Avenging You

Chapter 21

Parker

I lie down on the bed and I’m surprised that Ryan didn’t follow me in here.

I’ve been in here for at least an hour and I can’t stop touching my lips.

It was such a soft kiss, but it’s haunting me.

I haven’t been kissed in over five years… and I just don’t think Ashton would be okay with me moving on from him with Ryan.

Ryan was supposed to be like my brother. That’s always the place he had in my life.

I sigh and roll onto my side and close my eyes. I just feel restless. I don’t want to go back outside and face him but laying here is driving me nuts.

The only two things running through my head is that light kiss and Ashton’s face.

I open my eyes and I surprise myself as I’m now standing and I’m in the woods. I look around and listen and I realize I went back in time. I went back to a day I would never want to relive.

The day that I lost him.

I gulp and contemplate whether or not to bring myself back to my own reality, but then I realize that it would probably be good for me to talk to him again. I rush off towards where I know he’s at.

My footsteps slow as I see him come into view. Ryan and Travis just split up with him, so I know he’ll have a little bit of time by himself before Hunter comes into view.

My mouth feels dry and I force myself to call out his name, “Ashton.”

He jumps in surprise and looks towards me at first with a smile when he recognized my voice, but then with confusion as he took in my change in appearance. He tilts his head to the side, “Parker?”

Ashton

The boys just split off from me and we are checking the area for Aberrations as we wait to hear an update from Parker. I just hope she’s okay.

I hear a soft familiar voice speak out, “Ashton.”

I smile knowing my wife’s voice and I turn and look at her. My smile instantly turns into a frown as I look at her curiously. I say, “Parker?”

She doesn’t look the same- she looks a little older.

Her hair has been cut shorter and has some red hues mixed in with her natural brown, she’s wearing glasses now, her body has changed, she’s still in good shape, but you can see that the shape is different than it used to be. I walk closer to her and I can see some wrinkles beginning to appear on her face they aren’t very obvious it looks like she’s only a few years older than the version of her I saw this morning.

She walks closer towards me and she says, “It’s me… I know right now is like high stress and easy not to trust me, but it’s me. I came back in time to see you.”

I chuckle, “Why would you come back to see me?” She licks her lips nervously and looks down and the realization hits me like a truck, and I ask, “I don’t make it, do I?”

She gulps and shakes her head as tears appear in her eyes. I walk towards her and touch her cheek and she closes her eyes and leans into my hand and takes a deep breath. Her eyes flutter open and meet mine and she says, “I miss you.”

I sigh, “I’m sorry.”

I know losing me was her worst nightmare just like me losing her is mine.

She nods, “I think of how our life would’ve been all the time. I have a secret to tell you.”

I raise my eyebrows up and she said, “I was pregnant when you passed, I just didn’t know it yet.”

I can’t help the smile that appears on my face and she grins and says, “It was a boy and he actually was born on your birthday. Ashton James Daniels the Second… I call him AJ.”

I chuckle, “You didn’t have to name him after me.”

She laughs softly, and the sound is like a beautiful melody. I realize now that the change in her body is due to her carrying a baby and my God she still looked so dang beautiful. She says, “Yes, yes, I did. He looks exactly like you. Some days I wonder if I had any part in creating him.”

I chuckle as I lean forward and nibble her neck and whisper in her ear, “I assure you; you did.”

The giggles flow out of her mouth and she looks back up at me with glossy eyes and sighs, “You should be with me now.”

It’s hard to comfort her through this because we both know that we can’t change the future. Nikki told her that when she just learned how to time travel. No matter what you try to do you cannot prevent the inevitable and it just makes it harder on you and make you blame yourself more. I say, “I wish I was, but I bet you’re doing a great job. How long has it been since I-?” I sigh unable to complete the question and I change it, “Have you dated anyone? I mean, it's been five years I don't blame you if you have.”

She scoffs and shakes her head no, “Five years and no I haven’t I can’t bring myself to date anyone. I feel like it’s a disgrace towards you.”

I have mixed feelings on this. Do I like the thought of her being with someone else? No, but I’m not around anymore and she deserves to have someone who loves her, and AJ deserves to have a father figure.

I heave a heavy sigh and we hear some commotion in the background and her eyes widen as she looks around and I know she will have to leave me soon. I say, “Parker, date. Don’t be scared of loving or being with someone else. You deserve to be happy. You deserve happiness more than most people do.” She smiles and asks softly, “Even if that happiness is with Ryan?”

My eyes widen at the thought. I know for a fact out of all the time they’ve known each other neither of them ever felt those kinds of feelings for one another.

Yet, it makes sense. It makes complete sense. They both have loved and lost and that would bring together a connection that is very strong. I kiss her forehead and say, “Yes, Parker, even if it’s with Ryan. I actually kind of like that idea. I know he would take the best care of you out of anyone else. It’s very… reassuring.”

She nods and looks at me with tears in her eyes and I say, “I know we don’t have much time left, but I would like two things if it’s okay with you?”

She looks at me with wide eyes but nods, “Anything for you, my love.”

I smile, “Can I see a picture of AJ?”

She nods and pulls out her phone and shows me a picture of this little boy and she smiles proudly. She’s right, he looks just like me. His dark brown hair is just past his ears and is a little shaggy in this photo, he’s wearing PJ’s with dogs all over them, he has a big smile which shows off two big dimples, and his eyes scrunch up with how big he’s smiling.

I nod and ask, “Can you get it to where I can send an email?”

She nods and I say, “One is for you for when you doubt things and one is for AJ. Give it to him when he’s a little older, okay?”

She whispers, “Okay.”

I type as fast as I can knowing I don’t have much time. I hand her back the phone and we hear more commotion coming this way. I grab her face and give her the best most passionate kiss I can and I whisper, “I love you. Now go.”

She whispers, “I love you.”

With that she disappears, and I want to cry knowing everything I’m about to lose. But I pray this gave her some closure and she can move forward. I hope Ryan will take care of her and AJ as if it’s his own family he created.

I hear my name, “Ashton?”

I turn around and see my current Parker and I smile as I try to mask how sad I am right now. I don’t want her to ask questions and ruin how fate is supposed to go. I walk towards her and she wraps her arms around my neck pulling me close, and I ask, “How’d everything go?”

Suddenly I hear a voice ring out screaming, “NO!”

I go to turn around when I feel an intense amount of pressure in my chest and I fall to the ground and I see Parker’s feet running towards me- I black out.