Caught Between Love and Duty

Chapter 3

—Took a step towards Ashley.

"I thought, I thou–". Ashley couldn't find her words. Noah hugged her. She stood there, STIFF even as he hugged her, almost like she just had a stroke.

Noah released her from the hug—

"I know this is hard to wrap your head around, but you need to trust me. The military thought I died, but I actually ran. Somewhere in the middle of the heavy shootout I realised that that's not how I want to end my life, I realised that I could be more, I could do more and achieve more, I couldn't stand the thought of leaving you behind"

Noah said as tears began to flow Ashley's eyes.

Noah motioned to hug her again, this time she burst into tears and ran inside.

Ashley spent the whole night putting her thoughts together, questioning everything that went down the previous night and the question that continuously rang in her consciousness was "where exactly was Noah these past few years?"

The uncertainties became too much and she just had to wait for the next morning to ask him. Eunice convinced Noah to give Ashley time for her thoughts to settle, letting him know that everything was too much to grasp and come to terms with.

Ashley asked Noah where he was the whole time and he said he was on a hide out in anonymous locations around Asia and he just had to make sure he wasn't seen and make the military build the assumption that he was actually part of the people that died in the shootout that wiped about 35 of them.

What excited Noah the most was the fact that Teddy had grown into a beautiful young boy. Noah's plan was to try his best to make up for the lost years and fix everything up.

The next morning Jason was at Ashley's work place with a bouquet of flowers. The receptionist placed a call for her and Jason stood there waiting as he glanced round the reception.

Ashley approached him and with a wide smile they hug and then kiss, just as they kissed, Noah walked in—

He stood there with wide eyes as he watched them kiss. They had no idea someone was there until his keys fell off from his hands.

Ashley sights him and slowly removes herself from Jason.

"Hey Noah," Ashley said in a low tone.

Nolan shook his head in disappointment and strolled off.

Jason had no idea what had happened.

"Who was that?" Jason asked in the most unproblematic manner.

"It's a long story, I will fill you in soon okay?"

Meeting Jason was a breath of fresh air for Ashley, but considering the fact that Noah was the love of her youth and reuniting with him was going to be better for her son, she was stuck with a tough decision to make.

Ashley walked into her home. An angry Noah in the dining room caught her gaze. She wasn't ready for the drama that was about to unfold so she greeted him casually and headed straight inside.

Shortly after she came back to get a bottle of water from the kitchen and immediately she came out, a very furious Noah shouted at her—

"Can't believe this is the same woman I risked my life in the past 3 years for?"

Ashley stood where she was and calmly finished the water then trashed the bottle—

"When you are ready to have this conversation calmly like two adults will, call me" Ashley says calmly.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I am like a child?"

Noah responds.

Ashley motioned to go back inside, but on a second thought she decided to let it all out as there was no point holding back again—

"Do you think It has been easy for me, do you know that the past years I have been literally trying to forget you and every single memory of us and now this! And let me let you know that the thoughts I have had in the past 24 hours have been more than the one that lingered through my mind these past years" Ashley walks closer to him—

"And I know you so much that if you were truly on a hideout for 3 years you would have found a way to communicate it to me or send me a mail, a letter, just anything for me to know you were okay, there is definitely something you are not telling me Noah and till you do, don't expect me to get all excited that you have returned"

Disappointed Noah just shook his head, definitely not the welcome he expected, he stared at her for a while watching her rage make her breathing faster and louder, then he asked calmly with his lowest tone—

"It's about him right? The guy I saw you with?"

Something changed in Ashley's psych when he said this, somehow her entire rage wore off, out of nowhere her eyes started tearing.

"Is there anything you are not telling me?" Ashley asked whilst staring straight into Noah's eyes like she wanted to snatch his soul.

"No babe not at all…. Every single night I spent away I thought of what the night I was going to return would look like, I missed you every single second that passed."

Noah drew closer to her and kissed her.

The next morning was much better for Ashley mentally, she felt more enthusiastic even if the situation just got more complicated.

She walked into flowers and a notepad on her office desk. With a little smirk on her face she opened the note which read

"You deserve more than taking cabs and trains to work, check the flowers babe — Jason."

Hastily she opened up the flowers and reaches for the black car key in it. It's almost like a dream. She screamed and rushed outside and quickly gazed round the garage and sights a newly parked car with a ribbon it. She clicked the unlock button on the keys and the light flashes. She hopped into the car and started hitting the dashboard like she won a million dollar lottery.

Reality dawned on her when Noah's text came in. It's a reminder for their lunch date. Instantly the whole joy bubbling in her soul quenches and turns to uneasiness from the thought of the fact that she still has a marriage to fight for.

She drove the new car to the cafe where she was to meet Noah. The walls of the cafe was made of glass so Noah clearly saw her come down from it. Ashley made her way inside. They both share a hard stare as she takes her sit.

"You care for waffles?" Noah asked with his gaze fixed on the car.

Ashley was not ready for the drama Noah was building so she just had to spill the tea.

"It was a gift from Jason" Ashley said passively.

Noah wasn't pleased at all but tried his best to keep his calm.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Ashley asked calmly.

Noah took a deep breath and stared at Ashley pondering whether to let it all out or act like it was nothing. Gently he asked;

"Should I have a problem with my wife receiving gifts from a man that I caught her kissing days ago or shouldn't I be concerned that a woman I ran away from a job I loved with my life to build my life with has suddenly found peace elsewhere?"

Tears rolled down Ashley's eyes slowly. Noah slammed his hands on the table and yelled "f**k!!"

The entire cafe turned and stared at them, but that was the least of Noah's issues.

"You know what? I want to meet with this guy, I want to talk with him and I also want to talk with you, in hi

s presence, let's trash this out like adults would"

Noah said, then stood up and angrily stormed out