A New Chapter

Chapter 17

After walking through the town with ice creams in hand, reminiscing on times when I was little and we would do this every Friday, Dad and I take a detour though the local park where I first met the twins.

We take a seat on a nearby bench and look at all the children playing on swings and slides.

"I remember when you were that age." Dad speaks up over the joyful shouts and squeals of excitement from energetic children.

"Yeah? I remember coming here with you when I'd fail a spelling test and you'd tell me 'Life isn't about being upset over failing-"

"It's about knowing how learn from your mistakes and paving your future based on what you learnt from making them." He finishes for me.

"You remembered." I whisper with a small smile playing on my lips.

"Of course. I say it to Macy all the time. I know she's only two, but I want to pass down knowledge to her at a young age."

The smile drops from my face the second he says her name. Macy. His daughter.

I let out a cough; "Right of course, Macy."

"You two would get along. She loves to read. Well as much as she can at her age. Her and Amelia would have so much fun together. It would be as if she had a big sister."

"She does. You do realise she's my half sister." I furrow my eyebrows

"Of course. I was speaking hypothetically." He states.

We go into an awkward silence and I bow my head while he continues to look ahead.

"This isn't how this was supposed to go." He mutters.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have brought up your new daughter when you're trying to reconnect with your old one." I mumble.

"Ashley. Macy is part of my life and nothing can change that."

"So was I dad! I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you."

"Ashley. Look at me." He puts a hand under my chin, forcing our identical eyes to meet before he drops his hand.

"I want you and Amelia to come live with Lauren, Macy and I."

I stopped breathing. What the fuck.

"W-what?" I stutter out, my face the image of pure confusion and slight disgust.

"It would be great. We'd be a big family again." He gives me a bright smile.

"What about mom?"

He shrugs his shoulders; "She could come visit."

"Are you serious? You can't just waltz back into my life after four years and sweep me away like nothing happened!" My voice rises after each word.

"Ashley. Calm down. I think it would be nice for us all to be together."

"It wouldn't be all of us. Mom would be left behind without a second glance from you, and that wouldn't even be the first time you would walk away without her." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and run a hand through my hair.

"You'd be happy with us."

"I'm happy with mom."

"Obviously you aren't. That environment isn't good for you. You were just in the hospital."

"That has nothing to do with mom! He was the one that did that to me not her." I only realised I was crying when I felt the warm tears fall onto my chest.

"You can't even say his name." He mutters darkly.

"He has so much power over you, you can't even say his name." He continues.

"Screw you!" My vision blurs with the amount of tears threatening to escape.

"I just want what's best for you! Can't you see that." He stands up, his hands on his hips and his chest heaving up and down.

I mimic his movements and stand facing him. "I'm fine here with Mom, and if you ever thought you had any right to take me away from her after four years of silence then you're just crazy." I mutter before turning around and walking away from my father, like he did to us; without looking back.

~~

Half way home I pull out my phone and call someone I shouldn't have shut out. They just wanted to help and I couldn't let them.

"Hey this is Ethan. You know what to do."

I let out a breath and wait for the beep. "Hey Ethan. It's Ashley...obviously. I was kinda hoping you'd answer, 'cause I'm super awkward with leaving voicemails and I usually ramble and end up getting cut off-"

"Shit." I mumble when the call ends. I quickly ring back to be greeted by his voicemail again.

"Hey, me again. Well, what I was trying to say last time is-is that I'm sorry. I don't mean to push people away, but I always do and I'm sorry. I know you just wanted to help. I'm just, I'm complicated. Okay, that's all...bye."

I continue the walk home with a small weight lifted off my shoulders. I'm going to get my life together. One awkward voicemail at a time.

~~

As I lay on my bed, starring up at the ceiling a light tapping on my window catches my attention and I cautiously make my way towards it. Please don't be a murderer, I chant in my head like a silent mantra.

I quickly whip open the curtains in the hope of frightening an attacker. A figure jumps back but latches onto the window pane before they fall off the roof completely.

"Ethan?" I question as I make out his features.

I pull up the window and come face to face with Ethan Spencer, crouching down on my roof.

"Can I come in?" He whispers.

Without hesitation I move out of the way and make space for him to enter.

I take in his attire; He's wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a black hoodie pulled tightly around his head.

"Is that a pillow?" I raise an eyebrow when I spot the fluffy white pillow tucked under his right arm.

"Yes. This is my favourite pillow." He states.

"Okay? Why are you here in the middle of the night with a pillow?" This is a seriously bizarre scenario.

"Oh yeah!" He whisper shouts as if he himself forgot why he was here.

"I know you don't want to tell me anything about what you're going through but I want to be here for you nonetheless." He continues.

"Ethan. You don't need to do this." I bow my head and fiddle with the hem of my oversized t-shirt.

"I want to, so suck it up and let me do this." He gives me his 'manly' puppy dog eyes and I let out a huff of air and grab a blanket from my closet.

"Here." I mutter before curling back into bed.

The last noise I hear before I drift to sleep is the fluffing of a pillow and a faint whisper; "Goodnight Ashley."

Author's Note:
I try to update every 5 days to give you guys a good chapter.
Hope you enjoyed this one! :)
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