Page 71 of Echoes of Us
The room felt too small suddenly.Every path to the door seemed blocked by people Ashley used to call friends, their conversations dying into awkward murmurs as they caught the tension crackling through the air.Marie's perfume - something floral - drifted across the space, replacing the familiar scent of coffee and old books that usually filled Dale's apartment.
"I should check on the..."Ashley gestured vaguely toward the kitchen, nearly knocking over her carefully arranged chips in her haste to escape.She heard Dale call her name, soft and concerned, but couldn't stop.
The kitchen counter was cool under her palms as she leaned against it, trying to steady her breathing.Through the doorway, she could hear Marie's laugh - that perfect, musical sound that somehow carried over every other conversation, probably at something Cole had said.Something meant for her to hear.
And suddenly, standing alone in Dale's kitchen, something shifted inside her.What was she doing?Really doing?
Marie was her friend - a real friend, not some bimbo who stole her boyfriend.And Cole?In this timeline, she'd known him for what - a handful of encounters?A few charged moments?She'd been acting like she owned him, like her memories from another life gave her some kind of claim.
She'd been behaving like a lunatic.
The realization hit her with startling clarity.She'd lost sight of who she actually was in this timeline.She'd turned herself into some kind of desperate puppet master, pulling strings that were never hers to pull.
"This ends now," she whispered to herself, the words carrying a finality that surprised her.All of it - the manipulation, the pining, the desperate attempts to control every outcome.She wasn't just going to fix this mess.
She was going to let it go.
First, the easy part.She stepped onto Dale's balcony, phone in hand, and called Ezra.
"Whatever dramatic scene you're planning," he answered, "I want no part-"
"I'm calling to apologize," she cut him off, her voice steady."And to end whatever this is before it gets more complicated.You were kind to help me that night, and I'm sorry it turned into...this."
A pause."Well, shit.That's disappointingly mature of you."
"I know.Try not to faint."She ended the call before he could respond.One mess down.
Back inside, Ashley took a deep breath, mentally checking her posture the way she would before meeting a difficult patient.Open stance.Relaxed shoulders.Present but not confrontational.
"Cole?"Her voice carried across the room, clear and professional."Could we talk?"
He turned from where he'd been examining Dale's whiteboard equations, his expression guarded."Anything you need to say, you can say here.I don't do secrets anymore."
The challenge in his voice would have rattled her an hour ago.Now, she recognized it for what it was - a defense mechanism, trying to maintain control of the situation.She'd seen it countless times in her practice.
"You're right," she said, earning a flicker of surprise across his face."This should be said openly."She moved to the center of the room, aware of everyone's attention but refusing to let it derail her."The rumors about Ezra and me aren't true.He helped me when I was drunk and embarrassing myself, nothing more.And while we're clearing things up..."
She turned to Sarah, who stood by the window looking wary."I'm sorry about that night.You tried to stop me from making a mess of things, and I didn't listen.That wasn't fair to you."
The room had gone quiet, but not with the awkward tension from before.This was different - the kind of silence that comes when people actually listen.
"I appreciate everyone's concern lately," she continued, her voice softening."But I haven't been handling things well.Or maturely.That changes now."
She met Cole's eyes briefly, and saw something uncertain there before turning to Marie."I hope we can talk sometime soon.When you're ready."
Then she picked up her bag, nodded to Dale - who was watching her with what looked like pride - and headed for the door.No drama, no tears, no grand gestures.Just a quiet exit from a situation she'd helped create.
As she left, she heard conversations slowly resume behind her, glad and a little surprised her speech hadn’t made them gossip.She'd seen it in group therapy before - how one person's honesty could shift the entire room's energy.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply acknowledge your mistakes and walk away.
* * *
Owningup to her mistakes was just the beginning.
The conversation with Marie happened over coffee - actual coffee, not a dramatic confrontation in some hallway.Marie's apologies tumbled out, messy and real, about keeping secrets and avoiding texts.But beneath them was relief - relief that Ashley wasn't making this into something bigger than it was.
And surprisingly, it wasn't.Not anymore.
