(1D) Saw ; The Beginning

(6) Chapter Four ; The Past .

Ashton Irwin ; 

   "Soo, let me get this straight-" Gemma paused not even taking her eyes off the road. She didn't sound at all convinced. "Paul, and this- Cleyton -are working together, and they kidnapped the boys? Am I the only one who thinks that sounds crazy?"

  "It's just a theory!" I protested. "But come on! They have to know something!? Don't you think it's strange that Michael tries to mention Cleyton moments before we get run off the road?? Or, or Eleanor ending up in a hospital bed not even an hour after she tells me that Cleyton is guilty??"

   "What would their reason even be for it?" she finally turned to look at me. "Money? Paul already makes enough off of them-"

  

I bit my lip hesitantly. In all the confusion, I nearly lost the guilt of the truth. I looked away from Gemma trying to suppress the guilt. Suddenly it felt like a million degrees.

  

  "What?" she turned suspicious. I cursed the fact that she knew me so well.

   "What?" I gulped, talking to the window as the foliage rolled by. "What do you mean what?"

  "Why do you look so," she looked for the word. "Guilty?"

  

I hung my head. No one know about that night. No one. Not even Gemma, and she knew me nearly inside and out. Yet, Cleyton seemed to have hit the nose of it. How did he know? Were we really that sloppy? I couldn't tell Gemma the truth, I mean, How could I? I  couldn't even face it myself.

  

   "Ashton what?" she grabbed my hand, her features softening sadly. She didn't know what she was asking for. I looked out the window unable to face her. "I know you, and you never look at me when you've done something wrong that I don't know about-"

  "What??" I turned to look at her. "I do not!"

   "Ashton-" she whined my name, and I missed the way she said it. "This was always our problem when we were together. You never told me what was bothering you, you just pushed it off like you were fine but it's so obvious that something's bothering you-"

  "Gemma trust me" I turned back towards the window, hanging my head. "You don't want to know-"

   "Yes I do!" she furrowed her eyebrows, returning both hands to the wheel. "If you meant what you said back there, about, being afraid of losing me then you would tell me what you're hiding."

  "That's not fair!" I clinched my teeth glaring at her. "I care about you, I always have!"

   "Then tell me the truth!" she raised her voice like mine. "I-I, I care about you too... Ashton, and as hard as that is to admit it- it's true-"

  I cupped my face into my hands, muffling my groan. "You don't know what you're asking-"

  

She pulled over so fast my head nearly hit the window. She locked the doors and turned the car off, falling back in her seat.

  

   "We're not going anywhere until you tell me everything-" she pouted and regrettably, it was cute.

  "Gemma-" I tried one last time.

   "Tell me, what you're hiding..." she enunciated. 

I squeezed my eyes tight in frustration. "Fine...."