Ash

Chapter 15

Seth's POV

Ouch. That really hurts. Aaron gave Erik permission to be with Ash. Maybe it's for the best. I felt my heart sink a little as I turned to look back at Ash one last time. Penny and Jade had fallen asleep in separate chairs about 5 minutes ago. I silently crossed the room, kissed Ash's forehead, and then I walked out the door. "Where you goin?" I looked at Aaron, faking a smile, "Just need to get out of this hospital for a few. Really depressing." He nodded, obviously believing my lie. I walked down the hall to the elevator, pressed the button, and waited. As I entered the elevator my phone vibrated in my pocket.

"When you get the chance, call me." The message read. I froze. It was Alexis. What did she want? My heart began to race and my throat became dry. I shakily held the phone to my ear as it rang, pressing the button for the first floor. She picked up on the 3rd ring, "Hello?" "Hey, what's up?" I spoke softly into the phone. I heard her voice waver a little and I held my breath. "We need to talk. In person." I bit my lip. Should I? I debated for a moment, "When?" "Does today work for you?" I nodded but soon realized she couldn't see me. "Yeah, meet me at Starbucks in 20." "Alright." The call disconnected and I stepped out of the elevator. I glanced around the room before stepping out of the hospital into the bright sunlight.

I began my walk to Starbucks, hoping to make it there in time. The trees waved slightly in the wind as rays of sunlight broke through and danced along the sidewalk. I inhaled deeply as I looked around, checking my surroundings. Don't want to end up in the hospital. I felt a pang inside my chest as I thought that. Too soon. I watched the cars drive by as I walked. The leaves scattered across the road flew up every time someone came through, making a little swirl. I smiled at the work of mother nature. The world is a beautiful place filled with terrible things. Or maybe it's a terrible place filled with beautiful things. Who knows.

I stepped into Starbucks and ordered myself a sweet tea. I don't drink coffee much. I sat down and immediately heard the bell above the door jingle. I glanced over and locked eyes with Alexis. She walked over and sat down across from me, looking nervous as ever. "Everything okay?" I asked, noticing how uneven her breathing was, as if she had been running. She shook her head. "How have you been? Ya know, since the break up." I frowned, "Okay I guess. A lot has happened. I've been pretty stressed this past month, with Ash being in the hospital and all." Her eyes slightly widened, telling me she didn't know. I quickly explained what happened, watching her expression change from slightly nervous to extremely worried. Sure, she didn't know Ash well, but it was quite obvious that I was upset by this, which seemed to concern her. That warmed my heart, knowing she still cared.

"Before you say what you came here to say, I need to say this. What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have gone out with Ash. There's no excuse for what I did. Sorry won't fix it and honestly neither will anything else. I'm truly sorry for what I put you through. I can't imagine how hurt you must have been. I messed up. You're a beautiful girl. Anyone who has a chance with you is lucky, and if they break your heart or decide you're not 'good enough' for them, then they're fools. Don't ever let someone tell you you're not full of worth. You are. I'm not asking for a second chance, but I am asking for forgiveness. Can you forgive me?"

"Yeah, I think I can do that," she smiled as she wiped under her eye. I smiled back. "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?" I could hear her breath hitch. Whatever it is must be bad. She opened her mouth to tell me only to be interrupted by a waitress. "Can I get you anything?" The young woman asked. "Can I get a lemon water, please?" The woman nodded, sashaying away to the counter. "Back to what you were about to say--" my phone rang, the caller ID showing Aaron's name. "It's Aaron, I gotta take this. It might be about Ash's condition." She nodded in understanding as I answered the call. "Yeah?" Pause. "What?" Pause. "That's great!" Pause. "Oh." Pause. "Yeah, yeah I'll be there in about half an hour." Disconnect.

"Everything okay?" I nodded, faking another smile. "I don't know how else to say this, Seth. I've already told my mom and dad. They're not mad." I was confused, not grasping what she meant. "Seth, I'm pregnant with your baby."