Seeing Stars

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

With a sigh I roll over to face my alarm clock. "4.46am." I say with a groan as I sit upright. I had spend the last couple of hours trying to get back to sleep but every time I closed my eyes, images from the accident kept flashing back to me. I guess that I am not going to get any more sleep today.

I get up and pad my way over to my window and lean against the frame, looking out across the ranch and to the woods beyond. With us being so far out of the town there were barely any lights which gives us a perfect view of the stars without any light pollution. It's such a beautiful sight to see.

Suddenly I catch movement out the corner of my eye and I turn my head to look. A lone figure sits on the swing seat and is slowly rocking back and forth. I turn away from my window and silently make my way out of my room and down the stairs to the front door. Quickly unlocking it I step outside and shiver as the night-time air hits me before I carry on out towards the swing chair.

Upon closer inspection I realise that the person sitting there is Ashton. His head snaps up at my approach and his eyes soften. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

He shrugs and slides along the seat to let me sit down, "I couldn't sleep." He says in a tired voice.

I nod my head, "Me neither," and pause, taking a seat, "It's been a long day."

He looks at me with a pained expression, "Alexis, I'm so incredibly sorry about earlier in the car."

I shake my head at him and give him a weak smile, "It's okay. You didn't know. How could you know?"

"I still feel awful and when I woke up to you screaming it... it... I caused that." He says his voice cracking.

I bite my lip and look away from him, "You didn't cause that. It was the other driver."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking."

I swallow the lump forming in my throat. "I was at a competition. My mother had gone ahead with Adrian, Joel and the horses and my dad was driving me home. As we were coming up to a corner, a car came round the bend too fast. The driver lost control of the car and it came across the road and we collided with them. When I awoke all I could see were the paramedics rushing around us. I was scared, really scared. My father kept telling me it was going to be alright and told the medics to get me out first. They did and I was in the ambulance when I looked up to see my dad being rushed into the next ambulance and..." I stop to clear my throat again, "So much blood. I found out later that the car had crumpled around his legs and cut some major arteries and that he had died on the way to hospital. I was fifteen and I've never competed again, until today."

Silence surrounds us as the wind picks up slightly and blows the hair around my neck. I clear it away as he finally speaks, "I'm so sorry." He repeats.

I turn my head to look at him, "Thank you."

His phone suddenly rings again and it causes me to jump a mile, with a sigh he answers it, "It's 5 in the morning. This better be important."

I stare out over my farm as he talks to the person on the phone. It sounds like the same person as the other night, his girlfriend Natalie but I can't be sure. I hear a sigh and I turn my head back to him. He runs a hand over his face, "I know." He says solemnly, "But don't come out here. I will be back before you know it and I'll be off working from home then."

His eyes flick up to meet mine and I mouth if I should go to him. He shakes his head and continues to watch me as the other person speaks. "I'm going to go now. I start filming again soon. Alright. Bye." He says and hangs up.