Sign Your Name Across My Heart

Chapter fourteen

My heart is racing, it feels like it's going to explode. I can't believe what's happening. How did this escalate to violence so quickly?

After about a minute, Ash stands up and I see his sweaty face as he hurries over to the car. He gets inside and without doing up his seatbelt, he backs the car up, turns backwards into a nearby empty driveway and turns back around, driving back where we came from. During that moment, I managed to catch a glimpse of the man, laying on the street, not moving, his face bloody. I look at Ash's hands, seeing them red and bloody as well. Is the man alive?

"Ash?" I ask, trying to stay calm.

"He tried to hit me first."

What should I say? I did see the man try to hit Ash, but I also can't understand how it's justifiable to nearly beat him to death over it.

Ash drove a little more calmly now, I assume to not bring too much attention to himself after what he just did. I find it almost a little scary how angry he's able to get. He just kept hitting him, he wouldn't stop.

I've never seen something like that happen, in real life. It's always been in movies or tv shows, and even then, I always looked away if it got too bad. I can't stand aggression. I'm happy I couldn't see exactly what was going on from where I was.

After fifteen minutes of driving, Ash slowly turns down onto a street and parks. "I'll be back."

He reaches into the backseat inside a duffel bag, pulling out a paper bag, something very obviously inside of it. He gets out of the car and walks quickly to an apartment complex, going inside.

I wait not more than five minutes, before seeing Ash come back outside and walk back to the car. I never took my eyes off of the entrance to the apartment building.

"You okay?" He stares at me.

"Mhm." I hum, quietly.

He takes off down the road and swiftly puts the music back on from his phone, as it disconnected once he left the car the first time, to go see the man he almost hit. I hear you knocking by Dave Edmunds started playing.

Dead silence is between us before a big sigh escapes from Ash. "You shouldn't have had to see that. I'm so sorry." He shakes his head back and forth, clearly disappointed in himself.

I want to tell him it's okay, but the truth is that it's not okay. Why did he hit him so much? Why didn't he stop after one or two? What was his end goal?

"Did you want to kill him?" I wonder.

"No."

"Then why did you hit him so much?"

Ash doesn't answer right away, instead he grips the steering wheel tighter. "I don't know."

He doesn't know? How can he not know?

"I'm sorry." He says again.

"Just... don't let it happen again." I sigh. It's better than telling him it's okay. "I forgive you."

He nods his head as he continues driving.

He brought me back to my place and put his car in park. "I would come in with you, but I have to go give something to Bram."

I unbuckle my seatbelt. "It's alright, I understand." I tell him.

Truthfully, I'm a little happy he's not going to come inside. I think after what I saw, I need a minute to think to myself and question if I should be pursuing anything with him. It seems that trouble follows him, and I've never been so close to someone like him before. It's all moving so fast and now I feel like I'm being backed up into a corner, I feel like I can't breathe. I hold my composure much better than I thought I was going to, but I feel it all crashing down on me now.

"Let me walk you to your door." He grumbles.

"No." I blurt out. "I mean, it's okay. You've gotta go." I say, showing a small smile.

Ash looks a little disheartened, but leans in and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Libby. Sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Ash." I get out of the car and close the door, walking fast inside my place. I don't want to be outside one minute longer.

Once I get inside, I take my shoes off and hurry to my kitchen, pouring myself a glass of water and chugging it down. I feel sick, like I can throw up. I don't know what's happening. Part of me doesn't feel safe.

I don't know why seeing Ash angry like that is having so much of an affect on me, but it is.

I knew what I was getting into, or at least I thought I did. Ash told me that he would keep me safe, but right now I don't feel like he is. It feels like he keeps bringing me into situations that make me feel like this. It seems like trouble.

I know I shouldn't pursue him, I can feel it deep inside me. I think I need some time away from him.