The Woods | Harvey #1

Chapter 18

Darkness was gathering. Nicole felt worse as time wore on. Her parents were beginning to worry about her. They'd checked on her several times. She finally plugged her earbuds into her ears and just sat near the window with the music turned up loud. Wanted by Hunter Hayes was about halfway done when she saw someone coming. Two someones, she realized. As they drew nearer, she was able to see Ashton with Ella riding on his shoulders.

She yanked the earbuds out and jumped up. With an urgency she hadn't realized she had, she rushed to open the door. Ashton was grinning at her, though it may have had more to do with the girl eating what looked like a Popsicle over his head. It was dripping on his hair. Nicole giggled. "Trying a new styling gel?"

He shook his head at her. "You wouldn't be laughing if she was dripping on you."

"But you're laughing," she pointed out.

"Hmm." He reached up and lifted Ella off his shoulders and sat her down. "You're right. I am." He got down to Ella's level. "Go find Miss Downs." He kissed her cheek and patted her back as she ran off into the house before standing and looking at Nicole, eyes expectant.

"I'm going to sit on the patio with Ashton," she called back into the house. She closed the door and led him around to the patio. Once they were seated next to each other on the loveseat, knees touching, she leaned into him, burying her face in his chest. He held her to him as she cried. She cried for Ella. She cried over losing him. She cried about her guilt. She cried for herself. She cried with hope she wouldn't have to bring that stuff to Clive. She cried out of sheer hopelessness and helplessness.

She had no idea how to get Ashton out of his situation, and she wasn't sure she'd ever figure it out. If she couldn't, this may be the last time he could hold her like this. Just the thought of that made her lonely even though he was still here.

It took what felt to her like hours, but finally the sobs stopped racking her body and the tears stopped. Ashton had alternated between rubbing her back and stroking her hair. He'd rocked her gently while she cried and made comforting sounds. Now that she'd stopped, she didn't want to move. She felt tired.

"Nicole," he murmured as he nuzzled the top of her head. She shivered. "Please, don't make me say I won't try to make you feel better."

She looked up at him. "Ash, this is my fault," she said, voice thick and strained.

He shook his head and ran his thumb over her cheek. "It's also my fault. I should have left you out of it all. That way you wouldn't be in this position. Do you think you're the only feeling out of your depth? I passed that marker a long time ago." He hesitated. "Not just with this stuff, but with you." He gave her one of his genuine smiles. Her heart melted. "I passed the point a long time ago where I knew what I was doing and now I'm deep into uncharted territory." He kissed her nose. "But I wouldn't go back for anything. Not with you."

"I don't want to go back with you, either. But if I could go back and stop Clive from killing that girl, I would."

"We both would. Trust me." His look was so tender and loving she needed to look away, but couldn't. "I love you."

There was no doubt in her that he meant it. "I love you."

After a moment, his look shifted, and she could tell his mood changed. "I have something to talk to you about." He moved his hand from her face and sat back, still holding her to him, though his grip had slackened. "It's about Trisha. I went to see her today. I wanted to talk to her." Nicole became worried. "I just felt that she had a right to know that I'm probably going to be arrested because I was framed by Dad. I left you out of it totally, and I was a little vague. You should have seen her, Nicole." He shook his head. "It was like my friend was gone. She would have been worried. I would have seen the tells. It would have surprised her, too, but she wasn't. It was like she knew."