MAKING AMENDS
1541 Words
Christian
I'm sitting at my desk, trying to focus on my work, but my mind keeps wandering back to Ashley and how she must be feeling after seeing that stupid news. I can't believe how much I want to be with her, how much I need to make things right.
My phone rings. It's Jake.
"Hey, man, I've seen the news," Jake says, his voice serious. "What happened? I was just about to call you."
I sigh, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. "Samantha showed up at my dinner spot, acting drunk and embarrassing herself. I took her outside to get her a cab, but before I could, she sprang a kiss on me out of nowhere. And of course, the paparazzi were there to capture it all."
Jake whistles low. "She planned it, didn't she?"
I nod, even though Jake can't see me. "Yeah, she did. And now I'm paying the price. I'm pretty sure Ashley hates me and thinks I'm a liar. I don't even have her number, and we were supposed to go out to dinner tonight."
Jake sighs. "That's tough, man. But you need to fix this. You need to make things right with Ashley."
I nod again, feeling a sense of determination wash over me. "I know. I'm going to go to her workplace and try to talk to her. I need to explain what happened and hope that she'll listen."
Jake's voice is encouraging. "Good luck, man. You're going to need it."
I hang up the phone and take a deep breath. I can do this. I need to do this. I get up from my desk and head out of the office, praying that God will make this easy for me and make Ashley forgive me.
As I drive to the hospital, my mind races with thoughts of Ashley and what I'm going to say to her. I know I need to be honest and sincere, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough. I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves. I can do this.
I'm standing at the hospital reception, trying to keep my cool, but my frustration is boiling over. "When will Ashley be on duty?" I ask the receptionist, trying to sound calm.
The receptionist checks the schedule. "Monday, sir. She usually off duty on weekends."
I feel my anger rising, and I clench my fists to prevent myself from punching something. I take a deep breath and try to think of my next move.
As I'm about to leave the hospital, I spot Mark, the blonde friend who kissed Ashley, talking to some kids. I walk up to him and tap him on the shoulder.
"Hey, ummm, boss," he says, turning around to face me.
I raise an eyebrow, surprised that he knows I'm the boss. "Hi," I reply.
"Can you give me Ashley's address or at least her number?" I ask, trying to sound casual.
Mark looks skeptical. "I'm not sure she would like me to give that to you if she hasn't given it to you herself."
I try to persuade him. "Come on, man, I'm trying to win this girl over."
Mark shakes his head. "Man to man, I know you have drama with your ex, and Ashley doesn't like drama."
I try to reassure him. "She was a mistake, my ex was a mistake. I'm getting a restraining order on her today, that's how crazy my ex is."
Mark looks unconvinced. "You're dragging Ashley into a lot of drama."
I feel my anger rising again, but I try to keep my cool. "I can handle my ex, and I'll take care of Ashley the way she deserves to be taken care of, like a queen."
Mark shrugs refusing to budge.
Pissed, I say "as your boss, I'm ordering you to give me her address and phone number, or forfeit your job."
Mark raises an eyebrow at me, clearly unhappy with my threat, but I don't care. I need to see Ashley and make things right.
He calls out her address and phone number, and I nod and turn to leave.
On my way to her house, I text her. "Ashley, I'm so sorry that you have to see that stupid news. That's not what happened. Would you please let me explain?"
She replies, "How the f**k did you get my number?"
I reply, "It doesn't matter, please just give me a chance to explain, please."
She replies, "No, just stay away from me. This is the kind of drama I wanted to avoid. My life is peaceful, and I would love it to remain like that. Goodbye."
I try texting her a few times, but she doesn't reply. I drop the phone down and start thinking of how I'm going to apologize and explain when I get to her house.
I'm feeling desperate, frustrated, and angry. I take a deep breath and try to calm down. I need to think of a way to win Ashley back, to make her see that I'm not the guy she thinks I am. I'm a guy who will do anything to make her happy, to make her feel like a queen.
Ashley
I'm sitting on my couch, trying to distract myself from thoughts of Christian, when my phone vibrates. I check the screen and see a text from a strange number. My heart skips a beat as I realize it's Christian.
"Ashley, I'm so sorry about what you saw. That's not what it looked like. She threw herself on me, and before I could push her off, I heard the cameras go off."
I roll my eyes and type out a reply. "How on earth did you get my number?"
I set my phone down, not interested in answering him again. I make sure to put my phone on silent, hoping to avoid any more distractions.
Just as I'm starting to relax, my phone rings. I check the screen and see Mark's name. I answer the call, relieved to hear his voice.
"Hey, Ashley, my baby girl. How are you?" Mark asks, his voice cheerful.
I know immediately that he's done something. "Oh no, Mark. What did you do?"
He chuckles. "Well, technically, it's not my fault. Your boss and boyfriend ordered me to give him your address and phone number, or I would lose my job. So, you see, it's not my fault."
I sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement. "Thanks, Mark. You're a great friend."
Mark chuckles. "Just listen to him, okay, Ashley? Sometimes you women can be crazy. I'm sure there's a good explanation."
I sigh, feeling a bit exasperated. "Thanks, Mark. Take care of yourself, okay?"
As soon as I drop the call with Mark, I hear a knock on my door. I sigh and get up to open it, expecting it to be Christian. And indeed, it is.
He looks sexy as hell, with his hair looking like he just got out of bed, and the two buttons of his dress shirt unbuttoned. He looks more like he came to f**k me than he came to talk to me.
I stare at him for a while before finally letting him come in. "Ashley, I'm so sorry about what you saw, but it wasn't what it looked like. She threw herself on me, and before I could push her off, I heard the cameras go off."
I sit down, feeling a bit annoyed. "It's fine. It sounds like something a crazy ex would do."
He looks stunned and surprised that I easily let it go. "I've decided to let it go, she purposely did it to get to me obviously, and if I get all worked up it means she wins. I won't let win," I say with a smile.
He slowly sits down, looking relieved. "Wow, ummm... I guess... I thought we had to argue for a while... I kinda came prepared for a fight."
I laugh, feeling a bit amused. "I've told you, I like peace. I don't really like arguing."
He smiles at me, and my heart melts. He looks so damn sexy.
"So..." I say, feeling nervous. "What do we do now?"
He takes my hand, and we both stand up. "We can do something I've always wanted to do," he says, his eyes sparkling with desire.
I feel the flutter in my belly as he leans in for a kiss, but once again, we're interrupted by the shrill ringing of his phone.
He looks at me apologetically and brings his phone out of his pocket. "I'm sorry. I really need to pick this."
I'm about to step away from him, but he holds me closer, wrapping his arms around my waist with one arm and the phone in the other hand.
"Hey, Jacob. I'm kind of in the middle of something. Can you make this quick?"
I watch his face go from playful to serious in a matter of seconds.
The call ends and I ask. "What happened?"
He says, his voice serious"The analysis I asked the police to do on my car is back."
"The crash was no accident. My car was sabotaged, I was meant to die in the crash."
- Writer
