16. Ashley
CHAPTER 16
ASHLEY
A s I predicted, Sean totally ghosted me. It’s been a week since I caught him in the library flirting with another girl. He didn’t even bother replying to the text I sent him. It’s better that it ended this way, with him showing his true colors and acting like a jerk. I won’t say I got out of it unscathed, but thank God for my Ivy League education, which is distracting me from the sting of his actions.
My days keep getting busier, and because of a paper due on Monday, I didn’t meet the girls on Saturday at the tailgating barbecue hosted by one of the fraternities. Kadence argued I had all of Sunday to work on it, but I knew I wouldn’t have a good time knowing I still had work to do. It wouldn’t be smart to feed the anxiety monster. That’s why I’m growing closer to Blair, who is as dedicated to her academics as I am.
I finished the paper late last night, and now I need to go outside. I’m craving fresh air and nature, but Kadence and Scarlett have their phones on silent mode. I’m sure they’ll be useless even when they wake up. And Blair doesn’t do nature.
It doesn’t matter. I can hike on my own. There’s a park near campus with some cool trails that I’ve been dying to explore. The sky is cloudy, but the weather forecast says there’ll be no rain this morning. I wear my waterproof jacket anyway and grab the brand-new umbrella I bought. I’m pretty sure I won’t bump into any cute guys with an umbrella this time.
W hen I get to the park, the sun is peeking out of the clouds. I decide to leave the umbrella in the car. If it rains, my jacket with a hood should be enough. I don’t want to carry a bunch of things with me. I packed a small backpack with light snacks, a water bottle, my phone, and my ID.
Before I start the trail, I take a deep breath of cool air, inhaling the crisp and refreshing scent of the forest.
The rumble of an approaching car makes me turn. I’m curious about the other early rising, nature loving person. Or it could be a serial killer, so I’d better check them out. If they give me psycho vibes, I’m outta here. But I don’t want them to know I’m waiting to check them out before I start the trail, so I pull my phone out and pretend to scroll. I’ll look up when they come near.
The door opens and shuts, and a second later, a chuckle breaks the silence. “I’ll be damned.”
My heart takes off at breakneck speed before my eyes can confirm that the voice belongs to Sean. “What the hell . Are you stalking me now?”
He furrows his brows. “Don’t flatter yourself. I had no idea you enjoyed nature.”
“You would if you’d ever bothered to get to know me.”
Remorse seems to shine in his eyes, but it vanishes fast, and his lips curl into a cruel smile. “All that I care to know about you, I already do.”
My face burns as fury spreads throughout my body. “You’re such a jerk. I can’t believe I ever let you near me.” I stomp ahead, starting the trail before he can reply. “And don’t follow me,” I add belatedly.
“Wasn’t gonna,” he retorts.
I walk for at least ten minutes without looking back to check that Sean really isn’t behind me. I wouldn’t be able to hear anything over the loud pounding of my pulse in my ears. He had to show up and ruin my morning.
No, Ashley. Don’t give that asshole the power.
I finally slow down and pay attention to my surroundings. I took the trail to the left when I started, but the area I’m currently in seems a bit off the beaten path. The vegetation is thick, and the trail ends a few steps ahead. Shit. Did I make a wrong turn?
Probably.
I turn around and start the trek down the steep path, careful where I place my feet. The last thing I need is to fall and twist an ankle. No sooner does the thought cross my mind, than I step on a loose rock and slip. Attempting to regain my balance, I reach for the nearest branch. But I grab a weak twig that snaps, and I end up falling anyway.
Sharp pain shoots up my right ankle, making me yell. God damnit . This can’t be happening. Coldness seeps into my skin as my leggings get soaked from the wet mud.
I sit up to inspect the damage and see stars when I try to move my right foot. I most definitely twisted my ankle, which means I’m royally screwed. How am I’m getting down when I can’t use one foot?
You could roll down the hill, Ash. I snort. Wouldn’t that be something?
Rustling leaves and snapping twigs announce someone’s approach. I don’t even need to guess who’s coming toward me.
Sean appears a moment later and freezes when he sees me sprawled on the ground.
“Ash!” he blurts out my name as if in panic. Then he shortens the distance between us in a flash. “What happened to you?”
“I slipped on a rock and twisted my right ankle.”
He drops into a crouch and, without asking if it’s okay, he rolls up my legging to check my injury. I don’t like how his touch gives me goose bumps. “Yep. It’s already beginning to swell.” He readjusts the legging and looks into my eyes. I totally expect him to be smug about this situation, but he looks worried. “Come on, I’ll help you get down the path.”
“Okay.” He takes my hands and helps me get back up on my one good foot. “How are we going to do this?”
“The path is too narrow for us to walk side by side. I’ll have to carry you.”
My brows shoot to the heavens. “What if you need to use your hands to grab onto something?”
He smirks. “Trust me. I won’t need to do that. I have excellent motor skills.”
I glare at him. “Are you mocking me?”
He widens his eyes innocently, but the corners of his lips twitch upward. “What? No way.”
“I’m not going to let you carry me like some damsel in distress. Turn around. I’ll get a piggyback ride.”
He chuckles but gives his back to me. “Okay, no damsel, just a damn monkey, then.”
“Shut up and bend your knees. I’m not going to climb you.”
“Why not? It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Oh my God. Could you be more immature?”
“Well…”
“Rhetorical. It wasn’t a dare!”
Sean laughs harder. “I’m trying here, but you’re making it sooo easy.”
“Oh forget it. I’ll just stick to my original plan.”
He looks over his shoulder. “And that was…?”
“Rolling down the hill. I’m beginning to think it’d be less humiliating.”
Sean presses his lips together, fighting to contain the laughter I know is stuck in his throat. His eyes are telling me as much. He turns around and finally bends his knees so I can hop onto his back.
His strong hands grab my thighs, making me forget my injury for a moment. Looping my arms around his neck, I press my chest against his back and have to fight the sigh trying to escape my lips. I must be a glutton for punishment, because I missed touching him.
He moves impossibly fast, and for a second, he reminds me of Edward, carrying Bella across the forest with supersonic vampire speed. True to his word, he doesn’t lose his balance, but he doesn’t set me down once we reach the easier part of the trail.
“I can walk from here,” I protest.
“No sense. We’ll be faster if I carry you all the way to your car.”
He’s not wrong, and I’m in too much pain to argue. Sean veers for his car though, not mine. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
“I have to drive you to the ER. You can’t use your right foot, remember?”
Crap on toast. I didn’t think of that.
“Ugh. This was so not in the plan.”
He opens the passenger door and only then sets me down. “Falling on your ass, or getting stuck with me?”
I lean against his car and look into his eyes. “Both.”