Stuck At Default

AFTERMATH

''I hate you so much. How could you do that to me?''

''I'm so sorry. But I just couldn't resist doing it. But you have to admit, it was funny.''

Ash was laughing so hard that he snorted like a pig. It was so funny that I actually swerved the car a bit.

''Yeah, it was. Only for you, not for me. You are gonna pay for this dearly, Ash. I won't let you off easy.''

''Even if you dangle me off this cliff, it will still be worth it to see you covered in egg and flour.''

For a moment, I stopped caring that he was laughing at my cost. I was just mesmerised seeing him laugh. He looked so young when he laughed carefree like this. At that moment, he looked like a 17 year old boy rather than a 25 year old man. I loved him so much.

Suddenly his expression changed from laughing to panic and terror. He shouted my name and tried to grip the steering wheel over my hand. I turned back towards the road and saw a truck coming towards us. I tried turning the wheel but I knew it was too late.

Before the truck could hit us, Ash pushed me out of the car and landed hard on the ground, screaming. Screaming for him as the truck collided with the car and.....

And there was something soft underneath me. I tried getting up from the ground, tears streaming down my face. But there was no accident, it was a nightmare. Getting my breathing back in control was very difficult.

I was not on my bed but on the couch in the living room. The bright blue throw pillow was drenched in my tears. I started doing the breathing excercise that my therapist had taught me. It had been a long time since I had to do this. Slowly, but steadily, I got my heartbeat and breathing and tears, all under control.

This nightmare was different from the ones that I had before. In this one, both of us were the same age as now, and not what we were five years ago. We were laughing and teasing before everything went to hell. But this time, he pushed me out of the car before the crash.

All the revelations of yesterday and my raging emotions must have induced this nightmare. I got up from the couch and went inside my room to flop down on my bed. I was still not ready to get out of bed and face anyone.

Sunday came and went. Ashton had sent my phone and purse back. However, he did not try to call me even once. I was kinda hoping that he would atleast call me. On the other hand, I was actually relieved to just ignore him and not having to face him.

I could not gather enough courage to get out of my bed and face the day ahead. I tried calling Jason a million times, but he was unavailable. Atleast he was safe from my worst outburst.

All of my day was spent in bed, mulling and overthinking over everything that Ashton dumped on me yesterday and the nightmare that I had because of it. It all felt very surreal to believe. In my head, it was as if a movie was playing and this was all a part of the script.

But, it was not.

It was all as real as it could get. I needed to get ahold of Jason to hear what actually happened all those years ago. According to Ashton, my brother and him were in cahoots and even he thought that it was best if Ashton broke up with me.

What did hurt me the most, was that he saw what I was going through after the breakup and did not once tell me the truth.

I was struggling with my life and pushing myself so hard to get back on track, that I didn't even feel the joy of graduating high school. And all this pain that I went through, meant nothing to the one that I called my brother.