The Sanctuary✔️

26

Continuing to walk to Gabriel's car, Ashley felt her phone buzz a few times but ignored it until she was in the car. Gabriel was on his phone as she got in, him on a phone call as Ashley buckled herself and sat there.

She watched Gabriel hang up with a sigh, him starting the car and starting to drive off. "How'd it go?"

"Really good. Billy and Jasmine are good, the baby's cute too. They named her Lavender, she's the cutest thing I've seen all year. Billy says hi by the way."

"Hmm." Gabriel Hummed lightly as he drove, "Do you want to stop at your place again?"

"If you don't mind, that would be great."

"Of course." The conversation was short as they drove, Ashley went through her phone, looking at messages from Danny and Marco. They both were terribly bored with their lives, though Danny did have Jack with him.

There was a missed call from Gina as well that Ashley just had not heard, but she didn't want to call now with it being so late. She still needed to listen to the message from the police station too.

Troy had messaged her already, but she put the phone away before answering him. It felt weird to text him in the same space that she shared with Gabriel at the moment, but she didn't understand why.

As they pulled over in the apartment parking lot, Ashley got out and walked in with Gabriel, everything feeling completely safe and sound as they walked up the stairs, his hand on her lower back resting as they walked.

Her hand began to open the door, to see nothing inside that was out of place. Everything was fine, as Gabriel checked the home for any sign of the man that hurt Ashley, Ashley grabbed a duffel bag and packed for the worst case scenario, Gabriel would want her to stay at his home for a while until the court dates.

Packing her bathroom things and makeup, then her clothes and any other items she may need, Ashley took her time folding clothes neatly on her floor as Gabriel watched her from the doorway.

"Gina called."

"What did she need?" Ashley smiled as she turned her head to look at Gabriel. She watched him as he took a moment to talk, she started noticing that his hair was frazzled; like he had been running his hands through it a lot.

"The first court day is Friday, for the insurance and stuff for the Sanctuary. She also mentioned the court dates for the your situation. They start Monday afternoon. She mentioned they could go in for a while."

"M-Monday? That's...so close." Ashley let out a heavy breath as she spoke, her voice wavering as she stared at the blouse in her hands. "I didn't think it would be so quick."

"Ashley, it's been about three weeks."

"I-I know." Gabriel walked over and crouched down to her, his hands rubbing her shoulder gently. He took the shirt away from Ashley and put it in the bag she had, putting everything else in there neatly as she sat there.

He noticed how she got invent head, so he took over getting things for her. Getting everything she had out in the bag and helping her.

Minutes later, "Come on, let's get you out of here."

"Okay." Ashley became quiet and still again. He helped her up and took the bag over his shoulder, helping Ashley walk out of the apartment and locking it again. It was like Ashley had fallen into a daze after hearing what Gina told Gabriel. Ashley felt her mind fog up and shut down, it was shocking to her that this was all happening quick.

"Ashley?" She didn't respond to Gabriel. So instead he opened the car door and put her in it, buckling her and kissing her forehead, inhaling her strawberry shampoo as she nodded and let Gabriel drive them to his home.