It'll Always Be You

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KHAEL / ASH

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"I will be quitting,"

Khael didn't quite comprehend what she said. But seeing the determined expression on her face, Khael knew he'd messed up. Regret flooded his mind, tears threatening to spill from his eyes if not his willpower held them there. He turned away trying to wipe the gathered tears, erasing any trace that he was going to cry.

Turning back again, Ash had gone out the door. Not waiting for anyone to stop her or anyone to talk her out of it. Khael could see Faith sighing, her eyes gazing at the door. Glancing at them, Seth looked remorseful and Caleb looked down than usual. Faith, however, was unreadable.

"Well, she made her decision." 

"Wait, is this what you guys were talking about earlier?" Seth interrogated her. Faith stayed quiet, the look in her eyes was distant. A mixture of expressions painted her face.

"Is that why she looked unhappy?" Khael snapped, the tone in his voice laced with anger and hostility. He could see at the corners of his eyes that both Seth and Caleb had their attention shifted to him but he couldn't care any less. He needed to know what Faith made her decide.

She nodded slowly. "I told her what would happen to you guys if your - the relationship between you two were to continue. So I told her the options. To continue whatever you guys have and your careers would be at risk or she leaves before it gets even deeper and ruins everything you've worked for."

"I knew she was a fan of you but I kept it quiet knowing you guys would be on guard and wouldn't be relaxing. But seeing how your friendship of hers escalated, I knew she was going to be hurt." She finished.

"Why would you do that?" Khael was now furious. "I knew what I was risking but I never wanted to push her away just as cruel as you told her to choose her options."

"She had no choice."

"She's going to be hurt no matter what she chose!" Khael was now breathing hard. What was going on with him? He knew what Faith said was true and he had done that to Ash, pushing her away so that the feelings they had wouldn't go too deep. Khael had made it a point to tell her that a relationship between them could never happen but why was he acting as if they were in one?

"I support your relationship with her if the circumstances were different, but when things are difficult and your efforts to reach where you are right now, I just went defensive mode." Khael understood her, very clearly. But seeing as their conversation would go nowhere if he wouldn't calm down and do something about the feelings in his heart, he would lose the person he loved dearly.

———

Ash knew she was going to be tossed aside like that, like a sack of dirt, but she didn't know it would happen without any defense from the boys.

She couldn't get over the unreadable expressions Seth and Caleb had, although Caleb's face was always like that Seth, it was nothing like the comforting feeling he seemed to always give her. But she didn't care about Khael, not anymore.

She hailed a cab, the address going to Genesis's house. Ash sent a message beforehand to which she responded with eagerness, hoping to catch up. Ash smiled. She had enjoyed herself so much with the boys that she'd forgotten to spend time with her closest friend.

It wasn't long before the cab stopped at her address, the familiar and nostalgic house brought back memories. She was staying at her parent's house at the moment, seeing it as an opportunity to save money.

Genesis was at the gate waiting for her as she paid her fare. The cab left right after. She embraced her friend in a huge hug, holding back everything, tears and feelings alike. Genesis led her to her room, the dark blue lights and matching sheets on her bed, comforted her more than she thought they would - making a huge jump upon seeing the comfy bed.

"Now," Genesis, from behind her, pulled something from a drawer and tossed it to her. Ash took it and quickly tore it open. "you can cry."

Confusion strikes on Ash's face which Genesis just ignores and takes another snack from the same drawer, opening it and eating its contents. "You look like the time you got scolded by your aunt and came here crying one night, so go ahead, we can talk about what happened after."

Not a beat later, Ash lets go of the tears she held - her will to stop her tears could only last for a few minutes. The feeling of her warm tears flowing down her cheeks alerted her mind that her face was a mess right now, but she really didn't care. Not when the pain of being abandoned and rejected hurt her.

And as if her brain wanted her to cry and feel more pain, memories of how the boys didn't even try to comfort her or stop her from leaving just made her wail like a baby and she wasn't embarrassed. Faith knew that this was her decision. Those two options she was made to choose from made her determined to never show a single expression that could waver her decision. She thought the boys would've made her waver but they didn't.

Ash continued crying into the night with Genesis offering her more snacks, sodas, and tubes of ice cream just for her to let it all out. Soon enough, the sobs turn into hiccups signaling the end of her cry time. Genesis played some movies, cheering her up.

They stay awake until she finishes telling Genesis about what happened, and she stays silent to listen intently to every word. After, she comforts Ash, keeping her opinions to herself, knowing this wasn't the time for that.

"Thank you for this Genesis," Ash hugs her friend, happy to have one as special as her. "I promise to buy whatever you want tomorrow when we go shopping."

"You said it not me okay," Genesis couldn't hide her excitement for the next day and quickly went to bed. Ash laid down beside her thinking back about the day. Did her feelings really feel like something little to Khael? With the time they spent together, she'd thought he'd at least give her a chance. Remembering each detail with precision, tears well up again but she wipes them and forces herself to go to sleep, the exhaustion from crying getting to her.

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