Ashton's POV
I leaned against my car, the smoke from my cigarette curling up into the air as I watched Parker storm towards me. His face was twisted in fury, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and rage. He didn't even speak before he shoved a stack of pictures into my face. I looked at them, confused, and then my gaze snapped back to him.
"How could you?" Parker screamed, his voice cracking. "How could you, Ashton?" Tears streamed down his face, making my chest tighten. I reached down and grabbed the pictures from the ground, slowly processing what I was seeing.
It was me, with Rebecca. In... intimate positions. My stomach dropped.
I tried to keep my voice steady, but it cracked a little as I said, "These are fake. These are clearly photoshopped. I would never do that to you. You know that."
Parker shook his head, the pain etched in every inch of his face. "Yeah, that's what I thought too, until I got this from Emia." He shoved a phone in my face, showing me a video—one that made my blood run cold.
It was me, and Rebecca. In Mel's house. Having sex.
"No... no way." I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips. My heart raced as the world around me seemed to spin. I remembered that night. I'd been blackout drunk. Plastered out of my mind. But... Parker had been the one to take me home.
I looked at him, a shaky breath escaping. "Parker... you're the one that took me home from that party, yeah?"
He stared back at me with those tear-streaked eyes, his voice tight as he replied, "Yeah. I remember. I found you in a bedroom, naked. There was no girl beside you... We were always wondering who the fuck that girl was."
And that's when it hit me. My head felt like it was going to explode, but I couldn't deny it. I fucked up. I didn't remember, but that didn't make it any less real.
Parker's fist collided with my face before I could say anything else, sending a jolt of pain through my skull. "She was my fucking girlfriend, you bastard!" he shouted, the venom in his words cutting deeper than the punch itself. I just let him keep hitting me. I deserved it. All of it. I had destroyed one of the best things in my life with my stupid drinking, my reckless decisions.
He finally backed away, his shoulders slumped, defeat in his eyes. His tears still fell, each one heavier than the last. He turned and walked away, dragging his feet. I knew, deep down, that if I didn't stop him right now, it was over. This was the last time I'd see him.
"Parker!" I screamed, scrambling to my feet. "Get out of the car! Get out of the fucking car, Parker!" But he just drove off. I watched him fade into the distance, panic rising in my chest.
I ran to my own car and sped after him. I don't even remember how I got there so fast. I just knew I had to get to him. When I saw the crash scene, my heart dropped to my stomach.
His car was wrecked, blood streaming down from his forehead. I jumped out, heart pounding, and ran to the window, desperately trying to open the door. I couldn't. I smashed the window with my elbow, pulled him out of the car, shouting for someone to call 911. My hands were shaking as I started CPR, doing everything I could to keep him alive.
I don't know how long it went on. How many times I had to pump his chest, how many times I had to yell for him to wake up. The ambulance arrived, and they took over, shocking him repeatedly, trying to find a pulse. I followed them, my heart heavy with guilt. I called his parents, letting them know what had happened, trying to hold it together for them.
I sat in the hospital waiting room, blood on my hands. I knew it was my fault. And the worst part? I wasn't even sure if he was going to make it.
Jasmine's POV
The secret I had kept so close, the one that would destroy Parker and Ashton's friendship... It was finally out. I couldn't help but smile as I thought about it, the chaos I'd unleashed. I watched as Parker stormed over to Ashton, his fists flying, and I loved every second of it. I relished in the hurt I'd caused him.
Parker was such a hypocrite. He was going to do the exact same thing to David, I just gave him a taste of his own medicine. I didn't care about the consequences. I was just playing my part in the game.
I watched them drive off, and as I turned to walk back into school, I felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted from my chest. A small, satisfied smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. I couldn't wait to see Ashton's face tomorrow. He was about to find out just how much his actions were going to cost him.