Backfire

A Crumbling Wall

It had been days since Ashley and Eathyn spoken a word to each other. Ashley even left the bedroom to share a room with Andy. Everyone tried to get Ashley to go talk to Eathyn, but he kept refusing to.

"Ashley," Jake sighed, "You need to go talk to her!" Jake told him as they all stood in the bus for privacy.

"No! She called me a liar and accused me of cheating when I did nothing wrong," Ashley said.

"Ash," CC said, "She's already apologized. What more do you expect her to do?"

"Don't you think you've punished her enough already?" Andy said calmly as he leaned against the counter behind him.

Ashley walked out of the bus.

**THAT NIGHT**

CC popped up when he heard Eathyn scream from the other bed. He turned on the lamp.

"Eathyn!" He went to her. She looked at him and squealed turning away from him. CC gently grabbed her to hold her still, "Shhh-shh, Eathyn, it's ok. It's ok, it's CC."

The others rushed into the room. "What's wrong?!" Andy asked. They were quiet when they saw Eathyn trembling in the bed.

"CC?" Eathyn looked at him gripping his sleeve.

CC smiled warmly, "Yeah, it's me. You just had a bad nightmare. You're ok."

Eathyn leaned into his arms and held onto him as she started to cry heavily. CC held her. Jinxx went over to them. "Eathyn, can we get you anything?" He asked softly.

Eathyn said something but they didn't hear her.

"Get you what, love?" Jinxx wondered.

"Ashley," Eathyn sobbed, "I want Ashley," She started crying harder, "Please...I want Ashley."

CC looked at Andy. "I'm on it," Andy stated and rushed out of the room. Jake looked at Inna. She handed him her phone. Jake then followed Andy.

CC helped Eathyn lay back down and gently brushed her hair out of her face shushing her tenderly as she cried.

***

"Ashley," Andy called as he went into the room he was sharing with the Outlaw.

"What?" Ashley came out of the bathroom in some jeans shirtless. He was rubbing his hair dry with a towel.

"It's Eathyn," Jake told him.

Ashley rolled his eyes reaching for his whiskey bottle, "For the last time, you guys, I don't want to talk to her."

"Dammit, Ashley! Get over yourself!" Andy snapped, "Eathyn just woke up from a nightmare screaming and she's laying in there crying for you!" Andy pointed out the doorway.

Ashley looked at him a little stunned. She was crying for him?

"Ash," Jake showed him the picture that Inna had taken of Ashley asleep on the bus couch with Eathyn.

Ashley looked at it for a minute with everything about him and Eathyn rushing through his head. He then mentally slapped himself a few times for being an idiot. He looked at Andy and Jake, "Where is she?"

Ashley followed them out of the room as he was slipping on a long sleeve shirt.

***

Everyone looked at Ashley when he came in ahead of Andy and Jake. They stepped aside as he went towards the bed. He crouched down, slowly lifted the comforter, and felt his heart drop hard when he saw Eathyn.