A Diamond for the Perfect Girl: A Matt Carpenter Love Story

Chapter Twelve

  (Still the same day.)
Ashton's P.O.V.-
We found my dad talking with some of the players, including Matt. I wasn't feeling good at this point, but I followed behind Adam as he approached my dad. My dad gave Adam a confused look when he saw how concerned he looked. I just stood there and waited for Adam to say something and when he did, it didn't come out the way I thought it would.
"Mike, Ashton has a stalker." Adam said, in front of all the players standing there.
"What did you say?" My dad asked in confusion.
"Ashton, has a stalker. He left this on her windshield this morning." Adam handed him the paper and my dad read it. Once he was finished, he looked up at me with an unreadable expression.
"Everyone but Adam, Ashton, and Carpenter needs to leave." My dad instructed and everyone left but the three of us. Matt looked at my dad with confusion and then he looked over at me.
"Why am I involved in this?" Matt asked once everyone was gone.
"Your number is on the paper." Adam said.
"What are you talking about?" Matt asked. "Let me see that." My dad handed Matt the paper and he read it. "Now I see why."
"Sure. Let's just play pass around the stalker's note." I mumbled with sarcasm. "That's what I want to do." I leaned up against the wall and crossed my arms.
"Ashton, this is serious. You have a stalker. This person must have been following you for a good amount of time." My dad said.
"No, really?" I rolled my eyes. "I didn't notice."
"Ashton, stop acting like that. This is serious. This guy could attack you at any moment or Matt for that matter." My dad declared.
"I know this. I know he could be dangerous. Or he could be a guy who says stuff but doesn't follow through with it." I vocalized.
"This involves both of your guy's safety and I think we need to bring the police in." Dad muttered.
"If we bring in the police, he could get violent at any moment. I don't even know who this guy is to begin with." I said.
"Hello? I'm in this just as much as Ashton is. He's threatening me, as well. I think we need to go to the police and let them figure this out." Matt finally spoke up. "He may not mention my name, but that is my number on the paper and therefore, it involves me."
"I get that and I am concerned for your safety, but this guy has only left one note so I don't really think I can put that under stalking. He doesn't mention my name or yours, therefore, I don't even know if this guy is even stalking me." I said.
"But we don't know for a fact that he isn't. He could be stalking you." Matt retorted.
"But we don't know for a fact that he is stalking me." I said.
"And if he is?" Matt turned and looked at me. "He could attack you when you're going to your car. Or when you're on one of your runs. Or when you're shopping somewhere."
"You have a point, but if I don't have a stalker and we go to the police, it will be a waste of our time and theirs." I replied.
"And if you do have one? Would it be a waste of time then?" Matt asked.
"No. But it all comes back to whether or not I even have one." I moved away from the wall and walked over to the guys.
"I'm going to take this note as you have one." Dad finally said. "Until we can prove that you don't have one, were going to treat this as a you have one." Dad took the note from Matt and folded it up. "We have to practice. We will talk about this all later." Dad walked passed us and Adam followed him, leaving Matt and I alone.
"Look, Ashton...." Matt began.
"Don't bother. Let's go and practice." I turned and headed up to the dugout. This would be a long practice.
*Game time*
I had changed into my uniform already and was just messing around with my bag when Holliday came over to me. He sat down next to me and I looked over at him.
"Yes?" I asked.
"I heard something about a stalker. What's going on?" He questioned.
"Someone, don't know who, left a note on my windshield saying that he's always watching me and that he knows I'm cheating on him with Carpenter, but slight problem with that, I'm not even dating Carpenter or anyone else on the team for that matter." I explained going into a slight ramble.
"Does this note actually say your or his name?"
"No. It only mentions his number." I opened my water bottle and took a drink.
"Then we really don't know if this guy is actually targeting you or Matt."
"That's exactly what I said, but no one listens to me."
"Well, this is also a serious matter, so I'm still sticking with your dad and Waino on this one."
"Thanks for your support, Holliday."
"Ashton, this is no laughing or joking matter. This is serious."
"I know that. Don't you think I don't know that?"
"I know that you know that, but the way you are acting about this, it makes me think you don't honestly care."
"Matt, let me be honest with you." I stood up and faced him. "I'm scared. And I'm acting like this because I think that the problem will go away if I don't acknowledge that it's there. Honestly I'm scared for Matt's safety, and I'm scared for mine, but this problem isn't just going to get up and walk away, like I'm hoping it will."
"Ashton, why didn't you say that to begin with?"
"Because, I'm the tuff girl that isn't suppose to let anything scare me. I'm suppose to be everybody's rock."
"No you're not. You're suppose to be a girl that gets scared of spiders and acts like a 4 year old trapped in a 24 year olds body. You're suppose to be a loveable, yet tuff, girl that can go through anything and still act like she's 4. That's who you are. You're not suppose to be everyone's rock."
"Thanks, but let's get one thing clear."
"What's that?"
"I'm not afraid of spiders, I'm afraid of the dark." I smiled and Matt just chuckled.
"That's our girl. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go stretch."
"Go ahead." Matt stood up and went out onto the field. I sighed and sat down.
"I heard the entire conversation." Dad said as he walked over to me. "Is that really what you think you're suppose to be?"
"It's what I've always been."
"No. Matt was right about you. You're our giant 4 year, who is the girl that brightens up our day and our games. You're the girl that is suppose to make us laugh. You and that joker Waino."
"Thanks."
"Listen. Ashton, this is serious and I want you to know that if you need to just take some time off to do whatever you need to do, don't hesitate to ask. You know I'll let you have that time."
"I don't need time. I'm fine."
"Alright." He stood up and left me alone to do what I needed to do.