Abigail

Chapter sixteen.

Chapter sixteen.

"Hot chocolate?" He asked, throwing a towel at me to dry off.

"Please." I dried my hair with the towel and then dried the rest of my body, getting changed into some of his old clothes. I got up onto the sofa after blow drying my wig and placing it back on my head, and cuddled up in a blanket.

"So now is probably the time where you explain why you was sat out in the pouring rain, in a park at least a 15 minute drive from the hospital, under a tree and then rang me of all people," Ashton told me.

I shook my head, not wanting to tell him. I didn't know how to and I didn't even know how I felt about it, so keeping it to myself was probably the best idea. He sighed, giving me my hot chocolate and then proceeded to sit down next to me, sipping his.

We sat in silence for about half an hour until Ashton started to get irritated at the constant buzzing that my phone was doing on the table. "Just answer it," he grumbled.

"No."

"Fine, then I will," he reached over to pick it up. I tried to stop him but I wasn't fast enough. "Hey Anna, she's with me and she's fine."

I breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "I don't want to see her."

"Yeah I understand that Mrs Walker, but Abby said that she needs time and that she doesn't want to see anyone at the moment. I'll bring her back to the hospital in the morning, if that's okay?" He asked, keeping eye contact with me. "Thank you Anna, I'll take good care of her. Okay, bye, take care."

He chucked my phone at me and I slipped it into my pocket. Ashton was still staring at me, making me feel rather uncomfortable. I looked down into my hot chocolate.

"Abby."

I sighed and looked up. "What?"

"Will you hear me out without shouting at me?" He asked, looking vulnerable. I nodded. "Laura... I..." He sighed. "When Laura and I were together, her brother got into trouble with some very dangerous men. Her brother managed to get out of the country, so the men went after Laura instead. They, um, abused her and used her for sex, getting her pregnant. We broke up because she pushed me away and wanted nothing to do with me, but she couldn't let the men know that she was pregnant with their baby. They'd have done a lot of damage to her if they knew, so I pretended it was mine and went to the abortion clinic with her."

I frowned, listening to what he had to say and I didn't doubt him. Actually, I believed every word he was saying. "So why was she so angry that you were um, kissing me? Why did she try and ruin it?"

"She thought that I would forgive her and get back with her. Laura was jealous of you, Abby."

I put my cup down on the table and climbed up onto Ashton's lap. My arms went loosely around his neck and I placed my head against his chest, as he wrapped his arms around my waist. We stayed like that for what seemed like hours, until I whispered that I was sorry for thinking he was lying to me the whole time.

Ashton moved my hands from around his neck and held them, looking me straight into my eyes. I gazed back. He let go of my left hand and cupped my cheek. Slowly, he leaned in, getting closer and closer to me. My eyes fluttered shut and within seconds, his lips were on mine. He kissed me softly and then pulled away. "It's okay beautiful, I've got you now."

* * *

The car pulled up outside the hospital and Ashton leaned over, placing a kiss on my cheek. "Ring me when you can, I'll see you soon." I nodded and got out, making my way over to reception.