Signs of the past - Ash Lynx x Reader

Chapter 14

Your POV:
Hearing the words seep from Ash's dad's mouth just ticked me off in so many ways. It brought back so many unwanted memories and reminded me of the reason I'm even in New York in the first place. Uprooting almost 6 hours away from where I grew up, was not something I wanted to do. That 6-hour drive was the worst 6 hours of my entire life. Well, that's an understatement. It makes up for some of the worst hours of my life.

I remember one day rather vividly. It was one of the first few days of me moving to New York. I got bored so started to walk around. I got to Long Island before they realised I'd run away. It was one of the only days I regret when I moved to New York. If I hadn't have done it, I doubt I would've faced as much as I had.

I'd have hoped that by disappearing again, no one would find me. But I was wrong. After about an hour after I'd gone missing, I saw a head of blonde hair getting closer and closer before I realised Ash had found me.

"How'd you find me?" I asked.

"Just by coincidence." Ash answered.

"If you say so." I say, gazing back at the lake.

"What made you suddenly disappear?" Ash asked.

"I couldn't stand to hear what your father had to say. And I couldn't take it anymore. So I slipped away for some peace and quiet." I explain.

"Don't let it get to you. I'm used to that by now." Ash shrugged.

"But you shouldn't be! You know, at least you have a home to go back to. I don't see why your dad can't just welcome you home with open arms. That's the one thing I've been dying for... for such a long time now." I sigh.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"I'd rather explain it in front of you, Eiji, Kimora and Shorter." I sigh.

"Good thing we followed Ash then." Kimora giggled.

"Wait. The infamous Ash Lynx didn't realise he was being followed?" I chuckle.

"I wasn't paying attention to that." He sighed.

"Tsk tsk. If you wanna survive in this world, you of all people should know that's top priority." I sigh.

"Y/N." Kimora said sternly, getting my attention.

"Yeah?" I answer.

"What do you mean?" She said, reiterating Ash's question.

"Take a seat. This is gonna be a long one." I say, half lying because I wasn't going to reveal everything.

Not just yet.

"Where to begin?" I chuckle. "Well, I guess I could start by saying I never always lived in New York. I moved, well, more like I was forced to move to New York at a rather young age. About 7. It was the longest 6 hours of my entire life. I was uprooted from Vermont, all the way down to New York just because of my parents job. That's the whole reason I was forced to move to New York. Then they abandoned me here." I finish.

"So you don't know where they are?" Shorter asked.

"No. I haven't heard from them since I was 10." I answer.

"So what did you do for 7 years?" Ash asked.

"Survived. It's all I could do. I did have help though." I say, a stray tear slipping from my eye.

"Help? From whom?" Shorter asked.

"Someone named Josh. He was just your average guy. Who worked for a newspaper company. He found me one day and helped me. Helped me survive. Providing me with clothes. Food. A place to live. He did have very little involvement in my life. He'd leave food outside my apartment every day. And buy me clothes whenever I needed them. A couple months ago, it all stopped. I thought nothing of it until I found out he was killed. And that's when the Cardinal Sinners started. I had nowhere else to go so I started my own gang. Attacking people who were targeting the weak. And then my numbers grew. Slowly, but still." I explain.