You're my goal

Chapter 17

*Ashlyn's POV*

A surging headache pounded through my head. My eyes are clenched shut as I cradle my head with both hands.

"You're all over the gossip pages!"

"People sure have a lot to say about what little they know about." Sav hasn't stopped pestering me about my actions since the ball. Her screaming was drilling into every nerve in my brain. "And my god get me an aspirin if you're going to keep shouting!"

"You're so frustrating! I thought you knew how to handle paparazzi!"

"I do! What I did wasn't anything scandalous or wrong."

"But that's what they're making it out to be because they can."

Josh who was sitting on the couch was flipping through the gossip magazines with my picture plastered on them.

"I like this one," he said, " 'U.S. Women's soccer star athlete Ashlyn Toben caught fleeing from the ball'. Sounds like you're on the run away from a crime scene." He laughs to himself.

I finally remove my hands away from covering my face to grip onto the island counter. "Ugh it wasn't like that at all.."

"Oh! Or this one, 'Ashlyn Toben ditches her date, Sal Vulcano, to run ragged through the streets. No one is asking who she was wearing that night, only who is going to repair that torn dress!'"

"Oh how clever. Props to them." Sav sighs at my response. I know she's just concerned for my image and trying to look after me, but I'm a grown up too. I can handle myself.

Sav crosses the kitchen to lean over the island on the other side of me. "We'll figure this out. We always do right?"

"Together?"

"Together." I can handle myself alone, but I can handle myself better with her help.

"No problem guys I'll just be over here in the mean time." Josh jumps in, making me and Sav giggle.

"Josh we wouldn't forget you." I walk over to where he's sitting across the room. He's sitting on one of the arm chairs in the giant living room. At the far side of the living room one giant window that scales from floor to ceiling stretches across the whole side of the wall, allowing an overview of the busy city. It really is the most beautiful view, even by day the skyscrapers reflect brilliantly in the sun and the streets are littered with shiny cars, people, and muffled sounds produced from the mix.

"You seem to have done that with Tyler." His tone is light and playful. In no way is he accusing me or threatening me but I can't help but feel defensive at the statement.

"I haven't forgotten him..." I sigh, pressing my linked forearms together above my head against the window, and my head pressed against the glass as well. "I've just been keeping my distance from him."

Sav scoffs, "A.K.A. Avoiding him."

"You know he's worried about you. He won't stop telling me." Josh throws down the magazines onto the coffee table. "Why not answer his texts?"

"Why not watch a sad movie about pet abuse? Are you guys trying to make me more depressed?"

"We're just trying to be concerned Ash. Both Josh and Tyler care about you. I care about you, the team does. And I'm not sure if you've noticed this but so does Sal. Sal is a little more involved than you think."

"Oh I know just how involved he wants to be with me." My words are full of disgust, it is quite evident.

"He hasn't done anything wrong! You're just making excuses in your head saying he's a bad guy when you have no valid reason to believe so. Don't be so afraid to push him away just because he's the first person to get close in a while."