Leah: Annnd off you go.
Leah brushes off a speck of dust from my blazer.
Ashton: I'll text you when to pick me up.
Leah: Okay.
I take a deep breath before entering the party venue. Leah said that lots of sponsors and directors will be attending the event; judging by that, Drake must be sponsoring a lot of movies and dramas too but,... I'm actually hesitant to meet him. Is it because I left the city without telling him or something else? Somehow I feel like something bad is going to happen. As I'm busy thinking this, I spot him in the crowd, talking to a beautiful woman by his arm. That woman, she is a rising actress, I think her name was Emily Reinhart. I brace myself and walk over to him. Okay, here goes nothing.
Ashton: Can I have a minute, Mr. Brown?
His shoulders flitch for a split second and then he slowly turns around to face me.
Drake: Ashton?
Ashton: Long time no see, Headache.
Drake: We meet each other after almost a decade and you use that nickname for me? It suits Louis better y'know.
Ashton: Yeah, I guess.
Why blame me?! I'm nervous, okay?! Emily timidly pokes her head out from behind Drake. Our eyes meet and her cheeks slightly flush pink. Drake looks back and forth between us.
Drake: I almost forgot to introduce you two. This is Ashton, my... best friend..
What was that pause about? Maybe he hesitated because I disappeared all of a sudden and never reached out to him.
Ashton: Nice to meet you.
Drake: And this is Emily, my fiancee.
Emily: Nice to meet you too.
She gives me a pleasant smile. Wait, Drake's getting married?! I didn't really want to think about it but, we've come to the age where we should start... settling down, huh.
Ashton:... Congrats, man.
Drake: Thanks....
Both:....
Well, this is awkward. Why do I keep falling in awkward situations all day?! Sensing the awkwardness between both of us, Emily speaks up.
Emily:... I'll leave you both to catch up.
Ashton: Thanks.
She gently smiles and leaves. I think this is the part where I should say something.
Ashton: You two make a great couple.
Drake: Why, thank you but, it sounds ironic coming from you.
Drake gives me a disappointed look. I've never seen him like that; it's almost like.... hates me. Is it because...
Ashton: Are you talking about Claire?
Drake: Well, of course I am. I've never been the one to believe rumors but, you were a real jerk to her back then.
Ashton: I'm not the jerk, it was her who left me just like that, with a... white lie.
Drake: So, to get back at her, you were so cruel to her?
He asks me, his voice dripping with anger. Cruel to her? What is he talking about? She broke up with me and we never met or talked to each other after that; how could I have done something to her that made him so furious? And what did I do?
Ashton: Cut the crap, what do you mean?
He looks around.
Drake: Let's not talk out here.
Ashton: Fine.
We head to the veranda.
Ashton: Now, can you tell me?
He sighs before opening his mouth and saying the most unexpected thing I could've imagined.
Drake: A while after you left, Claire, she.... She got herself into prostitution. She never wanted to talk about how and why she wanted to do it so I didn't pry but, I found the reason in rumors later.
Leah did tell me that she made a living through prostitution but, what is this rumor about?
Ashton: What was the rumor?
Drake looks away from me at the scenery outside and brushes his hair back with one hand. He takes a deep breath before answering my question.
Drake: There was this rumor that you wanted to take revenge on Claire because she broke up with you. A few days after your separation, her mother was admitted in the hospital because of heart problems and Claire didn't have enough money to pay the bills. She tried to reach out to you but...
Ashton: But what?
He stares straight into my eyes with an emotionless face.
Drake: You shut her away and told her that if she wanted any money, she'd be better off selling her body than asking you for help. You left the city the next day.
Ashton: What?! That's un-possible! I-I mean impossible! I never met her, leave alone talked to her after we broke up!
Drake: Are you saying to that you have nothing to do with this?
Ashton: Yes!
Drake: Then, what about the rumors?
Ashton: How should I know?!
Drake: What I mean is, Claire never denied them.
Ashton: What?
This is the first I've heard about all this but what surprises me the most is that Claire didn't hear anything from me and yet, she she didn't deny the rumors. Claire Blanche, what are you playing at? Wait, more importantly...
Ashton: What was the source of these rumors?
Drake: Louis and I tried asking around but everyone said that they heard it from passerbys. So, we don't know.
Whoever spread these rumors must have something to do with this misunderstanding but, it's been 8 years, there's no way we can find out now who did it.
Ashton: Do you know what happened after that?
Drake: I don't know any details but, about 2 years later, the news of Claire's engagement to some celebrity stylist was leaked.
He must mean (Troy) Anderson. And this should be around the time I made my debut.
Ashton:... And then?
Drake: It's the same.
Ashton: Huh?
Drake: Even 6 years later, they're still engaged.
Of course they are; Anderson himself said that she was his pet and nothing else. Although, it doesn't make any sense why he would be so frank about it to someone he didn't know properly. Could he perhaps know the relationship between Claire and I? No, that's not important here.
Drake: Something about it all felt unsettling to me but I never thought it would actually be true. I wanted to believe you but, the timing and your behavior that moment just all fell right into place. I'm sorry for falsely accusing you.
He let's out a defeated sigh.
Ashton: Don't be, I think-
Drake: Wait, who else knew about your break up that time?
Ashton: Um, I think it was Louis, you, maybe my family and Leah.
Drake: Louis wouldn't do such a thing as to back stab you and I wouldn't either. Claire wasn't in her right mind to scheme against you for no reason at all. That leaves your family and your cousin. Only they are the ones who could've passed the message to Claire to create this misunderstanding.
Ashton: But they all were in support of my relationship with Claire.
My dad was always out of the picture, my mother was the one who suggested I give her that expensive bracelet for her birthday and gave me the push to ask her out and Leah, she was pretty supportive too.
Drake: Don't you see it though?
Ashton: See what?
Drake: Claire's dream was to become a journalist and give the people the truth, considering that, why would she use a lie to break it off with you?
He's right, she wanted to become just like her father. I still remember the innocent light shine in her eyes whenever she talked about becoming a journalist in the future. How come I never thought of that?
Ashton: So, you're saying...
Drake: She wouldn't have lied unless someone or something pushed her to do so.
Ashton: But who could possibly do that...?
Drake: Probably someone who had a grudge against her.
Ashton: But I can't think of anyone.
Drake:.... You should think that over sometime.
Ashton: What do you mean? Do you suspect someone?
Drake: I... I just don't want to create false alarms for you. All I can say is, the person I'm suspecting is always around you.
Ashton: Always around me?... Wait, you don't mean Leah, do you?
Drake: I'm not sure but, you both are not related by blood, so... there could be some unusual things between you two.
Ashton: You mean like sibling rivalry?
Drake:... Thickheaded fool.
He mutters something under his breath and sighs. Should I ask her about this? I whip out my phone from my pocket.
Drake: What are you doing?
Ashton: I think I should get going...
Drake:... Best of luck.
Ashton: For what?
Drake: For whatever comes your way.
Ashton:???
I don't really understand what he means. I open my messenger and start texting Leah.
Ashton: 'Done with the party, you can pick me up now.'
Her reply comes almost immediately.
Leah: 'Waiting for you downstairs ; )'
... Winky face? Seriously? I put by phone away, say my goodbyes to Drake and leave the veranda to find Emily heading this way. She's about to say something to me but I just smile at her and leave. I can hear Drake and her talking behind me.
Emily: Is he leaving already?
Drake: Yeah, he had something to take care of.
Emily: Ah, I see.
My purpose to coming to this party was to talk to sponsors and directors but, I haven't done anything of that. However, I feel like the truth I got to know today is worth more than that...