**Ash's Pov**
I gazed helplessly at my motorcycle, feeling frustration welling up inside me.
"Why don't you just take your car?" Justin's voice floated from behind, his eyes fixed on the motorcycle.
"I just don't feel like using it," I replied simply, puzzled at why my bike was acting up when it was just fine yesterday.
"When did you get in last night? I tried calling you, but your phone was off," Justin inquired.
I waved my phone in the air. "Crashed," I explained, still focused on my bike.
As giggles emanated from the doorway, I turned to see Allison and Cara.
"Are you not working today?" Justin asked Allison.
"I'm about to leave," she replied warmly.
"I can drop you off since I'm heading that way," Justin offered, surprising both Cara and me.
"You want to give her a ride? That's unexpected. My brother is suddenly being nice," Cara teased, glancing at me. "Are you surprised, Ash?"
I smiled at Cara's statement. "I'm petrified," I added, causing Cara to burst into laughter.
"You guys are crazy, don't listen to them, Allison," Justin said, rolling his eyes.
Allison smiled as she walked towards Justin's car. Our eyes locked, her gaze not wavering from mine.
She slowly turned away, and I watched as Justin opened the car door for her, giving her a wide smile before meeting my eyes.
Something was unsettling in his stare, it felt cold and threatening. Despite being my cousin, he always had a bit of a strange vibe.
*************
"I still can't understand your outburst yesterday, dude," Tammy chimed in, adding to the tension in the air.
I ignore him, my attention on the mechanic fixing my motorcycle.
"Hey Dude be careful with the engine," I snapped at him.
He turned and stared angrily at me, "Are you going to let me fix it or should I let you," he responded simply annoyed by my words.
"Come on dude, I'm just saying be careful, that engine is expensive."
Tammy suddenly placed his hand on my chest. "Dude, come on, the man knows what he's doing, just let him do his work."
I gave the mechanic a dead stare before turning to face Tammy. "Fine," I said walking out of the shop.
"Is everything alright with you Ash?" Tammy questioned standing beside me.
"Yeah, everything is fine, why?"
"Because you are acting out again, is it your dad this time again?" Tammy asked, concern evident on his face.
I paused, not saying anything. I was used to my dad always spying on me. I know he's concerned about my health, but I told him I was fine.
I could handle my health situation; they should all stop worrying about me. Being unstable is not a crime.
I have been able to control it lately, especially around her.
"Are you taking your meds, how about your sessions with Doctor Bryan?"
I raised a brow at Tammy's concern. "Forget it, man, what the heck."
"What the heck is it that you almost killed that girl? If it wasn't for Mikel, Tiana would have been dead, so don't blame me if I am worried about you," he chimed in.
Tiana's case was an accident. I didn't mean to hurt her. I asked her to stop, but she kept pushing on.
She even called me a sick bastard. I didn't realize I pushed her so hard. I ran my fingers through my hair, exhausted, I could barely sleep at night.
"I'm sorry, man. I know you're just concerned," I apologized.
"Just take it easy, buddy. I know things have been rough, but lashing out is not helping the situation."
I smile a little, assuring him, I will control my anger.
***Allison's POV ***
"Your phone has been ringing non-stop, Allison," Vivian said from the storage room.
I turned to face her. "Sure, thanks for letting me know," I said, beaming her a smile before shifting my attention to the customer in front of me.
Two hours of standing and I was exhausted. I stared at my phone, going through my call log.
I sighed at the name written on it, a weak smile on my lips. I dialed back the number, and it kept ringing until someone finally picked up.
"Hey, Mom," I called out, my voice calm and soft.
I could tell how pleased she was at the other end of the line.
"How are you doing, sweetheart? I miss you a lot," she said.
I smiled, tears almost streaming down my eyes, my voice almost breaking, but I held it in.
"I miss you too, Mom. How's Dad?" I asked.
She said nothing at first. I knew something was wrong, but I needed to hear it from her.
"Allison, your dad and I have agreed to get a divorce," she finally said.
I said nothing, not knowing how to respond to her words. I bit my fingers, staring at my reflection in the restaurant's transparent glass shield.
"I see," I managed to say.
"Allison, I know it's hard on you..." but I cut her short before she could finish.
I thought leaving the house would give them space to patch things up. I was kidding myself when I suggested they divorce.
I was 18, but I still wanted them to be happy together as before.
"I'm kind of busy, Mom. I have to go. Maybe we'll talk later," I told her.
"Allison, wasn't this what you wanted?" my mom asked.
"No, Mom, it wasn't," I answered annoyingly before ending the call.
I slowly rested my head on the table, counting backward, hoping to hold back the tears that were about to fall.
I couldn't afford to be emotional. If they both wanted a divorce so badly, then they should go for it. I groaned, knowing full well I was lying to myself.
"Are you okay, Allison?" Klein asked.
I raised my head and stared at him. "Yeah, I'm fine," I told him.
He took a seat opposite me. Klein was handsome, with curly brown hair and eyes giving him a boyish but handsome look.
He was two years older than me and was in college, apparently in his second year, studying economics.
"Was that your boyfriend calling?" he asked.
I stared at him, surprised by his words. I know he was not the social type, but seeing him ask such a question made me wonder if he was just pretending.
"Is this you being sarcastic?" I teased.
His expression changed. "I'm sorry, just concerned. You seem tired."
I laughed. "Calm down, Klein. I was just being sarcastic. You are so serious."
His eyes widened as he tried to hide his embarrassment, scratching the back of his neck playfully.
"It's closing hour, aren't you going home? It's almost 6:30 pm," Klein spoke again.
Glancing at my wristwatch, I took a deep breath and beamed him a forced smile. "You're right, it's getting late."
"I could drop you off. I'm clocking out too," he offered.
He was sweet for offering a ride, but I felt uncomfortable. Trying not to hurt his pride, I agreed. "Sure."
A wide smile appeared on his lips. "I'll go get my stuff, and then we can leave," he said enthusiastically, making restless movements.
"What did you say to him?" Gabby asked from the counter. I smiled and shrugged.
The drive back to Cara Mansion was tiring as Klein did most of the talking, bringing up irrelevant topics.
Trying not to be rude, I smiled along, my jaw aching from the effort. He eventually pulled up at the front gate.
"Thanks for the ride," I told him, but Klein held my hand before I could step out. I paused, feeling a bit worried.
"Let's do this again. I enjoyed talking to you," he stammered, unable to meet my eyes.
I gave him a forced smile, slowly freeing my hand from his as I grabbed my bag and stepped out.
Without looking back, I unlocked the gate and stepped in. I could sense Klein was still outside, so I unlocked the door with the spare keys Cara gave me and stepped in, shutting the door behind me.
Leaning on the door, I took a deep breath. "That was weird," I murmured to myself.
My phone chimed, making me jump. "Jesus," I muttered, pulling out my phone from my jean pocket.
It was from Cara, letting me know she was on a date and not at home. I placed my phone back in my jeans and headed upstairs to my room.
Crashes from Ash's room caught my attention. Pausing, I debated whether to knock or walk away.
Worried, I couldn't ignore the sounds and expect to sleep comfortably. I knocked. No response. Impatient, I knocked again, but still no answer. I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it.
It was unlocked. Stepping inside, I called out, "Ash."
The room was pitch dark, and as I shut the door behind me, I cautiously made my way forward.
I froze, my eyes fixed on the dark figure sitting on the floor next to the window.
Without hesitation, I retrieved my phone and switched on the torch. There he sat, shirtless, hand bleeding from broken mirror glass. What had happened?
I gazed at the shattered pieces, realizing he had harmed himself. Moving closer, I knelt in front of him, his head resting backward on the couch handle.
My hand trembled as I touched his arm.
"Ash."
I called his name softly, hoping to bring him out of whatever trance he was in.