Cheryl x Liam: Could It Be You? [Book #2 of Inevitable Series]

Part 12

It was as if time came to a standstill as Ashley and Cheryl stood there staring at each other for a minute, the awkward atmosphere surrounding them all as the former married couple continued staring at each other. They took in each other's appearance, silently pointing out what had changed and what was still the same, silently thinking about what could have been had their marriage not been plagued by Ashley's indefinitely.

"How are you?" he managed to ask, giving her a smile.

"I'm good, just working a lot, and being a mother and that." Cheryl replied, giving him a warm smile as well.

And for some reason, she felt some strange mixture of emotions taking her over yet again; happiness, sadness, anger, anxiety.

"Aw wow; I didn't know you'd had a baby," He smiled slightly, "Congratulations and all that; how old is the little one?"

"She'll be four soon; she's called Sophia." Cheryl smiled at the thought of her daughter.

"Aw wow, well she's lucky to have you as her mother, and her father is lucky to have the both of you." Ashley sweetly complimented. Cheryl chuckled a bit, shaking her head in despair.

"Her dad and I aren't together anymore; we divorced last year but believe me, I'm lucky to have her - she's changed my life." She replied. Ashley chuckled a bit, nodding his head; neither of them even realizing that the others had stepped aside and it was just the two of them chatting away together in the lobby.

"Well I'm truly happy for you still," he said before hesitantly asking after the two of them were silent for a moment, "Erm, listen would you like to go get some lunch or something on me, to catch up?"

"Oh, I can't," Cheryl immediately responded, "I need to go to my office and do some work, plus my boyfriend is coming to visit at work and yeah; I'm sorry Ashley."

"Hey don't apologize, I understand; you just take care of yourself and I'll see you around." He sweetly replied. Cheryl smiled and thanked him, only to be taken aback when he hugged her tightly.

God, why did it feel so normal to have his arms around her and to breathe in his cologne?

"Take care." He whispered to her as they pulled away.

"You too, Ashley." Cheryl slowly replied. She then gave him a cute wave before walking towards the exit, her heels clicking against the floor while Ashley watched her with a smile on his face.

God how he missed that woman; God how he'd do anything to have her back...

******

Cheryl felt like her head was about to burst with thoughts as she arrived back at her office complex at nearly eleven. She did have a bit of a break between now and her court case at one, and really, she needed it as she had such a headache.

She sat in her car for a minute, breathing out as she rested her head against the steering wheel of the car. She went over everything involving Ashley in her head...

Their first date.

Their first kiss.

Their wedding day.

The times they spent making love.

The nights they cuddled up sharing dreams of their future.

The night she found out he cheated.

The amazing year they had after they'd reconciled and came out stronger than ever.

The night she found out he cheated again.

The blazing argument they'd had when she screamed at him to get out of her house.