Half Hearted

Chapter Fourty One

| Teresa |

I was frantically looking around for him, thinking he'd show up any time soon. But the rehearsal dinner was already half way over. Claire noticed this and she laid a hand on mine. "He'll be here tomorrow."

I nodded, trying to reassure myself as well.

Heck, wasn't this what I wanted? Not to have a confrontation with him?

Shaking my head, I focused on Peter and Maudie. I knew Maudie wasn't in favour of me being here, but she was trying her best to include me. This was going to be the best day for her, after all.

After the 'dinner,' Claire and I went to the bathroom for a short break. She, yet again, tried reassuring me about Ash, but I simply shrugged. Maybe this was his way of concluding things with me.

When we walked out of the washroom I saw Peter giving someone a slight hug. And then, as they pulled back, I let out a breath.

It was Ash.

The two of us made eye contact almost instantly, and he kept his gaze on me even though he was still talking to Peter. "Go talk to him," Claire urged. I shook my head, hesitant.

It seemed like such an easier thing to do in my head rather than in reality. "I can't."

"Fine. Then wait for him to come to you," she sighed. Claire and I kind of just stood there, waiting until Peter waved Ash off. And then he started walking towards us.

And then walking past.

He had walked past me, without the slightest bit of acknowledgement.

Trying to keep a calm look on my face, I shrugged at Claire - who gave me the biggest look of empathy - and we proceeded to Peter and Maudie. After telling them how great the day went, and wishing them well on the next big day, Claire and I took a cab back to the hotel.

I suppressed the urge to express myself during the ride. Like I'd told myself four months ago, he wasn't worth shedding a single tear for.

Claire let me take the first shower, thank goodness. The tears ran down my face as fast as the water did.

It was emotional torture. My chest felt heavy and my diaphragm felt like it was having a seizure. Soon the hiccups started to impair my breathing, and I found myself having to put the shower into cold since I could hardly breathe.

I came here for closure, and that was exactly what I got. I mean, it didn't help me mend any strings, but I now knew enough to finally be able to cut him out of my life.

| Ash |

He had made up with Peter, as well as finished talking to Lily about the public breakup. Of course, she wasn't on board with it at first, but she was an understanding person. She let him off the hook easily.

Now Ash was back at square one, sitting on his couch alone at home. His mates were, yet again, out in the city getting themselves piss drunk, while he had no will to get a hangover the next day.

So, instead of going to the convenience store and picking up a new box of cigarettes, or calling his friends to join in their drinking games, he stripped down to his boxers, slapped on his gloves, and trained until his knuckles felt numb.

It was the only other way he could distract himself from his thoughts. And besides, he'd been so long out of the game, his elbows felt like they were rusty.

After being fired up in training, he wiped the sweat off of himself with a towel and then picked up his phone. He knew he'd regret this decision later on, but he was too wrapped up in being distracted that he couldn't think rationally.

The phone was picked up after four rings. "Stymest?"

"Yeah, uh, Reg, it's me."

Reg whistled on the other end of the line, "so where has our loverboy been, huh?"

Ash closed his eyes and leaned back his head. Of course they would know. They keep their tabs on me everyday. "Let me in again."

"Are you sure your girlfriends aren't gonna be mad about it?"

"For fuck's sakes Reg, let me do it," Ash felt the blood surging through his veins. "Hell, I can even go tonight."

"There's nothing on for tonight, next is on Christmas Eve."

"Christmas Eve it is," he stated, taking a look at his bruised up hands.

"You better be worth the switch," Reg said gruffly. Ash hung up without another word, staring at his phone screen.

He was desperate to distract himself, and The Dungeon was the best place to do so. Although he knew he'd just entered a verbal contract with Reg again, he shrugged off the thought. If he were going to do something productive, he might as well make money from it as well.

Besides, he'd already made the call. There was no going back now.