Haven Harbor • a.i. •

Chapter 54

Ashton's POV:

'Find somewhere else to sleep tonight.'

I read the text Carter had sent me, running my hand over my face and sighing.

Of course she was going to react like this; I wouldn't blame her, but it still sucked.

Starting my jeep from where I was sitting on the side of the road by the beach, I began to drive around to find a hotel or somewhere to stay.

The thing was, all of my stuff was at Carter's house.

I eventually found a bed and breakfast on the outside of Ari's neighborhood and pulled in. Thankfully they had a room available and a nice woman led me up to the room.

The moment she left I fell back onto the bed, sighing loudly.

How was I going to fix this?

Carter obviously didn't want to talk to me yet which I understood, but how long would it be until she did? Or would she never want to talk about it and we would be over?

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly at that thought.

I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Just crossing my mind the thought made me sick.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I was going to tell her this week, I really was, but Ari beat me to it.

I had just arrived at The Grill with the kids when I saw Ari with the magazine in hand, walking out of the grocery store. I sent the kids inside and ran over there to her, hoping to convince her not to tell Carter but she was livid.

"You think I'm not going to tell her? God, I should've known you were too good to be true. What is this, some publicity stunt?" She bit at me.

"No, nothing like that. Ari, I love Carter. You have to believe me, I'm trying to protect her, that's why I haven't told her." I tried to explain.

"Do you really think a bunch of b.s. excuses are going to get you out of this? You're a fraud."

"That's not true." I gulped.

"She let you into her life, Ender's life, Gracie's life and this is how you repay them? By lying to their faces for six months?!"

"I didn't mean for it to get this way."

"How could you do this to her?"

"Do you think I want this? Do you think I want that every time I look at her to have the thought in the back of my head of how I haven't told her everything about me? That's why I gave her that promise ring!"

"You gave her a promise ring?" She asked, slightly taken aback.

"Yes. She needed to know how I felt about her before she found out."

"You son of a bitch, how dare you!" She screamed at me.

And that's when Carter came over to us and my whole world fell apart.

I let out a loud groan.

I wondered if she had gotten home okay. I assumed she had but knowing her she was too stubborn to call anyone to help her and had probably walked the two damn miles all the way back to the house.

"Fuck." I muttered as a course of anger washed through me.

I had half the mind to call the guy I had hired to keep the stupid magazines out of the store and rip him a new one but there was no point. It wasn't his fault I was in this mess, it was mine.

Even though she probably hates me right now, I couldn't help but worry about her.

How was she going to get Ender to school tomorrow? Or get Gracie and Ender ready in the morning by herself?

Was she going to let me come back to the house to get my things? Or would she throw them all in the ocean?

Was she still going to love me after this?

I felt moisture brim at my eyes and before I could cry I grabbed my phone and called my mom.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Carter found out." I said and I heard her suck in a breath.

"You told her?"

"No. Her friend Ari beat me to it. Found one of our magazines in the store."

"Oh no." She said and I could hear the sorrow in her voice. "What happened?"

"Before or after she screamed at me?"

"Uh, both I guess."

"Well, first I went to talk to Ari when I saw her with the magazine and she blew up on me. Then Carter showed up and Ari gave her the magazine and left. Then Carter took one look at it and then started to leave and when I tried to stop her she got angry and yelled and screamed at me, then walked away. She just texted me and told me to find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

"Oh Ashton." My mom sighed.

"I don't know what to do." I said, my voice actually cracking.

"She's going to need time, honey."

"How much time?"

"I don't know?"

"Should I go over there tomorrow?"

"No. Don't go over there until she tells you it's okay. Call her first."

I let out an aggravated sigh.

"Alright."

"It's going to be okay Ash."

"But what if it's not? What if she ends things?"

"Then you'll do everything you can do to win her back and if that doesn't work then it obviously wasn't meant to be."

I didn't like that answer.

"Call me tomorrow. Let me know how it goes." She said.

"Yeah." I sighed.

She said goodbye and I hung up, immediately pulling up the group message I had with the guys.

'Carter found out today. She won't talk to me. Currently spending the night in a b&b.'

'Sorry man.' Calum sent back.

'I know it sucks now but you told her and that's all that matters.' Luke sent.

'Nope. Ari did.' I replied.

'Oh shit.' Michael texted. 'You gonna be okay man?'

'I don't care about me, I'm worried about her.'

'Go to sleep and call her tomorrow.' Calum said.

Locking my phone I set in on the nightstand.

I laid back on the bed and closed my eyes, my mind running over different scenarios of how to get Carter back.

I didn't sleep that night.

The next morning I called her at around ten in the morning when I knew she would already be back at the house after dropping Ender off at school.

The phone rang twice before I heard her voice.

"Hey this is Carter Chase, leave a message."

She had sent me to voicemail.

--
poor ash:(

anyways, I'll have the next part up soon!

as always, vote and comment if you'd like and I'll see you in the next chapter!

much love xx -m