Stay

Chapter: Twenty-Three

Scarlett

I walk down the stairs to the kitchen and am relieved but also nervous that both John and Lynn are sitting down at the island. Both of their heads snap up when I walk into the room and I glance down at my hands awkwardly. "Hey sweetie, are you okay?" Lynn asks, still as kind as ever. After everything I said to her she's still being respectful and kind to me and I couldn't be more grateful.

I take a seat across them at the table. "I'm sorry Lynn, I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier or you John. I've just been having a rough time with things and hearing that Ashley is angry with me and blaming me for things just was kind of the last straw. I know that a lot of what's happened to my family is my fault, I just didn't want to accept it and acknowledge it. So, I guess thank you for being honest with me about Ashley and again I'm sorry for freaking out at you guys. You didn't deserve that at all, especially after everything you've done for me." I say quietly and when I look up to their eyes I see them sharing a confused glance.

"Hon it's okay, but how could any of this be your fault?" John asks and I sigh.

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about. Lots of things have happened to my family over the past few years and it's all because of one thing. I don't really want to explain it but I just want you to know that I am sorry for everything." I say before standing up from the stool. Lynn looks at me confused and I sigh. "I'm going to try to talk to Ashley and sort things out."

I turn and rush up the stairs to Ashley's bedroom. I knock quietly on the door but when I get no response I open it slowly, peering into her dark room. I turn to the wall and flip the switch and suddenly the room is illuminated by the overhead light in her room. I glance around to find that almost everything in the room seems to be untouched. The bed has been perfectly made, no clothes on the ground and all her dresser drawers are shut. I knock on her bathroom door just to be careful but when I get no response I peer into the room. Nothing. I go back into her room and when I glance at the window I stop dead in my tracks. What I see makes the hairs on my arms stand straight up and I glare down at the back yard.

Rage bubbles inside of me as I storm out of Ashley's room, down the stairs and out the back door. I run down the back-porch steps and out to the horse barn where not even thirty seconds ago did I see Ashley laughing hysterically at something Chase said as they rode side by side into the barn. All this time, Chase has been lying to me about Ashley. It all makes sense; all his uncomfortable gestures, or the guilty expression he has whenever I bring Ash up; she's been talking to him this entire time.

When I reach the barn doors I hear Ashley's infectious giggle echoing throughout the barn. "Did you seriously have to splash me with water?" She says and my heartbeat stutters for a moment because it's been ages since I've heard her beautiful, melodic voice. All I've wanted was for her to talk but now knowing she's been talking all along without me knowing brings my blood to a boil.

"Yeah, because you cut me off!" I hear Chase say as he defends himself. I step out from behind the door to find them walking towards the doors. Chase's eyes widen and Ashley stumbles backwards, eyes bulging with fear.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who was cut off." I say folding my arms over my chest as I glare between the two of them.

"Look Scarlett, I can expla-" Chase says but I hold up a hand.

"I don't want to hear it from you, I want to hear it from her." I say directing my heated gaze towards Ashley, but she shakes her head and moves to step behind Chase. "No come on Ash. I want to hear why I'm not good enough for you, why I'm not the first person you'd talk to, why after everything I've done for you and our family, you've chosen to ignore me and throw me aside!" I shout and she flinches but there's a fire in her eyes that wasn't there before.