists, “Look at me Jonah,” I said softly, but sternly. His eyes rolled up to align with mine, “It’s not your fault, okay? It’s Darren’s. He’s in prison. He can’t get me. It’s in the past.” I told him this, knowing myself that I didn’t believe it. Darren will never just be something in the past. I will always look behind me. He will always haunt my dreams. I just need to learn to move on, but I can’t tell Jonah this.
He just stared at me. “Would you forgive me? Please. Just for every stupid thing I ever did, especially the day I left you."
"I forgive you," I confirmed.
He looked at me with unhidden hurt etched across his face. A few moments passed and he turned after muttering goodbye.
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