Rainbows after Hurricane

13. |p a s t|

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Song of the chapter/ Shattered by Trading Yesterday

Dianna braced herself for the truth. She could feel the weight of the moment as she faced Asher, the air between them thick with unspoken tension.

Asher shifted in his seat, his hands slick with sweat as he wiped them over his jeans. His exhaustion was evident, and he leaned forward, propping his elbow on the table, his gaze distant as if lost in the past. "It was the day Ashley won that dance tournament," he began, his voice soft, tinged with a mixture of pride and regret. "We were all so happy. I was so proud of her." His fingers absently traced patterns on the wooden surface of the table, his expression faraway, as though he was reliving the moment in his mind.

"I thought we should celebrate," he continued, his voice faltering slightly. "So me, Zach, and Ashley went to this new restaurant downtown. We weren't planning on drinking—just grabbing some pizzas and soft drinks because Zach had planned a surprise party for her. We thought the drinks could wait." He sighed, rubbing his face as if the memory weighed heavy on him. "Everything was going fine. We were talking about surprising you for your birthday. Then, a group of guys walked in. They looked like racers, and I recognized one of them. Do you remember Jonah?"

Dianna nodded, her stomach tightening as she prepared herself for the rest of the story.

 "He was one of them," Asher continued. Dianna's eyes widened in surprise. Asher let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah, the same Jonah, my high school nemesis. I honestly thought that rivalry was behind us, that we'd both moved on. But I was wrong. He still had this grudge against me, and when he saw me, he just... started provoking me. I tried to let it go, tried to keep my cool, but when he made some nasty comment about us being orphans, it broke me."

Dianna clenched her hands in her lap, feeling the tension building in the pit of her stomach as she watched his expression shift from pain to anger to something much darker—remorse. Her heart began to race as she felt the shift in the air, sensing the direction the story was heading.

"We got into it," Asher continued, his voice faltering. "A full-blown argument. And then, somehow, it escalated into a fight. I can't even remember who brought it up first, but I think one of Jonah's group mentioned the idea of a race—something to settle the score once and for all. In a moment of blind rage, I accepted. But what I didn't know was that the race wasn't just about driving. It needed a female partner."

Asher paused, his hand trembling. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the emotion rising in him, but it was clear how much he was struggling. Dianna, her heart aching for him, reached forward and placed her hand gently over his, giving it a light but reassuring squeeze.

"Ashley insisted on joining me, despite my hesitation. I didn't want her involved, but she wouldn't back down. Zach agreed with me. He was hesitant about the whole racing thing, worried something bad would happen. He kept trying to convince me to back out, to just go home, but I didn't listen. Now, God, I wish I had." He choked on the words, pain evident in his voice.

"Ashley wouldn't listen either. She was determined to prove herself, and I didn't stop her. Zach wanted to come with us, but the others wouldn't allow it. The rules were clear—one guy and one girl, no exceptions."

He paused, the weight of the memory pressing down on him. "Before we started, Zach tried one last time, telling us to be careful. But we were both too caught up in it. We didn't think anything could go wrong."