The Butterfly Effect

Chapter 15

Squinting her eyes, Ashley blinked repeatedly because of the brightness of the lights. With a soft groan, she pressed her bandaged head with her fingers as a headache attacked again. After her eyes adapted with the lights, she scanned the room, trying to figure out where she was. When she felt the back of her hand touch someone's hair, she jolted. She found a messy-haired guy sleeping by her side with his head on his arms folded on the bed.

Just by the hair, she knew it was Joey. Never crossed her mind that his messy brown hair would be so smooth. Impulsively, she stroked his hair very softly. But, all of a sudden, Joey tilted up his head and she startled, embarrassedly pulling her hand from his head at once. He looked at her with his sleepy eyes as he let out a low moan.

"Ash?" he rasped. "You're awake?"

Stirring in her bed, Ashley turned her head away to hide her rosy cheeks. What had she been thinking when she stroked his hair? "W- what happened to me?" she asked in a whiny voice. "Why's my head bandaged? And my ankle hurts."

"You fainted when you chased after me," Joey replied as he stretched. "Then, you fell off the stairs and now we're at the medical center."

By some means, her cheeks became rosier. The memories about the recent event suddenly flooded her head. It was totally out of her mind how she had chosen to chase after Joey back in the apartment while she had been left alone with Harley. But then she remembered the last words she had said to him and she felt really stupid.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked mildly.

His face showed concern that caused warm and joy to instantaneously snake up her body. Ashley just nodded through her heart pulsating faster that made her nervous, her eyes darting back and forth.

"Good." Joey smiled. "By the way, the doctor said you need to use crutches for a few weeks. And the nurse asked me to fill in the admissions forms, but I don't know your information. Maybe you can ask Jessica to do it for you. I texted her about you and she said she'll come by here soon."

"Oh, o- okay."

The next second, hush descended over them and it just made Ashley more nervous as she was aware there were only the two of them in the room. She glanced at Joey sitting there while typing something on his phone with a grin on his face as if he would rather be physically inside the chat room with whoever it was than here in the dead-silent room with her. Thinning her lips, her brain worked so hard to come up with what to talk about in order to subside the awkwardness around them.

Just ask him what he's doing here, is he here because he's worried about you, Ashley thought.

"What are you doing here?" she asked but her voice sounded rather acrimonious.

Joey was silent for a moment. "Well, I'm sure Jessica's on her way here and I—"

"Then, why are you here?"

Ashley, you're stupid! Quit talking like that and just tell him you need him here! she thought again.

His expression changed to perplexity. "Excuse me? I—"

"I don't need you here." Right at that second, she cursed herself for saying what she hadn't actually meant to say to him. It just came out wrong and her heartbeat and nervousness made it worse for her to control her intonation. "Joey, I—"

"A simple 'thank you' would do, you know," he said sulkily then stomped toward the door.

"Joey, wait! Joe—"

After nearly tearing the door off its hinges, Joey fled the room without glancing back and her ears rang in silence from the loud bang. Just then, a tear dropped on Ashley's cheek and she quickly wiped it away.