Crystal Hearts

Chapter 14. Don't say sorry

Ashter and Crystal had spent the entire day together, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, he drove her back to her house. The warmth of their shared moments lingered between them, but as they reached her front door, Crystal hesitated.

"Let me go, Ashter," she said softly, trying to gently pull her hands from his. Ashter held her hands firmly, threading his fingers through hers.

"Just five more minutes, love," he said, his voice tender and soft.

Crystal looked into his eyes, a smile spreading across her face. "Thank you for today, Ashter. I’m really happy."

Ashter leaned in and kissed her hands, his lips lingering on her skin. "Thank you for giving me the chance to make you happy, love." The sincerity in his voice made her smile widen.

"Ashter…"

"Hmm?"

"Help me carry these things. You literally bought out the whole mall for me," she said with a playful roll of her eyes.

He chuckled, a light, genuine sound. "I can’t help it. You look gorgeous in everything you wear."

As they walked up to her front door together, Crystal noticed her father waiting inside. The warmth of the day suddenly felt like a distant memory.

"Ashter," her father said, his voice tinged with surprise and suspicion.

"Mr. Harway," Ashter responded, his voice hardening slightly as he clenched his jaw.

"What are you doing here?" Her father’s voice was sharp, his eyes narrowing.

"I could ask you the same question," Ashter replied, his tone defensive.

Crystal's father turned to her, his expression darkening. "Crystal, what the hell? Why is he here?" He tried to grab her wrist, but Ashter’s glare stopped him.

"Get out of her house," Ashter said, his voice cold and resolute.

"Who are you to tell me that?" her father snapped back, anger flaring in his eyes.

"He’s my boyfriend, Dad. And you have no right to yell at him," Crystal said, standing firm and placing herself between her father and Ashter. Her father looked taken aback, clearly not expecting something like this from her.

Crystal felt a surge of strength she hadn’t experienced before. "Dad, you can't always treat me like this. I am not responsible for every problem in your life, nor is Lily. You can't just hit us to release your frustration. You blamed me for Mom’s death and told Lily that I had died so we couldn’t support each other. You’re awful, Dad. I hate calling you ‘Dad,’ but… I just can’t."

Tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her father's face softened, his anger replaced by guilt. He glanced at Ashter, silently pleading for a moment alone with Crystal.

Ashter understood immediately and said, "If she gets even a scratch, I’ll make sure you regret it."

Crystal’s gaze met Ashter’s, silently begging him not to escalate the situation further.

Her father took a deep breath, his voice breaking as he spoke. "I’m sorry, Crystal. I really am. I know you might not believe it, but I regret hitting you. I wanted to talk to someone about my worries, but you two were so small, and my drinking…"

Crystal’s anger flared again. "Wow. 'Sorry.' What a convenient word. Use it when you don’t know how to work a printer, when you ruin someone’s meeting, not when you hit your child. Just saying 'sorry' after ruining someone’s life. It doesn’t make it okay."

Her father’s eyes were filled with remorse, but he reached for her hands, only to have her pull away. "If you’re truly sorry, just leave us alone. Don’t force Lily into marriage, and don’t make our lives miserable. Please."

"I’m sorry, Crystal. I’m sorry," her father repeated, his voice breaking as he turned to leave.

As soon as he was gone, Crystal collapsed into Ashter’s arms, her sobs breaking through her controlled demeanor. Ashter held her close, his heart aching for her. "Ashter, thank you for being here. I found the courage to stand up because you were with me."

"I’m always here for you, love," Ashter said, his voice a comforting murmur as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I hate myself for not being there when you needed me. I’m sorry."

"Please don’t say that. You’re here now, and that’s all I need. Don’t say sorry—I hate that word," she said, pressing herself into his chest and wrapping her arms around him.

"I won’t say sorry," he said softly. "Instead, I’ll say I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered, her voice muffled against his chest.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, the promise of his love clear in the tender gesture.

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