Unscripted (Lauren/You)

VII

"Y/N?"

I felt my body tense at the sound of his voice. Why wasn't he at work? He wasn't supposed to be back until much later, so why was he here now?

I sat up on the couch and looked towards my room where I saw Asher standing in the frame. He looked upset, almost on the verge of tears, while he bashfully shifted on his feet and avoided eye contact with me. Everything about his posture was screaming 'awkward,' filling the tension in the air.

I breathe out in shock, "Asher?" He glanced up at me for a split second, the quickly looked at the ground as he held his elbow with his other hand. I slowly stand up and ask, "What are you doing here?"

Still looking at the floor, he mumbles, "I, uh...I asked for the night off."

Sensing there was something of about him, I knew I should tread carefully. He was obviously upset, but what about was the real question. Did he feel guilty about the way he treated me earlier? Or something else?

I honestly have no clue.

"Why?" I spoke softly, easing my way into the conversation.

Asher closed his eyes and exhaled a deep breath, seeming to get rid of his nerves. He blurted out, "Because we need to finish our conversation from earlier."

I was more than surprised at his response, never expecting him to give in like this. I honestly thought this was too easy. I mean sure, he was a total dick to me earlier, but that was when I had taken him by surprise. Now, he had time to think about what he wanted to tell me, and obviously how he had handled the situation earlier, explaining his guilt-filled face.

"I agree," I said. We both stood still in our places while silence filled the space around us. I expected Asher to go ahead and tell me the answer to my question from earlier today, but he was looking down at his hands while he nervously fidgeted with his fingers. Realizing he wasn't going to speak up on his own, I gave him a slight push, "So, what really happened with your parents?"

Asher looked up from the floor and at me, seeming ashamed as he says, "The whole story starts with Lexi."

I was immediately overtaken by confusion, wondering what role Asher's ex played in this. "Okay?" I ushered him on.

He let out a deep sigh before continuing, "When I found out she had cheated on me, I was confused and angry, but hurt more than anything. When we were talking about it, my uh, my emotions..." he trailed off, breaking eye contact with me as a single tear rolled down his cheek. I stayed quiet, giving him time to compose himself. After taking a couple deep breaths, he went on, "My emotions were taking control of my body..."

I didn't like the sound of his hesitation. I tried my best to remain calm and wait for him to explain the whole story, but I couldn't help but jump to conclusions when he continuously trailed off.

I was able to choke out, "What happened?"

He kept his head slightly bowed as he answered, "I was talking with my hands, like I always had. It was the way I grew up." His voice was so small, displaying the guilt he has bottled up inside. "I wasn't looking at her at one point, swinging my arms because I was upset..." he trailed off once again, but this time I had a feeling I knew the rest of the story.

Asher's face was now covered in red streaks from the tears flowing down his cheeks. He was having difficulty speaking through his rapid breaths clearly in order for me to hear him, but he persisted through it, explaining to me, "She came up from behind me without me knowing, a-and..."

His tears had finally conquered him as he fell silent. I walked up to him and took his face in my hands, whispering, "Asher..."

"And I hit her," he finished through a sob. Asher's body was completely trumped with guilt and shame, but he shouldn't feel this way.