Just in Fifteen Days

20. Sprained Ankle

That's my most beautiful girl!

***

Ashton's POV

I knew I shouldn't have told her anything about Cheryl. It was just that, it slipped out easily when she mentioned the things I would have done for Cheryl while proposing her. She actually had loved the arrangement I had done on that day....No, I didn't want to think about it. It was past. Let just that be there.

Talie. I absolutely had no idea why I called her by that name. Taking it as a cue to start calling each other by nicknames, she called me Ash. Everybody called me by that name but it felt different, really different when she said that. It would probably be a new voice. With a cute face.

Stop it, Mr. Conscience.

My heart almost came out of my mouth when I realised that she was going to hit the rock. Her right elbow was bleeding, and there appeared a small cut on her forehead. It was probably due to the small rocks on which she fell. She complained about the sprain in her ankle, too.

Great. She was hurt because of me for the second time, now. I couldn't have had left her there for a race. The guilt would have ate me up whole.

I didn't know how to drive here because of the opposite side of the steering wheel. I didn't even think of taking the chance. I brought her by hiring a taxi.

"What are you thinking about? Do you need water?" Talie asked me as I helped her sit on the couch.

Oh! Her house was huge, and so perfectly arranged. Everything screamed "rich" in here. It was beautiful.

Just like her. Stop it!

"No, thanks. I should be asking that to you. Are you feeling any better?"

She was looking at me with something indecipherable in her eyes. For the longest time, I felt like looking back into them but I didn't. I thought she might think of me as some creep and giving a wrong idea about myself to her would be the last thing I would ever do. She was way too cute and I was feeling like spending more time with her. I hadn't felt this way in such a long time. And maybe that could be the reason I was not understanding what it really was.

I almost stuttered when I realised that she had held my hand so tightly. Her skin felt so soft. There was hardly any difference between the surface of her hand and the surface of the velvet couch. It was no exaggeration. Her eyes seemed to shine bright due to the incident sunlight. They were mesmerising, a mix of brown, green and hazel, like they were some precious stones, never discovered, never acknowledged. I could look into them for all day and still keep looking.

Woah. It was like I was teleported to some other world.

"I think, I will. You shouldn't have left your race. Can you just help me get to my room?" She seemed tired. I thought it would be better if I left and allowed her to rest.

"Sure. Come here," I said as I straightened my leaned posture, pulling her by the hand she had still held as I slipped my arm behind her delicate waist.

My hands shook a little before touching her there. I hadn't felt it back when I had lifted her up. That would be because I was occupied by the thoughts of Cheryl and how Talie was hurt again because of me.

Here, no one was around. The only sounds were of our breathing. The air around her was fragranced, like roses and jasmine. She put her arm on my shoulder, as she limped to move forward. For a moment, she looked at me again, her eyelashes not batting even once. It distracted me but I looked away, continuing to help her climb the stairs. I feared that I might miss a step and drop her.