Just in Fifteen Days

19. The Highbridge Park

I can't take my eyes off this beauty. He's just so dreamy, I can't even...

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Natalie's POV

Yesterday's evening was filled only with tears. Char and Steve had already left in early morning. I just texted them a “happy journey”. I wished they were here. I was already missing them badly. And I had full six days to spend without them. Huh.

Going back to all the churches where mom and I had spent hours and hours of praying for several days brought back all the crying back to me. Mom still went to churches but I gave up, giving up all the patience I had in me. I believed in God but I just left believing that praying to Him would change anything. I had realised the fact that things would change only when they were supposed to.

I hadn't known mom would be home early. I had left Ashton at his hotel and drove back home. Until he was with me, I controlled hard to not cry. He did console me with his tender words in the church and it really felt good. He told me how stupid I was to blame myself. Blaming myself wouldn't draw any conclusion to what had happened or what was going to happen. Blaming oneself or the other just makes things worse.

My heart became full when he said that he, too, would pray for my dad, even after he would be back to Australia. He was not even that close, yet he said that. I couldn't imagine anyone being so bighearted and so pure at heart. I was so glad, yet I felt uncomfortable. It was later when I realised that it was because he had said that he would be back to Australia. It was hardly a week since I had known him, yet his presence was making a difference, no matter how small or big it was.

“Ready to go?” Ashton asked as he stood beside me with his bike.

We were a few distance away from the Highbridge Park, a whole hour prior to the actual race. It was scheduled to start at eight. Yes, freaking eight in the morning. Very surprisingly, even to myself, I had woken up at six. I really had zero hope that I would be genuine to my alarm, but I was. I had, in fact, warned Ashton that I might not get up and he would need to go by himself.

Somewhere, I had in my mind that I wanted to go with Ashton. Char and I had never really gone for stuff like this. We were these indolent creatures who would want the whole world on their bed. Not only that, but I wanted to spend my time with him. I hadn’t expected myself to be so comfortable with him talking about my dad. I hardly was with Char and Steve. It was astonishing, but I had welcomed the comfort that I got with him.

He was glad to know that I was coming when I texted him a good morning message. The guy was up by four. Four is practically midnight. He had threatened me that he would abduct me if I wouldn't be up and I had chuckled at his try at making me laugh. Yesterday, the minute I informed him that I had reached home, he started texting some stupid stuff, tummy-tickling jokes. Some things even made me roll over my bed.

“Are you sure you would be able to compete with me?” Ashton smirked.

I knew I wouldn't, yet I rolled my eyes. Actually, it was a race that Ashton was supposed to participate in. He was going to get cash for it. I came to know about all these things just a few minutes before. He wanted me to bike with him. We were going to go biking the whole area and come back to the same spot. The actual race was going to be held at Highbridge Park.

On the lane, before reaching the actual place, there was a place from where we could rent our bikes. Surprisingly, I had no idea about it. Ashton got the red one while I got the blue one. The guy was obsessed with red.

Ashton put on his helmet while my hair strands fought with it. Fidgeting for a while, I gave up. Leaving out a chuckle, Ashton asked me to turn to him.