Ashley received a call from William right after she left the company building. "Who's Will?", Jonathan asked, his eyes on the road but his attention clearly on her.
"He's a friend. Now, shush." Ashley then picked up the call.
"Hi, Ash." Ashley smiled. Oddly, she had missed hearing his voice. It always seemed to give her a sense of happiness. "Hi, Will." She then heard him chuckle. "What?", Ashley asked with a hint of confusion.
"You seem to be in a good mood today. It's great hearing you like this."
Jonathan stopped at a red light. He could hear William's voice, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed. "Is that guy flirting with you?", he whispered making Ashley shush him once again.
"What was that?", William asked. Ashley glared at Jonathan before answering. "Nothing, it's just a pest." Jonathan frowned and Ashley mouthed a 'sorry'. The car then started moving.
"Right." William drawled. He then paused. "I called to ask if we could meet." Ashley grew surprised. "Wait. You're in Washington?"
"Yeah. I had some work to do, and I thought I'd see you before I leave." Ashley's smile grew even wider. The snort from Jonathan went unnoticed but the two on the phone simply refused to acknowledge it.
"Then…then let's meet up at Munchies. It's a coffee place at Palm Street. I'll send you the location." Ashley suggested, hints of excitement in her voice. "Sure." Ashley heard him chuckle. "I'll meet you in half an hour."
"Okay."
The call was hung up. "Was that guy flirting with you?", Jonathan questioned. Ashley lost her smile right at that moment. "Oh my God, you're worse than my husband. How exactly is conversing politely considered flirting?" Ashley shuddered. She liked William but the thought of anything akin to a relationship with him disgusted her.
Jonathan responded. "The way he spoke... it was like he was flirting." "Oh, come on, John. Will's not like that."
"Oh, really?" Jonathan continued to keep his eyes ahead on the road, his tone full of questioning. "How long have you known him?" Ashley's gaze wavered. Hesitation flooded her eyes "Less than a month.", She said in a whisper that was audible enough for Jonathan's hearing.
"Oh my God, Ashley!" The car came to an abrupt halt.
"What's wrong with you?!", Ashley yelled out in shock, a bit flustered by the inertia. The cars behind began to honk before Jonathan stare to move the car. "Look, I may have known him for only a short time, but I feel like I could trust him. Don't you understand?"
"No. I do not understand, Ashley." Jonathan clutched the steering wheel with a terrifying grip, his veins popping. "You do not know this guy. I cannot trust you with him.", the man said to Ashley's annoyance. She simply hated it when someone tried to run her life. She was currently trying to escape that, and she didn't need Jonathan pulling her back into it.
"It's not your choice to make, Jonathan." The car stopped at the side of the road and Jonathan turned to stare at her. "Then I'm informing Mr. Li. He'll be sure to stop you."
Ashley scoffed, her gaze turning cold. "It's not his choice to make either." She pushed the car door open, wanting to leave Jonathan's presence. Right now, he was simply infuriating her. "He doesn't have that right anymore. After all, we're getting divorced."
…
Ashley ordered an uber to 'Munchies' before getting a table in the corner. She had arrived earlier. William, on the other hand, arrived right on time. He wore a dark blue shirt and jeans. His face, smiling like always.
"Hi.", he spoke once he sat down.
"Hi-." Ashley stared at him, a frown taking over her smile. Her eyebrows crumpled, sweat forming on her forehead. Her head stared to hurt with an indescribable pain.
"Ash? Ashley?" William quickly noticed the change in her state.
The ringing in her ears, though, suppressed William's voice. It was so loud, almost deafening. Ashley's fingers held onto the table as she gasped. William was at her side in the blink of an eye. The coffee shop was empty at this moment since it was late and hence, there was no attention on the two.
After a few minutes of pain, she felt better. The headache had disappeared as quickly as it came.
"Are you okay?", William asked, a frown forming on his face with concern etched all over. He was crouched down next to her. Ashley stared down at him, a strange look forming on her face.
The young woman then regained her senses. "I'm alright. Just a brief headache." He couldn't help but feel stressed. Almost as though he was scared of something happening to her. "Are you sure?" Ashley felt goosebumps line up once William touched her. She jerked her hand away from him. She then lowered her head, missing the flash of hurt on his face. "I'm sorry. I just feel weird."
"Do you want a glass of water or anything?" She shook her head. Although touched by the man's actions, she felt some sort of unease. "No, thank you. I just want to go home."
A look of disappointment then flashed in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up. "I'll drop you off." Ashley stood up, wobbling. William tried to hold on to her, but she dodged his touch. "No, it's alright. I'll go on my own."
The young woman did not wait for the man to speak. With shaky legs, she left the coffee shop. William stood at the table, his head lowered, and his hands clenched into fists.
Ashley vomited in the plant vase next to the door immediately after getting home. Her head was spinning. Everything was out of order in her mind. She then felt a familiar pair of arms hold on to her. "Are you alright?" She heard Nathan's voice from above.
She felt absolute confusion. The headache was back and the visions she had back at the coffee shop continued to play in her mind. She then felt her body being lifted and when she lifted her head, Nathan's perfectly sculpted face came into view.
Ashley smiled frailly but then, the pain intensified, and unfamiliar memories continued to pour into her brain.
"I'm sorry.", she muttered weakly before she fell limp in his arms.