the tape.

13) Back Again ½

Ashley would lay in the bed as she stared at the ceiling. "you alright babe?" bryce would ask, Ashley wouldn't reply as there would be a knock on the pool house door.

Bryce would leave to room to get it as Justin's voice echoed the rooms. "bryce I'm sorry" Justin would say, the two would talk for a while. Ashley would get up.

Ash would walk out into the main room of the pool house, where Justin and bryce were sat.

Ashley walked outside to the pool, as she sat on the side. She dipped her legs in the water as it was a hot day.
Bryce and Justin would continue to talk for a few more minutes as they they walked outside.
"bye Ash" Justin said as he would leave. "bye Justin!" she would say as she rested her sunglasses on her head.

Bryce would walk over to her, he would sit next to her. "tell me what's up" he would say, shifting slightly.
"it's nothing" Ashley said bluntly. She would get up, walking towards the pool house as bryce would stand up.

"Ash, talk to me" bryce would say, He would follow after her. "bryce go away" Ashley said as she would tear up.

Ashley had it built up. Everyone expected her to just be fine with it all.

"Ash what is going on" bryce would raise his voice slightly which made Ashley crumble. Ashley would tear up as she put bryce's shirt back on, she would turn around as he said it.
"just go away!" she said as she cried, "talk to me! You're clearly upset about something, I just wanna help!" bryce said as he retaliated.

"you have done enough helping! Ever since that night, everyone has tiptoed around me like ill break at any minute! Ever since people found out about it" Ashley would say, referring to the night bryce had assaulted her.

"you said you didn't care what anyone thought about us" bryce said as he inched towards her. "I don't but it isn't exactly nice having girls talk about me in the locker room, or having girls call you a rapist right to my face and that I shouldn't be with you!" Ashley almost shouted as she cried more.

"I understand that but it isn't my fault! They are just stupid" bryce shouted as he looked at her. "no but it is your fault.. Its all your fault" Ashley broke down, she cried till she felt she couldn't breathe. Should manage to catch her breath, "bryce I love you, But I hate you for what you did to me. you don't know how it feels, I can't stand around you and your friends because it reminds me how they all watched you do it. They took pictures for fuck sakes!" Ashley said as she cried. She felt her the walls closing in on her until she couldn't breathe.

bryce would be lost for words as he looked at Ashley, "and I know you've said sorry a million times over and I've forgiven you every single time but I would be lying if I said you didn't scare me. I used to love the way you held me, the way you'd keep your arms around my body as if you'd never let go. You protected me from anything, but the one thing you couldn't protect me from was you." Ashley said as she looked at him.

" and now I can't bare the way you touch me, I would give anything to have that joy back again but I cant. And it's worse when I have to testify against you" she finished. "Ash you don't have to testify, you know that. And you know I love you and I will spend a life time of regret for what I did to you. But trust me when I say that I will never hurt you ever again, and if you want me to go I will. If you never want to see me again I'm gone." bryce said as he sighed, he wouldn't know what to do.

Ashley would shake her head as she cried. " don't leave me, I don't want you to go anywhere. I just want you to understand that i don't wanna go back to how things were, because this is now and we both have to face the truth. I think we just need to learn how to be in a relationship again"  Ashley said as her tears fell. She would walk over to bryce as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you" she would whisper.
"I love you too" he would whisper back.

They both go back to each other in the end.