No Werewolves Allowed

Chapter fifteen

"Revenge, the sweetest morsel to the mouth that ever was cooked in hell."
― Walter Scott, The Heart of Mid-Lothian

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I trudged through a garden, a field littered with beautiful purple wildflowers and daisies. The familiar soft scent of them drifted up my nose as I sniffed and a smile spread over my lips. My heart and stomach warmer significantly as I walked in further. I only stopped when I noticed another man sitting in the centre of the field, amidst the dozens of flowers.

I strolled towards him, some invisible force drawing me closer. There was an odd sense of security that washed over me as I sat down next to him and immediately I knew.

It was Ashton.

He turned when I crunched over onto the grass, smiling one of those cheesy lopsided grins he always gave me.

"Hey Ashton," I returned his smile, as he wrapped his arms around me. On instinct, I placed my head onto his shoulder.

"I'm not dead, am I?" I asked him.

Ashton smirked, his gaze trained at the bright blue sky above us. Not a cloud was in sight. "No, you're not."

"But.... I saw you laying...." I trailed off, my eyebrows crinkling as I watched his peaceful expression.

If I wasn't dead but Ashton was, I could only be dreaming. My vision blurred, scattering my view of him until he became a large blob in front of my eyes. If dreaming was the only way I could see him I'd still take it.

"I love you so much." I choked, a fat teardrop rolling down my cheek. I swung my arms around him, letting out a sob. My droplets of tears landed
on his shoulder but he paid them no mind. He'd comforted me a number of times before. His arms found my waist as he wrapped them around me.

"I know you do," he spoke with a soft tone. I released him, swiping the tears from my cheeks with my palm.

When my eyes met his again, he was smiling at me like a dork, a dazed look in his eyes. It was a lot like the way he used to watch me when we first started dating.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I tried so hard to..." I looked down at my hands, ashamed. The only time it mattered and I'd failed.

"Hey, I don't blame you," Ashton placed his hand on my cheek, caressing me with his thumb. "Some things are just meant to happen, and we can't do anything to change that."

I shook my head furiously. I refused to believe that this was  meant to happen.

"I wish we could start over. Leave, or run away together and then you wouldn't have to go. Ever." My voice cracked again as the last word ended in another sob. I squeezed my eyes shut, a trail of tears raced down my cheeks.

"Oh Lila, I love you so much." He threw his arms around me again. But this time it was different. He held on tighter and harder, almost squishing the life out of me.

My teary eyes widened when the revelation finally popped into my mind. "No. No, I'm not saying goodbye."

"You have to," Ashton stated simply, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His eyes were heavy, clouded over with unshed tears. "You have a mate Lila, and you guys should be together. You don't have to stay faithful to me, follow your heart and do what you have to."