Arranged •{ONC 2020}•

《 Chapter Sixteen 》

Sitting on the edge of the tub, Ashlynn tried to regain control of her breathing. Every time she blinked, images of Wesley's cold blue eyes flitted through her vision. Her wrist was cold from where he had touched her in the dream. Tears stung the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Wesley stood at the door, poised to knock. If he knocked, she'd chase him away immediately, in which case, nothing would be solved. His eyes landed on the doorknob. Risky business, but worth it.

She almost fell backwards into the tub when Wesley opened the door. She glared at him. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"No." He leaned against the doorframe, the soft glow of the nightlight accentuating his features.

She studied him in the silence, partly to keep her mind busy and partly to convince herself that this was the real Wesley, not the one from her nightmare. His dirty blond hair was tousled from sleep and seemed to glow ethereally in the yellow light. His jawline was sharp, and his nose was slightly off-center—probably because she broke it in second grade. She couldn't see his eyes very well, but she knew they were anything but cold and calculating.

Her breath started to even out as she calmed down at the sight of him, yet she still said nothing. Finally, she tore her gaze away from him and traced patterns in the tiled floor.

Wesley sighed and padded forward until he stood right in front of her. When her silence continued, he sat next to her, his shoulder brushing hers. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ashlynn shook her head vehemently.

"It helps," he leaned forward to glimpse her face through a dark curtain of hair. He couldn't see her. Laughing wryly, he added, "Or at least my therapist said it did."

She inhaled to say something, but the words died in her throat.

"Ash," he pressed, gently, "I know we started this whole thing off on the wrong foot, but I'm here for you regardless."

"I..." Ashlynn took a breath. "I was at the hospital. I was going to see you after...after the accident." Her hands fidgeted in her lap. With no rings to twist, she took to fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "You...you were in the bed, saying it was my fault it happened."

"Ash, you know I don't think that."

"But I do! If I hadn't gone to the club, it never would have happened. I was being selfish and thoughtless. I shouldn't have gone." Her nose was running, and she sniffled softly.

Wesley's fingers brushed her hair behind her ear. She stiffened at the touch, but relaxed when she felt warmth spread from where his fingers rested. "Ashlynn..."

She looked at him, her vision blurred with unshed tears. There was that unreadable expression of his again. His stupidly beautiful blue eyes were filled with something she didn't recognize. Rather, she didn't want to recognize.

"Come here." Wesley's voice was as tender as his touch, and she leaned into him. Warmth spread through her and the tears she had been so desperately holding back began to spill out. For the second time, he held her as she cried.

Ashlynn clenched his shirt tightly in her hands as sobs wracked her body. Wesley's arms encircled her slowly at first, as if he expected her to pull away. When she didn't, he rubbed soothing circles on her back with one hand and combed through her hair with the other. Her face was buried in his collarbone, with her lashes tickling the exposed skin, and his chin rested on the top of her head. She inhaled the scent of Calvin Klein, and instead of feeling disgust, she felt comfort.

That's when the last piece of the puzzle slid into place, and she knew.

She knew where that spark had gone.