LOGINCHAPTER 45 ~ MISSED YOUASHLEY “Good morning, dear,” Mrs Isabelle says, her smile bright as I reach the living room.My eyes flicker to Jeremías who is sitting beside her on the sofa, having a conversation with his mom. There's no smile on his face when he sees me, just a plain look. I quickly move my gaze back to Mrs Isabelle. “Good morning,” I say, pulling my hands out from my jacket pockets. “How was your night, dear?” She asks, her brows lowering in concern. “You don't look like you've had enough of the sleep you need.”I shake my head. “I'm alright.” I pause, licking my lips. I don't dare flicker my eyes towards Jeremías again. “Mrs Isabelle, do you know if there's a nearby art gallery? Thought I would go for a walk.”Her face lights up. “Oh, that's a lovely idea. I'm not sure I know if any good one. Why don't you tell Caleb about it? He knows the best spots in town and he can surely take you there.”I force a stiff smile on my face, squeezing my fingers together as I continue
ASHLEY My brows furrow. “What do you mean? You just said you knew that Jeremías would tell me the truth. Why are you suddenly surprised about it?” My dad clears his throat, the sound strained over the line. “It's just… a little surprising, dear. That's all.” Gosh. First, they knew about it, and now it's a little surprising. What are they really thinking right now? “Why is it surprising? Didn't you guys know?” “Well, the story from Caleb and his father always explained that it was Jeremías that tried to hurt you. Not Caleb.” My heart sinks deep down to my stomach. Everything around me suddenly feels suffocating. “Jeremías?” I whisper, unable to even call his name properly. “But it's not factual,” my mom chips in, her voice calm. “Nothing is factual. It's just what they all said at the time. We weren't in the living room when it happened; we didn't see who really did it. And the cameras weren't installed yet because it was a new house.” “True, dear,” my dad adds. “But we trus
ASHLEY I step inside the house and shut the door behind me with a mild thud. The house is still too quiet. I make my way for the stairs, ascending it, my legs feeling heavier with each step. I walk across the bright hallway, stopping in front of Caleb's bedroom door. I linger there, staring at the wood, not knocking or going in. I push the door open, stepping inside after a few internal convincing. The room is empty, the bed dressed perfectly, the windows open slightly to let in fresh, cool air. My eyes dart around the room, even the open bathroom. But no figure emerges from anywhere. “Caleb?” I call, my voice almost a whisper. I wonder if he'll even hear me call out to him at this rate. He isn't in here. He wasn't in the living room either. It was empty and so silent that I could hear my sneakers as I walked on the foyer. I step out, closing the door. Then, I stroll to my room. Caleb is mostly always in my personal space, and my bedroom, waiting or hovering around. He mig
JEREMÍAS I watch her, my heart sinking as she stares at me, her eyelids fluttering as she realizes everything. Her hand slowly drifts up under her blouse, her fingers stopping as she reaches her ribs. She traces the rough line beneath her bra, exhaling a shaky breath. She looks up at me, her eyes welling up with tears. I sincerely hope they don't slide down her face. Else, I wouldn't forgive Caleb for bringing this up. Everything would have been going well if he hadn't felt pathetically insecure and blurted out this. “Th-this is from a knife stab?” she stammers, her voice barely audible. Her finger rubs the mark tentatively, before she drops her hand to her side. My teeth clenches hard enough to ache. This is exactly what I had spent years trying to prevent. When I found out that she couldn't remember the incident after her operation, I had sworn that I wouldn't return to New York or be around her anymore. But she came here, and I suddenly couldn't keep one promise. “It w
JEREMÍAS Ashley furrows her brows. “Nightmares?” “About you bleeding,” I say, my voice low. “You have nightmares about that, right? When you plead with your parents to stop your bleeding. It's always the same.” I feel her movements stiffen and her eyes widen slightly. She's figured out that I know. She nods slowly, her eyes fixed on my face, trying to figure out how I know about it. “Yes. But–but how did you know?” She asks, her voice barely audible. “Caleb has no idea about it either.” I licm my lips, my gaze never wavering from her face. I'm battling everything in my not to tell her anything right now. Screw Caleb. Starting something he can't finish. He's still choosing not to be smart even after all these years. Everything is always for his benefit. “How long have you been having those particular nightmares?” I continue. I scan her expression intensely, searching for a hint of reluctance or giving up. I would prefer she stops asking than hearing the truth. It will af
ASHLEY I furrow my brows at André as he flashes that signature smile again. Fuck. He really needs to stop that or I'll have to glue his lips together. It's too casual and strange at the same time. It makes it impossible for me to know his true intentions. I can't tell if he's a good or bad person. “You're safe, Ashley,” he says, his voice firm. His tone is sincere which makes it more confusing for me. “Trust me, it's not like that. I just want to keep in touch. That's all.” I let out a surrendering sigh, the cool night air prickling the skin on my bare legs. Whatever. If he has good or bad intentions, I don't mind. At least, if Jeremías decides to ghost me suddenly or ignore me again, I'll have a direct link to his inner circle and find out what's wrong. I reach out and take his phone. I quickly punch in my digits. Just as I hand him back his phone, the front door peels open. I look up to see Jeremías standing near the door, wearing a blue tank top, shorts and socks. His h
ASHLEY “Caleb!” What the hell? After all the ‘thinking about it’ and needing just closure, I find him inside a pool, tongue in tongue with a Spanish that ghosts him. I wish he doesn't know how to swim. I can just push them far apart and watch him struggle to get to her. He jerks his head arou
JEREMÍAS I surely didn't expect Caleb to bring anyone with him as he was coming, and especially not her. I knew they were best friends but I didn't know she was far different from how Caleb had described her the last time he visited alone. But she? She's pretty and delicate, in a way that make
ASHLEY Ohhh. So, he's the distant first Cruz brother in the family. Caleb never really talked about him, but whenever his mum suggested he was going to visit his brother in Spain, he would refuse, saying that he likes how they barely know each other. “Your name.” “Huh?” “What's the name, los
ASHLEY I swallow hard, my cheeks flushing red. My hands are resting on Caleb's warm chest muscle. “Yes. Definitely you and I,” he says, his smile sheepish. “If you want, it can happen now. I can quickly call up Josh for you while I have my share of fun with Mirabel. My face quickly stiffens an







