Page 12 of Ash
I raise my brow. “Home?”
“Yeah, Alabama.” I pray that my face isn’t betraying me as I try to remain neutral. Back to Alabama? Why? She ran a successful business here. Why would she sell it and move back there?
“Homesick?” I manage to get out, and she snorts and shakes her head.
“Not really,” she chuckles softly. “I don’t get along with my parents. I’m kind of the disgrace of the family, which, let me tell you, in the Sutton family that’s a hard title to achieve.”
“Well, congratulations on the win.” I smirk and she laughs lightly. “Seriously though, I find it hard to believe that you are a disgrace. You’re a business owner, you take care of yourself, and you take care of your kid.”
“Yeah, but see, you’re looking at it wrong.” She holds her hand up and starts listing things off on her fingers, I’m starting to think this is a recurrent thing with her. “Pregnant at thirteen and the ’donor’ was a fucking predator. A GED instead of a high school diploma, so all scholarship hopes were dashed. Moved to New York with a baby to live in a literal closet while learning ballet and dancing. Losing my spot with the ballet after making it into leading roles because my epilepsy medication was making it too hard for me to remember my routines. Married way too young to a man–and I use that term loosely–who was only with me because I was young and attractive and as soon as the whole ‘father-figure’ thing was expected of him after he took us to California, he said I needed to leave his home. Then I was divorced.Then,if that wasn’t bad enough, I stupidly went back to him a couple years ago because I just didn’t feel bad enough about myself, and he then ran me into so much debt that a cheap place out of this expensive ass city seems to be the only chance of me coming out of this. So yeah, not exactly a success in my parent’s eyes.”
I stare at her, trying my damndest to keep my face neutral, but fuck! That is a lot to deal with and at such a young age, all alone and with a small child to protect. I couldn’t imagine.
“Are you still with him?” Sunday laughs coldly.
“Nope,” she pops her lips on the ‘p’. “He tried to steal Wade’s pet, so I rescued it and ran eight miles on foot to hide in my dance studio with the stupid thing. My ex found me, and–” She cuts herself off as if she had said more than she meant. I notice the look on her face, and I recognize that look. It clicks and I feel anger course through me.
“Did he?” I manage between my clenched teeth.
“Just once, I didn’t think he had it in him, honestly.” I’m up instantly and heading towards the door. “W-where are you going?” she asks nervously.
“I’ll be back. I just need to go and beat that fucker with a bat until he stops breathing.” I watch her face soften.
“I don’t need a knight in shining armor, Charming. I can handle myself, like I always have. It’s over and done with. He was pissed off and drunk, not that it’s a good excuse, but he didn’t leave there unscathed. And soon, Wade and I will be out of the state anyway and I never have to think about him again.”
“So what?” I let out a huff. “You’re just going to leave all of your friends behind and move to a state you hate? Then what? What happens if he follows you there? Or you meet another one, because let’s face it, there are plenty of his kind. Are you just going to hop around and run from them for the rest of your life?” Her eyes narrow as she glares at me.
“Excuse me? And who made you the expert on my life? I do not run and I sure as shit ain’t running from some bitch ass man-child with commitment and responsibility problems. I handle my shit,” she says venomously, crossing her arms. “I don’t run from nothing,” she mutters under her breath and I back off.
“I’m sorry,” I state softly. “You’re right, I don’t know your life. I shouldn’t butt in. I just know what that kind of life is like. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
She raises a brow. “And how on earth would you know anything about this?”
“Because…” I take a nervous breath. “Besides growing up and having to jump from one state to the other to hide from my abusive father, I ended up in a long-term relationship with a woman who was abusive.” I stare down at my twisted hands resting on my bobbing leg. “And yeah, I know ‘Ash you are tall and built, what kind of pussy are you that you can’t handle a woman?’ It’s not–”
“I didn’t think that.” She interrupts as she sits up to face me better. “Men can be abused, Ash. Grown men can and are abused every day by their significant others, friends, or co-workers. Probably more than we know because men are taught not to talk about it, that it’s a sign of weakness.” She gives me the slightest of shrugs. “I don’t think that way, and it’s not how I raise Wade to think, either. No, men should never put their hands on a woman, but the same rule applies the other way. I am sorry that someone hurt you, and I’m sorry that you didn’t have a safe space to work through that pain and embarrassment.”
“Stop,” I say, standing up. I’m suddenly itchy and hot all over. “I–I don’t need your pity, just… stop.”
“Ash I–I’m not trying to pity you.”
“Well good, because I don’t want it!” I snap, louder and harsher than intended. “Especially not from you.” The sound of the door opening catches my attention and the nurse I had bribed earlier looks at me.
“You know better,” the nurse scolds. “Come on.” I sigh and give Sunday an apologetic look that she doesn’t meet before walking out of her room with the nurse, feeling like the biggest piece of shit ever. I didn’t mean to snap or raise my voice, but the embarrassment, the pain, and shame were breaking out of the boxes I kept them safely tucked into and I didn’t want her to see me break.
Chapter5
Sunday
“Asshole,” my friend Luca scoffs as he rolls his dark eyes. “I swear all of you are sluts for the worst types of men.” He shakes his head as he continues to paint my toes. I sit in my living room with Janie, Ren, Luca, Stevie, and Indy. Wade is at school and today is the rare day that we are all available to hang out, eat, day drink, and bitch. It’s also Indy’s first time meeting the group, besides Ren. With Atlas and Ash being so close, Indy and Ren have hung out before.
Stevie hands me a beer before sitting on the couch. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me, Luca, my ass is forever single.” Luca scoffs.
“That is because your psychotic ass grandmother tries to stab anyone that comes near you. She almost took off my nipple the day I met her!” I nearly spit out my beer and shake my head.
Stevie sighs, knowing we are all well aware of how protective her Baka is. “She’s just a firm believer that if you have a penis, you must work for the devil.”
“She’s not wrong.” I mutter, earning a pinch from Luca.
