Snap Out Of It || Ashton Irwin

2

"Ashton wouldn't get a divorce after being married only three months..." I shook my head, not trying to believe Tessa's words. I mean, he was Ashton. Once he made a commitment he wasn't backing out - so I learned that day at Gotham Hall. Or he had a fear of dropping out of a commitment. "He would never get a divorce - period."

"But he would." Tessa braided her blue locks anxiously. "I might have eavesdropped on a conversation he had with Mikey the other day. He said something like he was forced into getting married. Like he had no choice or Sarah was going to blackmail him or something..."

Sounded like something Sarah would do. I was not surprised, but I could tell Tessa was. She combed the braid out of her hair, tossing the strands over her shoulder, but then bringing them back over to twirl in the ends around her finger. Fidgety Tessa made me anxious as well.

"I knew she was a bitch, but I didn't think she was manipulative as well."

"And what's the point of telling me?" I minimized the email browser, grabbing a few papers that needed to be filed in my office. I slapped the filing cabinet once or twice to get the thing to open, or else I'd be standing here all day trying to open it.

"Ashton..." I heard Tessa give a long sigh. "He wants to see you."

"Me?" I slammed the door shut on the drawer, rumbling a picture frame I had placed on top of the filing cabinet. I grabbed the frame, settling it and sighing with the exact length Tessa just did.

"I recall his exact words to me were, 'I'd like to see Talia,' so I'm trying to make it happen." Tessa said proudly. She knew that I could not ever muster a 'no' to her.

"I'm busy..." Not so much a 'no,' but maybe it'd be enough for her to throw the idea out the window.

"I'll have Zoe set up your work emails back to your phone so you can respond...I don't know, just go." Having my work emails sent to my personal phone again was not in the work plan for me. I turned them off to spend more me time rather than Jet time. I'd never get anything done for myself if I set up my work account to my phone. Simple.

"Nope." There it was. I imagined giving myself a pat on the back and treating myself to nice bubble bath in honor of that 'nope.'

"T," Tessa backed me against a wall, earning an uneasy chuckle from me. "I will seduce you into having lunch with him." This was Tessa's way of messing with me and most times I forgot it was all a joke and got caught in way too deep. There may had been a few accidental kisses shared between us whenever she did this to me. But I couldn't complain. Michael wouldn't either.

"Michael wouldn't approve." I poked her shoulder.

"We might've discussed a kinky fantasy involving a threesome with you." That was enough convincing to get me out of a threesome and in with a friendly lunch with Ashton.

"Hello, Mr. Irwin." I swung my purse on, turning around from the car that had dropped me off. The biggest and fakest smile dancing on my lips. He looked different. His hair was messier than usual, his eyes once full of happiness were dull and screaming for help. His clothes wrinkly like he didn't own an iron. An overall sad Ashton stared back at me. This was evidence of what happened when you danced with the devil. The devil would suck the life out of you, leaving you with nothing but gloom in return.

"Mr. Irwin?" Ashton gave a puzzled look, playing with the hem of his shirt.

I nodded.

"Well, hello Miss Kozma." He mimicked.

"Talia." I corrected. "Shall we get this over with?"

I entered the restaurant not waiting for an answer or the sound of Ashton following behind. There was little time to waste right now. I had given myself thirty minutes to hear him out and if it was utter crap then I would leave. It was not that I didn't want to hear what he had to say, trust me, I wanted to hear his thoughts as bad as he wanted to tell me, but I'd last a mere minute until I was back in his trap.

"Table for two, please."

"Follow me this way Miss Talia." The waitress I had come to know as Kate led us through the restaurant, seating us at the same table I sat at every time I came here - every other day. "Will you be having your usual to drink?"

"Yes. And get him whatever he likes." I smiled, picking up the menu and scanning over it.

"Just a-uh water." Ashton stammered, clearing his throat.

Hm, spaghetti sounded nice...no, actually, it didn't. Ashton would take that as an invite to eat off my plate if I ordered that. Maybe I should start with an appetizer...an appetizer that'd feed only myself because I wouldn't dare split it with the tainted.

"What's been happening in your world?" The temptation of slapping myself with the menu was strong. Why did he care? Clearly if he wanted an update on my life he could've done a Google search on my name. There has got to be a website that kept tabs on me. I hadn't taken it upon myself to search my name yet, I'd have to do that soon though.

"Nothing worth mentioning." I closed the menu, opting to get my usual lunch meal. Kate would know. I sat the list of foods aside far from me.

"Are you okay?" The hesitance behind his voice was cruel in a way that almost made me be nice to him. This Talia, the new one was having so much fun being short with him.

"Why wouldn't I be?" So, Tessa ultimately did have Zoe connect my work email to my phone (even if I was capable of doing it on my own). Tessa said it would be a good way to distract myself, to steer away from saying something...rude. There was tons to say to someone who dragged me by my hair through hell.

"You're different." He put it simply.

Different. Different. Different. I could make a month's salary on being paid every time I heard the word different being spoken my way.

"Am I?" I looked up from my phone. "I don't think so." I listened to him hum a tune while we sat in silence, then he graciously thanked Kate as she served our drinks. I ordered the usual and Ashton said he wasn't hungry. "Seasons change but people don't."

I sipped my drink, watching Ashton keep his eyes focused anywhere but mine. I sensed some intimidation, actually I could see it in his visible shaking hands that I was doing something to him that I'd never done before. I liked this affect I had on him, he was virtually terrified of me, eager to leave my presence so he could breathe. He was lucky I couldn't hear the sound of his heartbeat or I'd comment on it. Just like he did that New Year's Eve night, I reminded myself.

"Why did you want to meet with me?"

"To tell you I miss you." He was sure of that. The way he spoke the words with confidence meant he was sure. Maybe for a second I caught a glimpse of the old Ashton in his eyes, but it didn't last.

"We can finally be together, T." I wanted to laugh, I wanted to splash my raspberry lemonade at his face or knock his pathetic glass of water off the table. This has got to be a joke.

"Hmm, you're a couple months too late. You had your chance, but you chose to believe Satan over me."

"I wanted to believe you at the time but Sarah was playing so many games with my he-" I cut him off.

"Darlin' how could you be so blind?" I sarcastically cooed, gracefully placing my forearms on the table.

"She was playing games with my head an-" Cut off again.

"And it took you a few months to finally snap out of it."

"Don't allow my mistakes to make you be bitter. Come on, T." He reached across the table for my hand. One touch, one touch was all it'd take for me to be back in the world of Ashton Irwin and starting at zero all over again.

Queen of Irwin-land, I once proclaimed myself. But now, I was what some would call me, The Queen of New York City. And The Queen did not need a feeble king by her side. Ashton Irwin: The twice removed man who reigned by my side, would not reign to failure for a third time. I wouldn't let him win this time.

"I'm sorry, but if you think for a second that I will be crawling back to you after everything then you're obviously wrong." I dug through my purse, pulling out a few random bills and tossing them on the table. This would be a case of my ex not treating me to a meal, but rather, me treating him as I was going to leave. I had no intentions of staying and listening to him further persuade me and embarrass himself. "Treat yourself to a nice lunch. I'm sure Sarah never cooked for you."