Chapter 8 ~Ashton~
Ashton's POV
I swore under my breath the first time I laid eye's on Harley Claire.
My Father had told me to investigate her for his line of work. To get close to her, make her believe I was trustworthy. Investigate the strange suspicion of her Father's death. I came into this case, not caring for this girl.
Heck, I didn't know what she looked like before this morning.We couldn't tell Harley our true identity, so my father being a reporter kind of suited our lie.
My father had sworn to me the risks of going undercover, being his 21 jump street snitch would be difficult, but I didn't be trained through the agonising years of my youth for nothing.
This case needed to be cleared. For Harley's father was a man who fucked up. Few wanted him dead, but we have our suspects. See he ran into trouble. A lot of trouble; a source had told us that he was depressed when Harley was born. Man, he drugged himself every night and messed around with the wrong people. We suppose someone from the drug gang could've started that fire, August 5th 1993.
The autopsy and crime investigation evidence had since been mysteriously 'lost' along side the body of the 52 year old Charlie Claire.
But we deduce that it was an inside arson, we need evidence to sustain our suspect.
Kellie Claire. Harley's mother should be behind bars.
Yet we have no sufficient evidence to make that move. Thus me, and this shitty situation.
Harley was just a name to me since the start of the case. And I was there this morning at the bus stop, knowing she was there. Expecting to see her this morning on the bus. But I never expected her to be a beautiful face, matching with her beautiful name. But I didn't know her, I didn't know what she was capable of. For my Father and his team have every right to believe she herself is guilty of hiding a criminal that deserves Justice.
She is guilty, despite her being beautiful it was probably a disguise. I know her type, I've worked with them for as long as I can remember. My Father is a Criminal Investigator for the FBI.
I can't let this be a problem. Come on Ashton! We need to prove that she and her damm mother are guilty for cold murder.
This bull shit of having to get to know her, when I don't even like her. This is gonna be an ass of a investigation.
But why did I give her my jacket? I loved that jacket. Well it did look sorta adorable on her, the sleeves being too long for her tiny arms and the bottom being like a dress since she was so short. Short but feisty, I kinda liked that. And even worse, I kissed her cheek. And what was even more worse was, I kind of liked it. I liked the feel of her smooth and warm cheek against my mouth...
What. The. Heck.
Get your shit together man, she's the enemy. More or less. Until we prove them so.
I sat silently in the car whilst Harry drove listening to his tunes from the stone age, I never understood his obsession with bad music, but all to there own I guess.
My eye's flickered amongst the moonlit sky, Father would be pleased I got her trust.
"Went well?" Harry spoke firmly, slowly turning down his awful music, to which my ears jumped for joy.
Harry's car jolted and whizzed through the highway, causing me to be be whipped around like a leaf in a mere storm.
Once I finished painting the crescent moon in my thoughts, I turn to rest my focus towards the amber reflection of street lights that covered my brother.
"Better than expected actually" I said, genuinely amused. "She was rather welcoming to the idea of a new friend"
"Maybe the 'feeling sorry for you tactic' works to get girls Ashy" He was amused by his really bad and lame attempt at his joke. Which he was the only laughing at. The bastard.
"Ha ha, but I'll have you know that I have babes already hanging off my shoulder! And no they don't feel sorry for me. They think I'm the hot brother" Proudly declaring my ignorance with a petty wink to my now chuckling brother. Eh I didn't care. I mean I knew I wasn't ugly, but I was less than perfect.
Working with my Father may have caused a pretty hot physique, you know with the multiple intense workouts and all. But since then, has pretty much just created an ugly heart. It sucks, and deep down I actually kind of resented that. I wish I could be the guy who could settle down, but considering my gig. That'll probably never happen. I'm a guy ladies, just gotta keep my opportunities open.
And I mean even my old man has was always been strict with the girls. Considering we have always moved for his Investigations. But originally I was born here in Eastbrooke, and lived here until we moved again. I mean occasionally I would come back and visit John and Lacy. But I always felt like a piece of me was missing when I left again.
He's always wanted me and Harry to follow his footsteps, but Harry since never liked that stuff. So he did the complete opposite of what my Father wanted. He completed High School, unlike me who was taken out at sophomore year. And decided to study the furthest he could, to get away from him. So he choose London. He finished a year ago with a University Diploma of Medical blah blah boring stuff. And once stayed with his girlfriend, high school sweetheart Emma Justlee. But Emma and Harry aren't together anymore. Not since the accident...
Basically my dad was disappointed until he watched his first son take the stand after the sound of his name, and receive his certificate.
Harry now works at Eastbrooke's Medical Hospital up in the city, since he moved here with us about 2 months ago before school started.
Harry firmly gripped the steering wheel, his playful older brother mode had since been lost, and his bitch switch was flipped. Whatever he had just thought must've activated his frustration.
Harry gritted his teeth before he spoke, turning his music completely off, still eyeing the highway.
"I don't agree with Dad making you do this" He sighed "She's a young girl. You're taking advantage of her!" His expression was neutral, but his tone felt his sympathy.
"Dad is not making me do anything!" I spat a little more harshly than intended.
"He's got you twisted Ashton, this is your first year back at school when he made you drop out! Just so he could train you, for something that you didn't even want to be!" Harry huffed, a rather sensitive topic. Considering he tried making Harry do the same, until Harry moved out and lived with our Mother. Who wants nothing to do with my Father. They broke up years ago when we were little.
"Harry I'm not you! Okay, I want to do this. And I trust our father's judgement, if he say's that her mother is guilty. She's guilty. Period." I demanded he listened to me, so I spoke with a more fierce tone. Harry could never do this line of work, he's too sympathetic for his own better judgement.
"That girl, is an accomplice to a crime, and I need to expose her, and her criminal of a mother." But as those words left my lips, I instantly felt regret in my stomach. And I didn't know why.
Dad says that this case can finally be solved from the 'suspicious death' pile if I succeed in my job, as this has been a mystery in the FBI for years.
Harry inhaled deeply, but didn't speak. This seemed like the longest car ride home in history.
The car was silent, but the silence was rather comforting. Because right now, my thoughts were scattered.
But there was one thing I couldn't shake.
Since when did I start to question my Father's judgment?
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Teen FictionHarley Claire isn't a stereo typical girl. Reality is her nightmare as she would rather hide away in her books then face her real problems. Living with her widowed mother, her father had died of a fire that had almost killed Harley when she was youn...