Summer Love

Chapter 13 The Truth

Day 3

We sat in a awkward silence. Ash suddenly got up and walked away from me, rubbing his face in frustration. He turned and stared at me,

"When I was six, my family was perfect. I mean as perfect, as a family could be. I was happy, WE were happy! But everything changed when my sister died," Ash looked away from me and I felt sadness rush over me, "She was only ten! Do you know how its feel's to lose someone who has helped you through everything?! And protected you from the harms of this world, and then one day all of those harms come crashing down on you!

"I suffered for three years! Three years, Nikki! When my sister died my dad went completely crazy," Ash said running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath, "He kept blaming me for what happened to her, and I even blame myself for what happened,"

"What happened to her?" I snapped my mouth shut and rolled my eyes, "Sorry, you don't have to tell me, Continue,"

"No, it's fine Nikki. She died in a car accident. We were driving home from my sisters dance competition, and there was a lot of noise in the car. I was the one making most of the noise because I was only six! My dad didn't hear the car and when we finally heard it...it was already to late. The car had rolled over four times. Everybody was out of the car beside my sister and I.

"She helped my down and I made her promise that she would be right behind me,

*FLASHBACK*

(Ash's POV)

"Sarah! Sarah, are you okay!?" I yelled. I was upside down and I could hear my mom and dad yelling at people to help us out of the car. There voices were frantic and filled with concern.

"Ash, calm down I'm fine," Sarah mumbled, "Ash, listen to me. I'm going to unbuckle your seat belt. So I'm going to need you to put your hands on the roof, okay?" I couldn't say anything so I just nodded my head at her, "You're going to be just fine. Do you trust me Ash,"

"I do, Sarah," I said in a shaky voice. I put my hands on the roof and gave her a small nod. She looked at me one more time and unbuckled my seat belt. I fell to the ground, my head was killing me. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I looked up at Sarah who was smiling at me.

I stood up and began to help her, "Ash, go,"

I stopped fiddling with her seat belt and looked into her eyes. They held fear, concern, and sadness, "I'm not leaving you, Sarah," I started to fiddle with her seat belt again. She grabbed my hands

"Stop Ash, I can do it. I'll be right behind you," She let go of my hands and she unbuckled herself, she fell to the ground and let out a blood curdling scream

"MY BABY!" My mom yelled. I turned and saw dad holding her back. She was sobbing and breathing heavily

"Sarah what's wrong!" I yelled grabbing her arm

"Ash, go,"

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"I'll be right behind you,"

"Promise?"

"Promise. Ash just in case something happens-"

"Nothing's going to happen!" I yelled cutting her off

"Ash, LISTEN! I need you to know that I love you and that this was NOT your fault. You hear me?" I nod my head at her, "Good, now go I'm pretty sure mom is worried out of her mind," She said laughing. I crawled away from her.

I came out the window of the car and I ran over to my mom

"Ash!?" She yelled and broke away from my dad and came running towards me

"Mommy," I said as I wrapped my tiny arms around her neck, "I was so scared mommy,"

"I know sweetie, I know," she said rubbing my back trying to comfort me, "Where's Sarah?"

I pulled away from my mom and looked behind me to see that Sarah wasn't there. I ran back to the car, searching for her. Suddenly I heard a huge bang, I saw flames. I flew back about 3 feet and hit my head on the hard concrete.

"ASH?!" I heard someone yell. I sat up and saw the car was in flames? I scrambled to get to my feet, I ran to the car but my dad wrapped his arms around me.

I tried to push him off me, my vision blurry from the tears falling down my cheeks,

"SARAH!" I yelled, finally pulling away from my dad's grasp, "SARAH! COME ON, SOMEONE HELP HER!" I yelled at the people just standing there watching, "SOMEONE HAS TO HELP HER!"

My mom pulled me into a hug, I instantly wrapped my arms around her neck. I sobbed frantically into the crook of her neck. She picked my off the ground and we walked away from my sister, my protector, Sarah.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

(Back to Nikki's POV)

I felt the tears coming down my face and all I wanted to do was to wrap my arms around Ash, and tell him that I'm here for him. He wasn't looking at me but I could tell that he was crying because he was breathing heavily. I was about to say something, but Ash began to speak again.

"My dad blamed me for everything! He loved Sarah, he always hated me. So when Sarah was gone he turned all of his sadness into anger and he took it out on my mom. I watched her get beat up for three years! I couldn't do anything, so when I finally turned nine, I took a stand for my mother.

"He stopped beating my mom so regularly, but his attention was turned to me. He left some many bruises on my body that I stopped feeling, caring. I just wanted all the pain and suffering in my life to just stop!

"I got home from the road trip we went on," He said turning to face me, "And my wanted my dad to say hi to me. So she told him, and he got angry and attacked her, so I hit my dad. He got a metal pipe and hit my mom in the back of the head while she was helping me,

"He was threatening me with a knife, a KNIFE Nikki!" He said and sat next to me, "So I ran out of that house and came to the one place that I feel safest,"

"Me," I said in a low whisper

"Yeah, I feel like I can be myself around you. I feel like I can tell you anything," I turned to look at him. I cupped his cheeks and brought his lips to mine. His lips felt so warm on mine, like they belonged there. I pulled away and looked deep into his eyes

"You can," I whispered. He smiled and kissed me again. Suddenly I heard someone laughing and slowly clapping

"Isn't this a sight to behold," The stranger said in a low voice. I felt Ash tense up. I pushed away and looked at the stranger. My breathing hitched in my throat. 'Oh no...' I thought to myself, Suddenly Ash spoke up from behind me

"Hi Dad..."

'Crap'