After Andy (#6 in the 'Outcast' Series)

Chapter 33

Chapter 33:

-6 Years Later- Present -

Ashley's Point of View:

"Well are you ok? Did you want me to come home for a bit?"

"I'm fine Ash; just not feeling the best so I thought I'd call you and suggest that we skip tonight and reschedule for later," Juliet said from the other end of the line. "I thought I'd call you so you don't get home and then wonder why we're not going out or anything."

"It's ok; as long as you're seriously ok," I said, hearing her sigh from the other end of the line. "Juliet, I'm serious; are you sure you're ok?"

"Ashley, I'm fine. Seriously."

"Then why do you sound like you're upset about something?"

She sighed again as there was a knock on the door to my office, the door opening a slight bit; Vic looked in. I was expecting him sometime today, seeing as Mike had said on Saturday that he'd be coming around.

"It's nothing, ok? Just having my ups and downs," Juliet said, sending me back into the conversation as Vic came in and shut the door, patiently waiting by it.

"If there's something going on or something's happened I need you to tell me," I pushed, having a feeling that something had happened.

"It's nothing," Juliet said, a bit more forcefully this time; there was no getting through to her today by the sounds of it. "Seriously Ashley, everything's fine; I'm fine and nothing's happened. Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know before you get home about tonight. Do you think that you'd be able to do dinner tonight?"

"Yeah of course; always happy to. Alright, well how about we do something later this week before I take off for a month and a half. Call me if anything happens and you need me home, ok?"

"I will; have a good day Ash."

"You too; bye."

She hung up, making me sigh as I put my phone down and looked to Vic as he shifted awkwardly, trying to pretend that he hadn't heard any part of my conversation.

"Mike said you'd be around to talk to me about something," I said, Vic looking to me now. "How can I help?"

Vic looked at me with a bit of uncertainty.

"Did Mike say what I wanted to talk to you about?" he asked carefully, making me shake my head. He sighed, coming over and sitting down on the chair closest to my desk. "This was the reason I was coming to see you last week but then the whole thing with Ronnie's band took over and I forgot; well, I figured it wasn't the best time to ask you."

"Ask me what?" I asked with a frown.

Vic sighed again, looking down and beginning to fidget with the sleeves of his hoodie; his habits hadn't changed.

"Uh, so," he began. "I've never been on great terms with my landlord, and when I quit my job, he decided that I wasn't worth keeping, so he's pretty well evicting me from my apartment and I don't have any choice whatsoever."

"Vic, I'm really sorry to hear that," I said, Vic giving a shrug.

"He's been looking for reasons to evict me ever since I first moved in," he said, still looking down. "But apparently quitting my job did it and he wants me out by the end of the week. I was really hoping you'd be able to help me out a bit and I could store a few things at your place because it won't all fit at Mike's and I need somewhere to put some stuff while we're away on this tour and then until I can get a new place."