Ashley Jackson or as the public know her AJ, is a word famous music producer and artist. She's known Marshall Mathers, Eminem since 1995 when she was just sixteen.
It's now 2016 and ever since her husband left, love had aluded her. Talia, Ashley's...
''How about now?'' The question hung in the room as everyone turned to look at Ashley in stunned silence. Not one of them had expected her to be at the studio at all. Marshall was so shocked that it was the first thing he asked.
''What are you doing here?'' He immediately regretted it the moment he saw the crestfallen look on her face.
''Um...'' she paused to clear her voice as the words came out as nothing but, to begin with, ''I have to answer some questions at the station, Detective Jonas rung the other week about. You said you'd take me,'' Ashley answered trying not to reveal how disappointed she felt about the fact Marshall had blatantly disregarded what she'd asked him moments ago.
''Right I forgot, I'll just get my stuff,'' she blinked as he threw his car keys at her, a sure sign that he wanted her to wait in the car. Confused, she clutched them in her hand and disappeared out of the studio.
''Man what the fuck was that?'' Denaun shouted rather loudly. In truth he wanted Ashely to hear the fact that Marshall was just having a dumb moment and that she shouldn't be upset with him since she had caught them all off guard.
''I got nervous, fuck,'' Marshall responded as he threw on his jacket, ''you think she's gonna be upset?'' The looks both Denaun and Paul gave him were enough for him to know that she probably would be.
''Well good luck with that,'' Marshall flipped Paul off as he left, racing his way down the stairs (as the lift would have been too slow) before then going in search of his car. His was well aware that Ashley wouldn't have driven off because, well she couldn't exactly drive.
He went around the passenger side where he found her slumped in the seat, her head bent down slightly as she scrolled through her phone. Plucking up as much courage as he could muster he knocked on the side of the window. Ashley looked up from her position and frowned, never the less she popped the door open after he mouthed for her to do so.
''Marshall you don't...'' He cut her off before she could finish telling him that he didn't have to do what he was doing because of what had happened earlier.
''I'm sorry, that was shitty of me back there. I got scared because I wasn't prepared, but I am now,'' Ashley shifted herself so she was sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the car, at the same time as Marshall knelt down, ''I love you so much, so much that I don't ever want to see you walk away from me ever again. Ash, will you marry me?''
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There was a short pause as Ashley slipped out of the car and Marshall stood back to his full height. The box in his hand still open and the ring on display. It was simple, but it was something he knew Ashley would like and hopefully, it wouldn't draw the attention of the media straight away. Unless there was someone lurking in the car park and had watched the whole event unfold.
''Yes,'' Ashley's response had been so quiet that he nearly missed it.
''Yes?'' He questioned to make sure.
''Yes you...'' She was unable to finish her insult as he'd captured her lips in his own pulling her into a searing kiss. She giggled as he pulled away so he could slide the ring on her finger; then they went back to kissing.
***
''We just want to ask some basic questions, there's nothing to be worried about ok,'' Ashley nodded, while squeezing Marshall's hand under the table, ''good,'' Detective Jonas smiled reassuringly before opening a brown folder that lay in front of him.
''I'm going to start right from the beginning. So just remember as much as you can alright,'' again Ashley nodded. Taking it as a sign that she was ready Jonas asked his first question.
''First I need details about yourself. Could you tell me your full legal name?''
''Ashley Mari lea Jackson.''
''You got two middle names?'' Marshall whispered.
''Yup,'' she whispered back as the detective checked off her name.
''Place and date of birth?''
''England 6th of December 1979,'' the questions, to begin with, had been simple and easy to answer, but she knew there were going to be harder ones when it came to the actual case. In fact five minutes later her stomach was beginning to turn when he asked her to recount what happened the day Arthur died.
''I was at home was Jamie,'' she breathed deeply to get her bearings, ''Marshall, Denaun and Deshaun had come round. Jamie was only three so if we wanted to meet up it had to be done at mine. I saw it on the Tv... I was just in shock,'' a lone tear escaped from her eye and rolled down the side of her face. She wiped it away with her sleeve before she then spoke again, ''I collapsed and I remember thinking that I wish it had all been a dream,'' she couldn't carry on anymore her words got caught in her throat. Marshall tried to calm her by rubbing his hand up and down her back.
''I think we should take a break I'll be back in ten,'' Detective Jonas read the room rather well and left taking his folder with him. Marshall acknowledged him with a nod, but Ashley was blinded by her tears.
''Shush, it's ok,'' Marshall coed bringing her head to his chest as she cried.
''Why can't I just be over it Marsh I hate being so emotional,'' Ashley mumbled as he ran a hand through her hair. She'd stopped crying, but her voice still cracked when she spoke.
''It's what makes us human Ash. We can't all be robots now can we?''
''I guess not,'' she muttered, twisting the new ring around her fingers as she prepared herself for another round of questions; telling herself that the worst one had already been done.
