Emotional Connection

loved

Ashley-Rae didn't easily get pissed off, despite recent events that may make you think otherwise, but after waiting for her dad to get home with dinner ready and dressed nicely for nearly five hours made her pissed beyond belief. She knew she'd reminded him that morning before going to work - and he'd responded so he couldn't say he didn't hear or wasn't paying attention. But instead of showing up to his own birthday dinner that Ashley had actually taken the time to cook and dress nicely for, that he'd promised he wouldn't be late for, he was out at work.
There was something about that, that really got under her skin.

So it was safe to say she was fuming by the time he walked through the door at quarter to midnight.

"What in the name of Merlin do you think you're doing?" She didn't even wait for him to close the front door before starting.

"What- oh, Ash, I'm so-"

"No," she spoke quietly, trying to control her breathing, doing her best not to start yelling, "no, you don't get to be sorry. Not now. Not when I left work early, made dinner, made an effort, and have been waiting here for nearly five hours."

Her dad looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I got caught up in work, it completely slipped my mind."

"Slipped- slipped your mind." Ashley fought a laugh, "you promised me you wouldn't be late. I thought that meant you'd actually show up, never mind on time or not."

"Ashley- now hang on a minute, you could have come got me at any time, and yet instead you just sat here waiting?"

Ashley didn't hold back her laugh that time. "Yes, blame me for this. So silly of me to think you wouldn't forget your own birthday, to think you'd show up and appreciate the effort I put in for you." She stood, grabbing the hoodie off the back of the chair along with her bag. "I don't know if I can do this, not anymore."

"So you're going to walk out, just like your mother."

Ashley paused before him, looking him dead in the eye before saying, "if people keep leaving you, maybe look for the common factor, for the common denominator, rather than blaming them. I think you'll find that in this case, the common denominator is you."
And with that, she moved around him and left, heading over to the only person who made her feel appreciated and valued.

The door was unlocked, so she let herself in as Charlie always told her to, finding him sitting in the corner of the sofa reading a burgundy leather-bound book.

"I told my dad I'm leaving him," She said, drawing his attention immediately.

"You- what? O-ok. And... are you?" Charlie raised an eyebrow, noticing with a small smile she was wearing his hoodie.

Sighing, Ashley threw herself onto the sofa, misjudging it and nearly landing on top of Charlie. "Shit, I- sorry. Um. I don't know. I was pissed, it's his birthday so I made dinner, went home early and everything. He promised he wouldn't be late, and he only showed up ten minutes ago, so he wasn't late, he just didn't actually show up."

Charlie sighed, pulling her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. "So it all got a bit much for you."

Nodding, she relaxed into him, feeling more at home there than she'd ever felt in her life. "Told him I couldn't do it anymore."

He thought for a few minutes, readjusting so he didn't get pins and needles in his leg. "Well, you could always stay here. Pete would love to have you permanently, and you could move in here so you're not alone at nights."

Ashley paused, even her breath stuck in her throat. She'd never actually considered staying in Romania. Or anywhere, for that matter, she'd always just followed her dad. But maybe she could... She could help people here, be a Healer in an actual hospital rather than in some cursed forest, stay with Charlie...
"I've never considered it before," she whispered, mostly to herself, "maybe I will. Stay, I mean."
Ashley took a deep breath, looking up at Charlie, his ginger hair falling into his eyes and around his shoulders.
It took all her will power not to kiss him there and then, turning back around, feeling his heartbeat against her back.

Ashley knew she shouldn't get too emotionally attached; it was one of her rules, after all; but now that there was a possibility of her staying, she decided to indulged her imagination for five minutes, pretending that Charlie could love her the way she was falling for him. Pretending just for five minutes that she could be loved.