Without Me

Guilty Conscience

''Big night,'' Talia smirked, taking in Ashley's appearance, while she laid spread across the bed in Ash's bedroom.

Ashley was wearing a short, but not too short skirt, with a short sleeved plain T-shirt. Her feet were bare, which didn't matter as Alonzo was bringing the food round to the house. It would be the fifth or sixth date they had been on; they had been dating for three weeks, making it not quite a month yet. However, nearly every night they were free they were together, so it felt like a month or more to Ashley.

''Maybe, how'd you guess?'' She questioned while applying a thin layer of lipstick to her lips. Ashley was never big on the makeup, in fact, the less she wore the better she felt.

''You tided your room, made the bed, shipped Jamie out to stay with Marshall and Whitney tonight,'' Talia pointed out a sly smirk stretched across her face.

''Fine you got me,'' she laughed turning around to face her friend, who was now scrolling through her phone. The smirk still lingered on Ash's face until she noticed Taila stop scrolling to look at her, a dark look in her eyes.

''Have you seen this?'' Talia stood up from the bed, moving over to Ashley the phone held out so she could see the screen.

The screen showed a celebrity media outlet and Taila had pulled up the article that Ash had made Paul read that very morning. The Article was accompanied by a video, of which she had not seen yet. Although she didn't need to see it to see the smug face of the woman who had made the comments.

''I've read it, but not seen the video,'' Ashley admitted, which Talia took as an open invitation to press play.

''Mariha the Met's coming up and there appears to be a first time guest who you may have locked horns with before?'' The reporter asked pointing her microphone over at the person she was currently interviewing.

''Locked horns with. I don't know who you're on about,'' she smiled, a small laugh falling from her lips. Ashley cringed at her reaction, she thought herself untouchable and it annoyed the hell out of Ash.

''Does Ashley Jackson ring a bell,'' the reporter, pressed seemingly wanting a reaction out of her.

''Oh, the singer that hasn't ever really sung. I never really locked horns with her, it was mostly aimed at the guy she seems to follow like a lost puppy. Although I think she may be the reason that it started.''

''She has sung a fair few hits though,'' the reporter commented before shoving the microphone back at the dark blonde haired woman.

"Yes only on his songs, she's never done anything spectacular of her own. I mean can she even write her own stuff,'' the video cut out, signalling the end of the interview.

''That fucking bitch,'' Talia exclaimed, look up at Ashley in shock. ''what gave her the right to say that and since when was she relevant. I thought Marshall ruined her career.''

''Tai calm down, I got it handled,'' Ashley reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder, ''she's going to eat her words by the end of the month.''

''What do you mean?''

''Just wait and see,'' Ashley flashed her friend a smile before turning back to look in the mirror, ''how do I look.''

''The hottest person I know,'' Taila replied, although she didn't quite understand what Ashley had meant before.

Half an hour later, Alonzo was stood in the kitchen a wooden spoon in his hand stirring the pan of sauce on Ash's stove. He had insisted on cooking and knowing full well about his Italian origin Ashley wasn't going to refuse. She sat at the little table, a rare glass of wine in front of her, watching him as he cooked.