Hand In Glove

Chapter 32

For the first few days, Chloe missed their nightly ritual, but she felt it was better this way since they were going to start over.

Satisfied that Chloe was feeling better, Ashton gradually relaxed his constant vigilance. He used his time alone to concentrate on songwriting and dealing with his clients. Chloe assured him that it would be okay for him to book some out of town gigs again. He refused and only agreed to local venues and even then insisted she come with him.

Even though she'd rather avoid that scene altogether for a while, she did it for him, for his peace of mind. One particular evening, though, she insisted on staying home to spend some time alone.

"Coming out tonight, Chloe?" he asked, searching her eyes, leaning his heavily made up face to the side, his eyeliner and black nail polish, perfectly applied. He was stunning in head to toe black. He stood holding his hand under her chin wondering why she wasn't dressed yet.

"No, I think I'll stay home. I need to try to be by myself. I have to try. Besides, I don't feel like being around crowds tonight." She shuddered, self-consciously wrapping her robe tighter around herself.

"I don't like leaving you here alone," he said, furrowing his brow.

"I'll be okay. It's just for a few hours," she said, placing her hand over his and removing it from her face. "You better go. You don't want to be late."

Ashton hesitated but eventually agreed against his better judgment. He took a deep breath and turned away. With one last fleeting glance in her direction, he walked out the door.

Chloe tried to remain calm as she watched him walk away but she instantly regretted letting him go the moment he closed the door. She felt an overwhelming fear building inside her as she heard his car drive away. In an attempt to calm herself, she quickly got ready for bed and crawled under the sheets. She closed her eyes tight, forcing the images and thoughts from her mind. She was determined to face her fears.

Ashton arrived at the club and was met by Nick. The concerned bass player looked behind him for Chloe. "She's not here," Ashton confirmed.

"Not here? Then... you left her alone? Come on, man, you didn't?"

"I know... I shouldn't have but she didn't want to come," he said, shaking his head "The crowds scare her sometimes."

"So, you left her alone?" Nick said with an incredulous frown.

"Nick, she wants to be alone!" Ashton said, tensing his jaw.

"She does not! It's too soon," Nick shouted. "Turn around and go get her, or I will!"

"Calm down, Nick. She's fine. Let's just get through our set so I can get back to her! The longer we stand here, the longer she's alone."

With much reluctance, Nick surrendered and they went on with the show. Their tension was not lost on Jamie or Chris as the evening came to a close. Nick's playing was off, and Ashton screwed up his lyrics here and there. Jamie shook his head and threw his drumsticks in disgust as they walked off stage to lukewarm applause.

"Look, I don't know what the fuck's wrong with you two lately but this was bullshit tonight. Just get your acts together and leave your issues off the stage," Jamie said, glaring at them. Chris shrugged his shoulders and raised an eyebrow in agreement and followed Jamie, leaving Nick and Ashton sufficiently scolded.

"Just go," Nick said, rolling his eyes at Ashton.

Ashton parked the car and bolted for the back door. The house was dark. She must be sleeping. He opened her bedroom door and peeked inside. His heart dropped when he didn't find her there. He quickly checked the couch but she wasn't there either. Fuck, fuck, fuck... he swore as he held his hands up to his head. Panic set in as he frantically checked the basement, the bathroom, calling her name. He then raced upstairs, opening and closing doors, checking closets. Lastly, he checked his room.

He sighed with relief, finding her all curled up in his bed, fast asleep. He took a deep breath and cautiously approached her. Kneeling down beside the bed, he gently caressed her cheek.

Chloe opened her eyes and smiled, happy to see his makeup-streaked face, his black nail polish as he stroked her face with his fingers.

"Chloe, you had me so freaked out," he said, pressing his head against hers. "I couldn't find you. You weren't in your room."

"I'm sorry. I got scared, so I came up here," she said, attempting to get up.

"No, please stay," he said, holding her down as he crawled in beside her, cradling her body against his. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you. I shouldn't have listened to you. I should've insisted you come out. Nick was so pissed off and he was right."

"Nick?" she repeated, nestling in against him.

"Yes, he almost decked me. He should have, for leaving you here all by yourself. It's too soon. I should've known better." He held her protectively in his arms.

"It's okay, Ashton, you were just doing what I asked. I thought I'd be okay but the minute you left I regretted it," she admitted, weaving her fingers through his hair. "I still need you near. I need to have you close," she said with a shudder.

"I've got you, Chloe," he whispered, breathing into her hair, holding her tight as he closed his eyes. Both of them relieved, together they slept.

✭༻♫༺✭༻♫༺✭༻♫༺✭

To be continued...

Did you enjoy this chapter? If you did, be kind enough to give it a star.

Hand In Glove

Copyright © 2014 by Maria Bernard. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-9731474-5-2

✭༻♫༺✭༻♫༺✭༻♫༺✭