Asher (Completed)

A 9

Asher's POV 

THREE YEARS LATER

I gasped out loud before knocking softly on the red wooden door covered in photographs of me and the girl I love.

“Hey beautiful, do you want to open up the door for me?”

I leaned towards the door to listen and the response was just as I expected- deafening silence; just as I was about to knock again Phoenix came walking up the stairs.

You could always tell a bad day just by looking at her; Phoenix wore her emotions from the sheen of her hair to the tone of her skin. Today was one of the brightest, warmest days of the summer but Phoenix’s skin was pale white and ash gray like it hadn’t received a hint of sunlight and her red hair had lost its radiance.

She sniffed as she walked towards me “Hey Al, I’m sorry you’re going to need the spare key today”

I sighed feeling my shoulders drop, “It's a 9 on the scale this week isn’t it?”I asked, looking right at her.

She looked back at me and broke down into tears “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be crying. It's just really bad and I’m so scared and lost and I just need you to reach her again, so just take the spare key and I’ll go pull myself together into what actually resembles a mother” with that she placed the key into my folded palm, walking into her room and slamming the door shut.

I slid the key into the keyhole and pushed the door open and there lying still on the bed was the love of my life and even with how broken she looked, she was still beautiful.

“Hi Storms I knocked baby, didn’t you hear?” I asked crouching over her frozen figure.

She didn’t move, didn’t flinch and it seemed like she wasn’t even breathing and though like always I tried to keep my face straight, my hands stable and my tone smooth- I was terrified.
Then I heard her voice- a whisper so faint that if I wasn’t practically draped over her I would have missed it “I didn’t, I couldn’t hear anything” and it sounded so empty.

I took a breath “How are we today? What’s your number? Have you had a shower today?” I placed my hand on my shoulder trying to get her to look at me, at least a little but she didn’t thaw.

“I don’t know, I can’t tell, I don’t think I can move and I can’t feel anything” and when I heard her voice, the exhaustion and the tears, I became broken with her.

I cleared my throat “Okay baby, it's okay” I put my hands around her and lifted her “I’m here and I’m going to help with everything but let’s start with a bath”.

Two hours later, I was soaked in the bathtub, Stormy was curled up in my arms and I was running my hand through her hair just thinking about how my life would be if she wasn’t in it.

“I don’t know how I can keep on doing this, I don’t know why I’m like this; How am I going to make it Ash?”

I pulled her close and squeezed her close to my heart, “Shhh baby, it’s all going to be okay” She sobbed into my chest “What if it isn’t ? Asher what if it isn’t?”

I sighed “I honestly don’t know but Stormy I promise you I am going to be here every step of the way and that is because I love you, each and every single side of you”.

At my words, she turned, looked into my eyes and for the first time today and probably this week she smiled and at that moment though the night was here, as I looked right into those golden brown eyes and at that bright smile, I felt the heat of the sun.
 


I woke up in a cold sweat, panting my hands reaching out and searching like they could still feel her.

I shook my head burying it into my palms, my heart hurting worse than ever “Stormy, why?”.

I shook my head again and jumped out of bed grabbing at my phone on the mahogany drawer next to my bed;

I’d been all around the world, painting, marketing my art and actually selling, yet it still hurt like it was just yesterday.

I needed a break, some time off but not on my own with a friend, so I called the best friend I’d ever had “Hey Alistair, how’s New York right now?”


I sighed loudly as I walked around the airport terminal, of course he was late.

I groaned out loud and dug into my pockets for my phone, calling Alistair “Where the hell are you?”

He laughed in response, “Chill dude, I’m right here” I grunted and threw my hand in the air “Where?!”.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the word “HERE” was, screamed into my ear. “Ugh! Alistair you son of a bitch, what the hell is wrong with you”

He laughed, slapping my back hard “Hey you started the shouting first, just treating you to your own medicine”, I rolled my eyes “Whatever man, let’s just get out of here, I'm exhausted ”.

“Welcome to Hotel Alistáir my good friend” He said gesturing to the red bricked mansion in front of us.

I chuckled “Wow, it still looks exactly the same”. 

He nodded “Well, Maxwell takes his job very seriously”, “Yeahh Max, it would be nice to see that old man again”

He shook his head, “Just don’t torture him so much, let’s head in. I’ll come check in on you in a while”

I nodded in response, lifting my bags and walking past the heavy oak doors; everything still felt familiar and I realized how much I had missed that feeling of home.

I smiled internally as I made my way up the stairs, walking past the many rooms to my usual one.

I could see that everything was still the same, my sketchings of Stormy still taped onto the walls, I dropped my bags crossing over to the side of the bed where my favourite painting was spread across the walls.

Stormy. She was dancing in the rain, her hair wet, curly and golden, her skin glistening with raindrops and her very rare, very beautiful smile was on full display; she was never happier than when she was in the rain.

I smiled sadly as I flopped down on the bed. Then I heard a light knock on the door and saw Alistair leaning across it “Hey man”

I sat up and nodded silently, he walked in with his arms folded and sat on the leather chair across the bed. “Okay so, I didn’t ask on the phone, in the car or at the airport but I’m going to now. What’s wrong?”

I pushed myself off the bed, walking back and forth “Why does something have to be wrong for me to spend some time with my best friend?”

He scoffed, arching an eyebrow “Really? Well how about the fact that you left home three years ago, on a five year contract with an art agent and investor who you’ve apparently just abandoned without a thought, or the fact that I haven’t seen you in those three years while I was at Julliard because you seem to avoid New York like the plague?”

I sighed running my hands over my face “Al you know that had nothing to do with you”

He snorted “Of course I know that but that doesn’t make it any easier or answer my question; I know why you left, I know why you needed some time and I’m guessing that’s the same reason you’re back right now but I just need you to talk to me”

I walked over to the wall, resting my forehead on one of the sketchings “I just couldn’t do it anymore Al, I tried running, I have been running but her ghost…it haunts me everywhere and I can barely close my eyes when I’m alone; which is almost all the time with my work. I thought I needed space, you know from everyone, everything, I-”

He put a hand up cutting me off “So you need a break from your break?” I nodded, swiveling around to face him.

He smiled widely “Well you know you’re always welcome Ash”