Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Ben
It’s been a couple of days since I saw Ash in Hope Creek, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her.
When I walked into Franco’s and saw her sitting across the room, I swear I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. Laney’s words as we stood waiting to be seated echo in my head.
“Are you going to keep pushing her away, Dad? I thought you loved her.”
“I do love her, Laney, but… it’s complicated.” My voice cracks, and she takes my hand, squeezing it gently.
“It’s complicated because you’re making it complicated,” she says gently. “Mom died, Dad. And not because of anything you did. She can’t find happiness again, but you can. You already have, and you’re throwing it away. You and Ash fought so hard to be together, and now you’re just giving up?”
She’s right. Ash and I did fight to be together, and now it feels like I’m letting her slip away.
Nash also spoke to me that night and asked what was going on.
I can’t blame him. He warned me enough times that he’d have no issues kicking my ass if I hurt Ash.
I’m surprised it took him that long to come to me.
His words cut deep, though. He said he’d never seen Ash like this.
She was barely sleeping, barely eating. She was falling apart.
He told me to get myself together or walk away and let her move on.
There’s no way I can walk away from this.
I have to talk to her. I miss her like crazy.
That alone should be enough to tell me what matters.
I’ll apologize, beg if I have to. I just hope she’ll hear me out because life without her?
It’s not something I can accept. I promised I’d be there when things got hard, and I haven’t lived up to that.
Now, I need to make it right. I just hope she still wants me to.
I’ve spent the last hour trying to focus on some work.
I go back to school tomorrow after an extended period of leave, and there’s a mountain of paperwork to catch up on, but my focus is shot.
I just want to speak to Ash, and I can’t wait to head to her place the moment she’s done with work.
I just wish the day would move a little faster.
Suddenly, an alert sounds on my phone. My heart jumps as I snatch it up, a sense of dread washing over me. It’s the one notification I never want to see.
ALERT: SCHOOL IN LOCKDOWN
I jump up from my seat and rush into the kitchen, grabbing my keys.
“Laney!” I shout, heading toward the entryway. “Laney!”
She rushes down the stairs, her eyes wide with alarm. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone triggered the panic alarm at school. They’ve gone into lockdown,” I say, my voice tight.
Her face drains of color. “What?”
“I need to go,” I tell her, pulling her into a quick hug. “I’ll let you as soon as I know anything.”
“Ash is there, isn’t she?” she asks quietly, fear creeping into her voice.
I nod.
“I’m coming with you,” she says, grabbing her sneakers and slipping them on.
“No. Stay here where I know you’re safe.”
She shakes her head, already stepping past me toward the door. “I’m coming,” she says, her voice firm.
I sigh, knowing I don’t have time to argue. “Fine, but you stay in the car until I figure out what’s happening. Got it?”
“Got it,” she says without hesitation.
I speed toward Hope Creek, my grip tightening on the wheel. I tried calling Ash once, but it rang out, and I don’t want to try again. If her phone isn’t on silent, I could be giving away her hiding spot. The thought of her trapped in her classroom, unaware of what’s happening, makes me feel sick.
“Wouldn’t the kids have already gone home?” Laney asks, her hands twisting anxiously in her lap.
I glance at the clock. “Yeah, they would have.”
“Then maybe it’s just a mistake,” she says hopefully. “Maybe someone hit the alarm by accident.”
“God, I hope so,” I whisper.
She reaches across the car and laces her fingers with mine.
“I’ve been an idiot, Laney. If anything happens to her…” My voice catches, and I can’t finish the thought.
“She’s going to be okay, Dad,” she says with quiet certainty.
I nod, but the truth is, she can’t possibly know that. No one can. I’ve spent the past two weeks pushing Ash away when all she wanted was to be there for me. I was so caught up in my own grief that I never stopped to consider how she was feeling. I need to fix this. I just pray I get the chance.
When I pull up to the school, a police cruiser blocks the entrance to the parking lot, forcing me to park along the curb. I turn to Laney. “Stay in the car.”
Climbing out, I scan the area. A handful of staff members are gathered outside, faces tight with worry, but Ash isn’t among them. My stomach clenches. I assume they got the same alert I did, but that doesn’t tell me what’s happening inside.
My stomach drops when I spot Ash’s black Audi in the parking lot. There was always a chance she’d left for the evening, but I know she likes to stay late to finish work. And she never answered my call.
“Ben!” a voice shouts.
I turn to see Nash, and relief floods through me. If anyone cares about Ash as much as I do, it’s him. I know he’ll do whatever it takes to get her out safely.
“Nash,” I say, jogging over. “Do you know what’s going on?”
He exhales sharply. “The alarm was triggered from the kindergarten room,” he says, his troubled eyes locking onto mine.
“Ash’s room,” I murmur, my stomach twisting.
He nods. “One of the staff members left about ten minutes before it went off. He thinks he and Ash were the last ones in the building.”
I frown. “That doesn’t make any sense…” My breath catches as a horrifying realization dawns on me. “Unless someone is after Ash.” I glance at Nash. “But who?”
He shakes his head. “Could be a disgruntled parent. Was she having issues with any of the kids’ families?”
“Not that I know of.”
Guilt crashes over me. We haven’t exactly been talking much lately. What if she has been dealing with something and I had no idea?
“I need to get in there,” I say, moving toward the entrance.
Nash grabs my arm, pulling me back. “Ben, no,” he says firmly. “Not until we know what we’re dealing with.”
I shake off his grip and keep walking. “I don’t care what we’re dealing with!” I shout, my frustration boiling over. “I need to get to Ash.”
He reaches for me again, his voice urgent. “Wait! If you go charging in there, you could make things worse for her. If someone is in there with her, he could have a gun, a knife, anything. We have to be smart about this.”
His desperation makes me stop in my tracks.
“I know you want to get to her,” he says, his tone softer now. “I do too. But we have to wait, just for a minute, until we figure this out.”
His eyes search mine, and even though he looks calmer than me, I can see the barely contained panic beneath the surface.
I exhale sharply, the pressure in my chest growing heavier.
“Okay,” I manage, my voice tight. “I can’t lose her, Nash.
” The words catch as I drag in a shaky breath.
“She needs to know how much I love her. I pushed her away… and if I don’t get the chance to tell her what she means to me…
” I trail off, the desperation thick in my voice.
Nash nods, his own expression grave as he exhales. “You will get that chance, Ben. I promise you. I’m going to get her out.”
Ashlyn
I sit at my desk, staring at my lesson plans for next week, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t focus.
All I can think about is the fact that Ben is coming back to work tomorrow.
I want to see him more than anything, but he doesn’t want to see me, and the thought of working together, pretending everything is fine, feels unbearable.
“Night, Ash,” a voice calls out.
I look up to see Ollie, the first-grade teacher, waving as he passes by my door.
“Night, Ollie,” I reply, forcing a smile.
With a sigh, I lean back in my chair. I always stay late after the kids leave. I’d rather get my work done at school than bring it home, but tonight, I’m just wasting time. No matter how long I sit here, my mind keeps drifting. I might as well go home.
I start gathering my things, shoving my laptop into my bag, when a knock on my open door makes me pause.
Looking up, I smile. “Hi, Eddie.”
“Hi, Miss Brookes.”
His eyes flick to my desk, his expression tightening.
“You’re not leaving already?” he asks.
There’s something strange in his tone, and unease prickles at the back of my neck. I stand, zipping up my bag.
“Yeah, it’s been a long day,” I say, keeping my voice light.
“No!” he snaps, making me jump.
My heart pounds in my chest as our eyes meet.
His voice softens, but the tension lingers. “I brought some food. A bottle of wine too.” He lifts a grocery bag, as if that will ease my nerves. “You’ve seemed sad lately. I thought this might cheer you up.”
I force a shaky smile, glancing toward the door.
“Oh… that’s thoughtful, Eddie, but I should get going.”
I grip my bag tightly, stepping around my desk, but before I can reach the door, he moves in front of me, blocking my path.
“I can’t let you leave,” he says quietly.
My breath catches. “What? Why?”
His eyes darken. “I know you like me, Ashlyn. Why else would you be so nice to me?”
A chill races down my spine. I take a slow step back, my gaze darting past him toward the open door.
“I should go,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
I attempt to sidestep him, but his grip clamps around my arm, and before I can react, he shoves me across the room.
I cry out as I hit the floor hard, my head slamming against the side of my desk. The room tilts, and my vision blurs for a moment.
Through the pounding in my skull, I hear his voice, low and unnervingly calm.
“I can’t let you leave, Ashlyn. I want to make you mine. I will make you mine.”
He turns his back to me, walking toward the door.
Hope flares in my chest. Maybe he’s leaving. Maybe I can run, but then I see it. He’s not leaving. He’s closing the door.