UGLY TOO

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 around, his soaked hair plastering across his forehead.

“Ash?... Ash!”

The girl pulls away from him, standing a foot away and licking her lips like it's a strawberry that kissed her.

“Don't give me that guilty look!” I say.

I can still feel Jeremías' warm hand on the small of my back.

“Ash, I was just….

“Just tasting to see if her lips still feel the same after all these years right? She ghosted you for Christ sake.”

He sighs, getting out of the pool. He walks towards me, but I move back, stretching my hand out to stop him.

“I don't need any of that water on me. You can talk from there.”

The Spanish also comes out of the pool, squeezing the water from her hair. She's pretty down there, but not so sensible up there.

“Ashley, right?” she asks, her eyes wide like she's about to steal my life. “It's not Caleb's fault. He just can't fall out of love with me even after all this time. Plus, we're getting back together,” she squeals.

“No, we're not, Tessa,” Caleb says, looking at her for a moment, then back at me.

I squeeze my hands at my sides, glaring at her. I am about to shove her hard, back inside the water when I feel a gentle tap on my back.

I sigh. Why is he even here? I didn't mention anything about needing a guard.

“Ash, I really only needed to find out if I didn't love her anymore. But she kissed me first, and I just… I couldn't stop myself either.”

I stayed silent for some seconds, my eyes darting to the shorts he was wearing. I scoff.

And you wanted to be that close to get your answer, right?” I ask, glancing at the thick bulge straining against his shorts. A few minutes with her, and he's already hard.

His eyes instinctively drop to his shorts as he quickly turns to his side, swallowing hard.

I sigh. “Come to the realization, Caleb. She abandoned you once, and she surely won't hesitate to do it again.”

“I can't forget that, Ash. No need for the continuous reminder,” Caleb says, his voice dropping to a low rumble.

He looks pathetic standing there, half naked and looking guilty.

Yet, even with the guilt written all over his face, he won't still try to understand that the girl who has been by his side since young is better than someone who shattered his heart years ago.

“Then start acting like someone who remembers,” I snapped. “Let's go.” I reached out my hand to grab his wrist, but before I can touch his hand, a wet, slender hand flings my hand away with a sharp smack.

I raise my brows in surprise, slowly raising my gaze to the Spanish girl.

She is standing there, her chest heaved out, water droplets touching her smooth skin, like she's posing for a damn magazine cover.

“Ashley right?” She asks again, her voice smooth, with a mocking tone.

“I don't get it,” I say, my voice surprisingly quiet. “Do you know me? Because I sure as hell don't know you.”

She folds her hand against her chest, pursing her lips. “No. But I've seen chicas feas y desesperadas ‘desperate ugly girls’ like you try to control guys that aren't theirs. He doesn't want you.”

My face flushes red with anger. I felt heat rise up to my neck. She had guts for someone that doesn't know me at all.

Behind me, Jeremías leans in. His chest presses against my shoulder blades, his warm breath smearing against the sensitive skin of my ear.

“That was an insult,” he murmurs, his voice a dark purr. “Ugly was mentioned too.”

That is it.

I instinctively lunge at her, my arms stretched out, ready to wipe that proud smug off her irregular shaped face.

But I don't get far.

Jeremías’ hand swiftly moves from the small of my back to my waist, one arm locking around me like a chain.

His grip is firm, making my struggle look futile—especially when he isn't using force to hold me back.

“Take your hands off me, Jeremías!” I hiss, struggling to escape, my foot staying firmly on the ground.

“Easy, Bella.

The smug on the Spanish girl's face deepens, her wide eyes watching me struggle. I don't bother to glance in Caleb's direction. He really won't do anything to help me out.

“Stop causing a scene here, Ashley,” she says.

I glare at her. “Seriously unloose your grip, Jeremías,” I say.

But he doesn't move. If anything, his grip tightens slightly. One of these days, I'll have to teach him a lesson too.

I stop struggling, exhaling sharply. My eyes are still fixed on her. “I'm calm. You can let go now.”

He doesn't believe me, but after a few seconds, he loosens his grip on my waist, though his arm is still wrapped around me.

The moment I feel myself free, I lunge at her again. I successfully shove her back inside the pool with a heavy splash.

“Ashley!” Caleb’s voice is loud. He heads towards me like he's going to shove me to the floor, but Jeremías quickly steps in front of me.

“¡No te acerques!” ‘Don’t come closer.”

Caleb stops in his steps, his eyes locking with his brother's.

“Take her out of the pool,” Jeremías says, glancing at the girl breathing heavily, standing by the edge in the pool.

Then, he turns to me, swiftly and gently scooping me up with one strong arm. His arm is hooked firmly behind my knees, my torso draped over his shoulder like a sack.

“What are you doing? Put me down!” I shriek, my hair dangling toward the floor. I hammer my fists against his back, but he doesn't flinch. He might as well be made of granite.

I slowly raise my head to glance at Caleb's previous shocked expression. He helps her out of the pool, his arms wrapped around her in a hug. Wow.

Jeremías carries me right through the entrance door and into the house. He ignores his party which is still in full swing, marching straight up the stairs, his grip never wavering.

I do not scream or hit his back to put me down. It will be pointless anyways.

He doesn't stop until he enters his bedroom and kicks his room door shut behind us with a heavy thud.

He dumps me onto the center of his bed gently. I scramble to sit up straight, smoothening my now disheveled hair and glaring at him. My breath is coming in jagged hitches.

Jeremías stands over me, his dark and dangerously sharp eyes fixed intently on me.

“What are you thinking?” He asks, his voice a low sound. “You don't even try to hide the fact that you love him!”