Can You Hear Me?

Chapter Four:

~~A/N~~
Please read the picture above. I feel like this is something important and needs to be done.

Ethan grabs my hand as we walk through the woods together. We don't speak we just walk, and the silence actually a comfortable one. "It's beautiful here" says Ethan "Yeah I know I used come here with my dad and my brother." We continue to walk and talk till we hit the Swinging Bridge. I stop dead in my tracks as Ethan walks in front of me; he turns and gives me a confused look. "What's wrong babe?" "I...I...I don't like heights. I mean I crossed this bridge before but I was so small someone carried me and I had my eyes closed the whole time." He chuckles a little and walks back towards me. "Here" he said as he sticks out his hand "Take my hand and you can squeeze it if you fee scared." We start to walk and the closer we get the more panicked I feel. I squeeze his hand and he wraps his other arm around my waist and pulls me close. The wooden bridge creeks under my feet and it cause me to jump with fright. "It's okay Ash. I'm not going to let anything happen to you I promise" Ethan says as he looks me in the eyes. "You know I never noticed how bright of a blue your eyes are. Their gorgeous Ash." "Thanks" I say as I feel myself blush and continue to walk off the bridge. Ethan holds me tight as we walk off and I release his hand. Ethan keeps his arm around me as we walk, "Thank god you let go of my hand. I thought you were going to break it" Ethan says with a laugh. "Ha shut up" I say as I playfully punch him in the chest. "Hey there no need to get violent" He says as he turns he turns me to face him. I smile and say "Oh but I think there is" I say with a chuckle, he pulls me to his body. We are so close that my hips are touching his; he leans down and gives me a passionate kiss. We break apart and look into each other's eyes; I bite my lip and turn to walk away when I hear his deep voice. "What that's it, just a little peck" he says as he runs up to me. "Oh well" I say as I walk off, I hear Ethan run after me so I stop and wait for him to catch up. He stops when he reaches me and grabs my arm. I turn and look at him and as soon as I do he kisses me roughly yet passionately. He pushes me against a tree and continues to kiss me. Ethan's swipes my lip with his tongue begging for entrance which I denied he then tickled my side which made me gasp. He saw his opportunity and took it, our tongues fought for dominance and his hands made their way to my waist. He starts to kiss my neck then moves back to my lips. The moment was so perfect I didn't want it to end but then I got a phone call. "Hello" "Where the hell are you" My mom yells into the phone. "I'm out in the woods with Ethan." "You are out with a boy all alone! You better get your ass home right now young lady!" I hang up on her, I can tell by how her she slurred her words that she was drunk and pissed. "Ethan...I got to go. I'm sorry its just...that was my mom. She wants me home." "Alright let's head back then" he says with a troubled look. He takes my hand and we walk back to the car.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go in there with you" Ethan asks. "Yeah I'm sure. Don't worry Ethan I'll be alright" I say to him as I lean in and give him a kiss. He then heads off to his own car and drives off. Truth is I was terrified and I wanted Ethan with me but I didn't want him to see what was about to unfold. I walk in to my house and close the door and as soon as I do a bottle is whipped at my head. I duck just in time as the bottle shatters against the door. "What the hell is wrong with you! Sneaking around with a boy right after your brother dies." "Mom we weren't sneaking around or doing anything we just went for a walk." "This is all your fault Ash! If you would have stopped him then he would still be here! My sweet baby boy is dead all because is little bitch of a sister wanted to talk to a boy. Now my favorite child is dead!" That's when she walks up to me and with a loud clap she slaps my face. She hits me so hard that her nails cut my eyebrow. Blood drips down my face as I look back at her with tears in my eyes but she's not finished. She grabs my hair and spins me around then throws me into the wall. I fall and hit the floor hard. Before I could get to my feet she comes over and kicks me in my stomach as hard as she can. "You have taken everything from me! You're the reason I'm all alone you're the reason your father is dead!" She continues to kick me as she scream, she then kneels down to my face. "I hope you know that I never wanted you. I never have and never will love you." She then gets up and leaves without another word. I get up and run to my room, I throw some clothes into a bag and grab my back pack. There is just one more thing for me to do and that's try and take the pain away. With another three cuts I grab my keys and leave to head to the only place I knew was okay to go. Tears stream down my face as I drive 'how could she say she didn't care' I sob to myself. It starts to storm as I drive and the rain comes crashing down hard. I finally reach me destination and get out of the car, by the time I reach the door I'm soaked from head to toe. 'Knock, knock, Knock', Grayson answers the door and looks at me. "Ash? Are you okay?" "Um yeah...Is your brother here?" "Yeah, yeah. Here come in side I don't want you to get sick." He lets me in and wraps me in a hug, "Damn you're so cold Ash." He then yells for Ethan to come down stairs. Ethan looks at me from the top of the stairs "Ash? What are you doing here?" "I umm need to speak to you in privet please" I say as I sniffle. He comes running down stairs and wraps me in another hug. We then walk into another room and talk, "Is everything okay? I can see you have been crying, what's going on?" "Would it be okay if I stay here for a while? I sort of ran away from home." "Yeah of course you can but why did you run away" he asks. I then move my hair away from my eye reveling the cut my mother gave me. "She beat you didn't she?" I nod my head and hide my face feeling to embraced to look at him. He grabs my wrist trying to move my hands from my face. I wince in pain and hope he doesn't notice but he does. Ethan then moves my sleeve up my arm and looks down at my wrist. "Ash...this needs to stop. You're mutilating yourself...promise me you won't ever cut yourself again." He looks up at me with sympathy in his eyes "I promise" I say then he gently kisses my cuts.

That night I couldn't sleep at all, all the thoughts and memories come flooding back to me. Ethan wraps his arms around me and wince in pain, God it hurts so bad. Ethan looks down at me "I'm sorry babe. Tell me what hurts." I get up and walk into the bathroom and Ethan follows. I turn on the light and lift my shirt and the sight that I see scares me. My whole right side is black and blue. "Oh my god Ash you need to see a doctor about this tonight." Ethan walks out and gets dressed, "Ethan no I'm okay don't worry about me." "Of course I'm going to worry about you Ash I care about you way to much too just be okay with this." He takes my hand and wakes Grey. They then take me straight to the hospital.

"Well you are a very lucky girl Ashely" says the Doc "You have three fractured ribs, now tell me how this happened." "She was mugged" says the twins, "Well we rapped her ribs to keep them in place. She is good to go just take it nice and slow out there okay." He writes a prescription for my pain and we left in the pouring rain.

~~A/N~~
Just so every one knows the boys live on their own. Ash and the boys are 18 and seinors in high school.