Love In The Offices

Chapter 9

Ashley POV
I looked at the messages from Aaron and Tyler. I smiled they always gave me encouragement. I didn't even bother with looking at the ones from Mark and my dad.
"Ashley!" I jumped a little when Ross came up behind me, I was so entranced with my phone I didn't notice him. I turned around.
"Hi Ross!" I said before he embraced me in a bear hug. "Ross I need air!" He let go.
"Sorry its just news spreads around the offices like wild fire. Ashley are you ok? You're crying."
"I am? I didn't notice. I'm fine just a little shaken up." I quickly wiped the tear away.
"Ok if you say so." He said ad he walked away.
'I need to go pack.' I thought to myself. I walked over to Adam, "Hey Adam I need to go home and pack for my mom's funeral." I said slightly looking down.
"Go home get packed, get some rest and, take Max with you."
"Really?" I asked. He nodded. "Oh my gosh thank you!" I said before I walked over to Max.
"Adam said that I could take you. Come on." Max gave me a puzzled look then remembered what I found out this morning.
[Time skip to Max's apartment]

"So why do you want me to come with you to your mom's funeral?" Max asked. I was sitting on the corner of his bed.
"My dad is a very abusive man. When family or friends are around, he is kind to me and my brother," I said, "The only reason I'm going is to say goodbye to my mom and get my truck back." I was not looking forward to this. I'm disgusted by the thought of my dad, all of the horrible things that he has done to me and my brother put a bad taste in my mouth. He abused us, neglected us and, he was the one who put me and Mark together. He loves to see people suffer and I hate him.

[Time skip to Ashley's apartment]

I opened my old suit case and quickly put a black dress, some pajamas and, some casual clothes.
"Its really sad that your mom died, she was a super nice woman." Max said.
"She was the only one who cared." I felt kind of shaky, Max walked over to me and wiped the tear that was rolling down my cheek.
"Do you normally cry out of one eye?" Max joked.
"Actually I do. But it only happens when I'm fighting tears back." I gave him a very weary smile.
"You should rest." He said.
"That's what Adam said."
"Well I agree with him, you look like you've been crying all day and like you're exhausted."
"A nap does sound good right now. We're not flying out to Nebraska, we're going to be driving." I yawned as I walked to my bed and sat down.
"Wait, we're driving to Nebraska?" Max said, "I hate flying but I hate long car rides more."
"The only reason we are driving is because my brother wants his car back and I want my truck."
[Time skip to the next day]

Aaron's POV (never been here)
"I am so happy that Ash is coming to mom's funeral and bringing back my car, you're coming too right Mac?" Mac is Ashley's twin. Mac ran away when she was sixteen to escape our abusive dad.
"If Ash is going I'm going too. Even though I don't want to." Mac said with a sigh.
"I'll be ecstatic to see you!"
"I've got to go love ya bro, see you soon."
"Bye Mac, love you too lil sis." I said before she hung up.
"AARON! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! NOW!" There's one thing that all of the Graham kids have in common: we all hate our dad who thinks that anything can be solved with violence.
"So.. um... Mac is coming."
"Oh really, I thought that scank died." Dad said as he opened a beer. He's given up on help for his problems.
"I can't believe- oh wait, yes I can that you would look down on your kids in disgust." I said slightly bracing myself for his punishment for speaking out.
"Well you haven't moved out and you're what, twenty-three? Of course I'll look at you with disgust, you're a lazy ass bum who does absolutely nothing, you don't give me any respect, so I won't give you any respect."
"I work three jobs, I cook, I clean, I do everything that you were supposed to do! I practically raised Mac and Ashley! mom working to pay for food and to pay the rent while you were off getting drunk off your ass at the century! You never cared! You never loved us! You only beat us! And the only reason I haven't moved out is because of you! Your drinking problem is so out of hand that you need someone to watch you so you don't drink yourself to death!" My dad's expression changed from anger to sadness and then back to anger. I braced myself for his assault. He set down his beer and swung at me, I just took it like always. Blow after blow, until he was happy with what he saw. Suffering. He lives on the stuff. He had broke my nose again,and given me a black eye. By now I knew how to reset a nose, but I had Tyler do it because I would stop when it hurt too much.

Mark POV
Ashley will be mine. Even if I have to tie her up.

Ashley POV (on da road)
Flashback
I was 14. I was in Mac's hospital room feeling every ounce of her pain, she had bleeding on her brain. The doctors put her in a medically induced coma. Aaron as by my side. Mac looked like a truck had hit her when really my dad had beaten her until she went unconscious. I was angry because dad wasn't going to prison. He had buddies on the police force and there was too little evidence to prove him guilty. Aaron took me home saying that we cant run anymore.
" Ashley! Ashley!" I heard a voice scream, "Ashley we're going to crash!" The voice kept screaming. I recognized the voice as Max. 

Max POV
Ashley had passed out behind the wheel and started to swerve off the road.
"Ashley! Ashley!" I screamed, "Ashley we're going to crash!" She stayed quiet and didn't move.