I'm Married To Pain

Chapter 25

After the teachers and other people I don't even know thanked and congratulated me, the activity has ended, as usual, with a simple lunch.

Jared, being all busy and stuffs, decided to leave earlier than the rest. Jansen has to stay for his afternoon classes and I have no choice but to go with Jared. We were quiet the whole time, until he threw the silence out the window.

"You... actually thought I don't love you?" He said with hesitation.

Something about what he said freaked the hell out of me! What? So, he actually thought that cheating on me will make me say 'oh my gosh. He loves me very much'? Is that it?! But I chose to leave the talking to him.

He sighed. "I'm not going to explain things to you. But I'll apologize."

No. I need the explanations more than your apologies because I already forgave you. I already did.

"You are not giving me what I need the most." I simply said.

He tightened his fists in the steering. "If... If I drive this car 200 miles per hour..." He hesitated again.

"I'll die."

He sighed heavily and didn't speak a word until we got home. "You have to realize that I already gave you the explanations you needed." Then got out his car.

It felt like passing the exam without actually taking one. I missed something in our conversation. But no matter how hard I try to look for his explanations, I still arrive at the thought that he never really know how it hurts me. How this hurts me.

I held on to the dashboard, trying to catch my breath. Holding it harder just to keep tears from falling. But I gave up, I closed my eyes and started to sob.

*** Jcee’s POV

[Phone rings...]

"Oh. Hey. What's up." I said with a smile. But that faded so fast when I heard her sobbing her words out.

"I can't... I need... I just..." She sighed from the other end. "Gosh. This is killing me. Please take me somewhere peaceful. I need it for now."

Wait. What? Why? How? When? Where?

*** Ashley's POV

Jcee took me to a place away from Jared. I didn't know. And I don't even care as to where we are going. I just trust him so much.

We went to Texas. Somewhere he knows that I don't. I guess I could no longer be traced all the way here.

It was a small wooden house alone in the middle of endless farms and all. As soon as we got there, an old woman and a man in his 40's greeted us.

"Oh. You came, young master?" The voice from the old woman was shaking from her old age. But she doesn't seem to be that old. She looked stronger than I am. Well, except her voice and her really small eyes now brought by the wrinkles on her eyes.

Jcee smiled at her. "I mentioned bringing a friend. But since, I can't really stay with her, I have to leave her to you."

"Oh. I see." She laughed. "Is she your girlfriend from Seattle you were talking about when you were younger?"

I looked at Jcee. Wow. What a gossip! I never heard he dated someone from Seattle. Well, of course, if that's a total lie and he's talking about me. He liked me before, I remember.

"Uh. No, no. She's a friend. You heard."

"You're sweating hard. I was just kidding." She laughed again. It was weak but cheerful.

"Fine then. She's Ashley..." He introduced. I put my best effort to smile politely at her. She returned a genuine smile. "... Ash, this is Nanny Becca, but I call her Nana. He took care of me when I was little since my parents were too busy. But that's only when I go to our house here in Cali before. This is Ben, her son."

I smiled at them. Becca caught my hand and held it tight. "We don't have as much but if peace is what you need, we can give you a lot of that. But, your stay is not for free." She said eyeing Jcee.

Jcee just let out a small laugh. "Not that I'm scaring you but you should know who the girl is." Ben commented.

"It doesn't matter, Bennie. She's in our territory. No one's scarier than your mother." She laughed again.

I just laughed with them.

As expected, the room where I'll be staying is small as a bathroom. Well, not our bathroom though. It is much bigger than this room. I scanned the room. The bed is enough for a thin person, the cabinet is enough for few clothes, the regular sized mirror reflected my face and body just right. I also found some old books of Nicholas Spark on the side table together with a not-so-fancy lampshade. So that's it. I sat in the bed and it's surprisingly soft and bouncy. Well, I must say I already love this place.

Jcee bid me goodbye and left.

"You will have to help in the barn tomorrow. I suggest you have to sleep earlier." Becca instructed. I nodded and just went inside with her.

It was barely 6 pm when we finished dinner. Ben insisted that I should rest first.