The Butterfly Effect

Chapter 42

After getting a text back from Jessica telling him that Ashley was already back to their apartment, Joey snatched his shearling jacket and darted out of the basketball arena. For around thirty minutes, he had contemplated about his feelings toward Ashley again at the court by himself. In the end, realization dawned on him and one thing he knew for sure was he wouldn't let her fall into someone else's arms just yet.

With picnic basket in his hand and guitar on his back, Joey ascended the apartment stairs swiftly two treads at a time. When he arrived at the door number 4C, he rapped the door with his knuckles. As the door pulled open and the girl he was expecting appeared behind it, he exclaimed with short breathing, "It's you, Ash!"

Ashley crinkled her brows. "What?"

"Remember that night when you asked me if there's someone I can't get through the day without talking to? The truth is, yes, there is. It's you, Ash. I'm in love with you, okay? Just so you know, those days without talking to you, it was- it was sickening to me! All I wanted was just- just to hear your voice... even just for a few seconds," Joey babbled desperately.

Ashley just stood still at her spot, tight-lipped.

Surprisingly, he fell to his knees in front of her and she gasped. "I've never felt like this about someone before," he went on, his head casting down, "I didn't know what to do... I- I didn't know how to cope up with these feelings, so I ran away instead. I thought if- if I didn't see you for a while during the holidays, it would be easier for me to forget you. But... but the more I tried, the clearer your face appeared in my head. Until finally I realized, I don't want to forget you. I want to remember you..."

Tilting his head up, their stares collided but Ashley was still silent with her hand over her lips.

"Trust me, these last few weeks have been tortures for me, too," Joey admitted, convincing her. "Yes, I hung out with my friends and looked fine, but deep down... all I could think about was you. What are you doing at the moment? Who are you talking to at the moment? Who did you kiss on New Year's?"

Shaking her head, beads of tears dropped to Ashley's cheeks and she covered her face with her hands.

"When I pictured you kissing somebody else on New Year instead of me..." Joey turned away from her as he swallowed hard, too embarrassed to face her, "it made me so... upset. So, I was thinking, 'What the hell, I have this girl who keeps flirting with me, anyway'. But somehow, I couldn't... I just can't do it if- if it's not you, Ash. Still, I didn't even have the courage to call you and that's why I called Jessica instead. Then, she told me—"

All of a sudden, the door behind Joey cracked open and he heard a familiar, deep voice asked, "Joe? Dude, what are you...?" Harley snorted in amusement.

Before Joey could answer, another familiar voice squealed in the hall, "Joey, what the hell are you doing?"

He froze on the floor. Not having to turn his head, there was no doubt it was Kirsten. It was literally the worst time to witness the fragile, unmasculine side of him like that. Too sheepish, he didn't dare look at them or they would see his completely tomato-red face. He was so going to be made fun of for the whole year by them.

But the next second, a baffled voice with a European accent asked, "Liam?"

Another guy's voice in the same level of bafflement queried, "Scarlett? Harley?" Liam clicked his fingers. "Oh, right! I knew I've seen you before. It was at Kirsten's Dad's wedding last year!"

Harley gasped. "Are you- are you Kirsten's boyfriend? Wait, Kirsy, is he- is he your Liam?" The way Harley sounded was totally confused and surprised.

"Yea—"