FORMERLY

Chapter 9

The door swung open and Asher stood deadly still as he saw Elle behind the door looking at her wallet.

"Well, finally. I was hoping you would be late so I could get a fre— " Laurielle's words became stuck when she looked up. It was not the pizza delivery guy standing at the door. It was Asher.

Neither of them moved, but Asher's eyes skimmed over Laurielle in shock. This was not the Elle that he had left in Portland. This was the girl that he had fucked over weeks ago, the girl who he had stepped on purposefully and tried to hurt.

But he knew that this was Elle.

Without her heavy makeup, she looked much less like a seductress and more innocent. Her eyes seemed wider and were the exact same colour as Elle's. But so much had changed about her appearance that she really was like a new person.

Her hair was now jet black, not like the chestnut colour it had been. Her face had slimmed down and Asher could see curves that had never existed before. It was hard not to notice it when she was in a tiny pink teddy.  This was a woman, definitely not his little girl.

After Laurielle got over her shock and initial fear, she quickly moved to slam the door. She did not want to see or talk to Asher, and there was no good reason as to why he would be here at her house.

However, Asher was faster as slammed his hands onto the closing door. The floors shook.

"Elle" He whispered

"What are you doing here Mr. Chase. You didn't schedule a booking. Please leave" Laurielle whispered with shaking words while trying to close the door.

"Elle" He whispered, this time stepping forward closer to Laurielle and into her dingy apartment. He reached out his hand and moved it to touch her cheeks. The tips of his fingers barely touched her skin when she flinched and stepped back.

"What are you doing here." Laurielle asked. She felt like everything about her was going to wobble and crash like a spectacular disaster.

"It's me Elle. Asher." He moved again to reach for her but she kept stepping back.

"Mr. Chase. I know you've been obsessed with this girl for a while. But let me assure you. I am really not her" Laurielle said carefully. She could see the change in Asher. Even when they were kids, Asher had been too attached to people he loved. He loved hard and so did she, but she wanted him out of her life and she was willing to say anything to get him out. But it seems like she hit him somewhere hard because Asher's eyes darkened.

"Don't say that Elle!" He yelled loudly. "Stop hiding from me."

"Asher. Stop it. I'm not her." Laurielle said with wide eyes and trembling fingers. She was scared.

"You are. I know it, and you know it too. I know that you remember me. Because I remember, so, so clearly that it hurts to suddenly find that you're not with me anymore" Asher had grasped her face in his hands.

"I know you remember when we snuck out in the middle of the night. I know the number of freckles you have. I know what you love eating when no one's looking, and I know that you have a birthmark behind your ears shaped like a triangle." He moved his fingers to tuck her hair behind her ears and he put his fingers on exactly where the birthmark was. Laurielle shivered and felt a tear escaping her eyes.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Laurielle said in barely audible voice. But Asher heard, he was just that close.

"I know exactly what I am talking about. I've never known anything better in my entire life," Asher said in an equally soft voice, but his tone was hard and forceful. "Why are you doing this Elle? Why are you doing this to me, to yourself?"

"No. Please just leave. I don't know you and you don't know me," Laurielle said in denial. But her eyes were red and tears streaked her face. Asher could see how much she was affected by him, and he just knew, he could feel that she was Elle. The same girl that had been like family. The kindest girl that he had ever met, and he had no plans of leaving her again.

He pressed his forehead against hers and savoured the familiarity. Laurielle shut her eyes and refused to look at him. His eyes were too captivating; she would cave in too easily.

"Come back to me. I can help you. Just come back."

She turned her head to the side. "She never left. You did." She removed his hands from her face and walked towards the door.

Asher stood there stunned. He had expected that she would run back to him. That she would have been thankful and relieved for what he was offering. The girl standing before him wanted to ruin herself. She didn't want help.

"Mr. Chase, get out before I call the cops. I have an appointment in an hour." Laurielle opened the door with her eyes planted on the floor and waited for Asher to get out before she could break down.

An appointment. The words reverberated in Asher's head and beat him up like a hammer on a bell.

"No." Asher said.

Laurielle lifted her eyes in surprise. "What do you mean no."

"No. You're not going. Not tonight. Not ever. I won't let you sell yourself for money anymore." Asher replied.

Laurielle scoffed. Asher hadn't been back into her life for less than a few days and he was already telling her what to do.

"You can't tell me what I can or cannot do Mr. Chase. You lost that right years ago."

"I have money if that's what you need. I have all the money you could ever need. Please come back" Asher begged.

"I'm not going to take your money Mr. Chase. I would rather spread my legs for all the men in Manhattan than anything from you." Laurielle paused. "Get out. Before I call the cops."

Asher took a step towards Laurielle, and took one back.

"Get out Asher! Before I call the fucking cops on you because god knows I will!" She screamed. She was sick of his behaviour.

Asher ran both hands through his hair messily and walked towards the door. Laurielle pressed herself against the wall, afraid that Asher would come any closer.

"If that's what you really want." He whispered while stepping under the door. The doorframe was narrow, and he could feel Elle's body press against his arm. "But I'm not giving up. Not ever"

With that, Asher walked out the door, not because he was afraid of Laurielle's threats, because Asher had enough money to bribe every single cop in the city, but because he could see that Laurielle was overwhelmed with his presence.

And she was, because when he walked out, she slammed the door close and bolted the door. She let herself fall to the ground and sob. Letting out all the pain that she had suffered in the last few years.