Ashlyn hasn't spoken a word since the age of eight, and her heart's never felt more protected. But, when the confident and ever so charming Derek stumbles into her quiet little world, her emotions-and forbidden desires-have never been so loud.
...
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Ashlyn pressed down hard and fast on Abels' chest, her lips moving hastily with silent protestations. Grief crashed over her in waves of fear and doubt, the reality of this situation too much to comprehend. Wake up, please. She pressed down on his chest with more force.
"Jack, call 911," someone yelled, falling to their knees beside Ashlyn. "How long has he been down?" the man asked, his hands replacing hers, maintaining the same rapid rhythm. Ashlyn shook her head, leaning back, as the stranger titled Abel's head back. How long had it been? A minute? Maybe two? The aching within her chest was unbearable as she watched this stranger try to revive her friend. My fault. It's all my fault.
Jack, she assumed, came to her side. "The ambulance is on its way," he stated, the distant sound of sirens splitting the silence. Jack placed his hand on her shoulder in a show of comfort, but Ashlyn couldn't feel it. Next to the pain constricting in her chest, everything else felt numb.
"Ma'am, do you know this man? Can you tell us what happened?" Jack's friend asked, resuming the compressions to Abels' chest.
We were...I don't...He... Her hands shook uncontrollably as she tried to answer their question. Clenching her fists, she tucked them against her chest, the tears raining down her cheeks.
One minute he'd been fine. He'd been laughing and holding her hand, and the next he was lying in her lap, his heart beating sporadically beneath her palm. The pain Ashlyn witnessed in his eyes while his face contorted, followed by the constriction she'd felt within her chest, helpless to do anything to protect him was worse than anything she'd experienced. A strangled sob wrenched her lungs.
Jack made hushed noises in her ear, rubbing her arm.
The blaring of the siren grew louder before the Ambulance came to an abrupt halt on the roadside. A cacophony of noise erupted around them as three medics took over the scene, administering the necessary care and asking a barrage of questions.
Ashlyn was overwhelmed, her breaths a broken stutter, her eyes darting around from person to person. Jack's arms were strong beneath her arms when he lifted her to her feet to make room for the stretcher. She stood to the side in silence, Jacks arm around her shoulder the only anchor keeping her from crumbling where she stood. Ashlyn sniffed, wiping her face on the collar of her shirt. Her hands still trembled too much for her to answer any of the medic's questions. She was grateful that Jack and his friend happened to be passing at precisely the right moment to step in and assist.
"...Daniel saw the two of them drop, and I called you immediately. She's severely shaken. We couldn't get anything out of her..." Jack answered the older woman's question. Ashlyn, only vaguely listening, watched as one of the medics removed Abel's wallet from his trouser pocket to check his ID.
"Abel Weber, 69 years. Cardiac Arrest." One of the medics spoke into their portable radio. Abel looked fragile strapped to the stretcher, as both medics continued to work around him.
