Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with SoN.
A/N: This will be multi-chaptered. And let's pretend for shits and giggles, Ashley wrote the songs that will be used in this story. When a song is used, I will put the actual artist and the name of the song in a note at the bottom of the chapter. Also, memories will be written in italics while what happens currently will be written in normal text.
I'm still working on Hold My Hand, but this storyline has been bugging me.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ashley said as she bumped into a woman while walking toward the entrance to Starbucks. She held out a hand to help the girl up.
"It's okay, I wasn't paying attention," said the girl. She smiled at Ashley and in less than a second, Ashley was taken. The girl had light blonde hair, a shade that Ashley had never seen before. Her eyes were a bright cerulean and her smile was completely genuine.
"I wasn't either," Ashley said softly. "Were you going in here?" She motioned toward the coffee shop.
"Yeah, actually. It's been one of those days that only a peppermint white chocolate mocha can fix," the girl said. Ashley smiled.
"Well, let me buy you your coffee in effort to make up for adding to your day," Ashley said. The girl smiled and Ashley promised herself that she would do everything in her power to keep that smile on her face.
"It's okay, you don't have to," said the girl.
"I want to," Ashley replied. The girl laughed.
"If you insist," she said.
"I do," Ashley replied. She opened the door for the blonde and then followed her in, relaxing as the smell of fresh coffee hit her senses.
"I'm Ashley by the way," Ashley said as they came to stand in line.
"I'm Spencer," the girl said. Ashley stepped up to the counter and ordered Spencer's coffee as well as hers.
"So, Spencer, can I ask you why it's been one of those days?" Ashley asked as they sat down at one of the tables. Spencer's face saddened and Ashley immediately regretted asking her.
"I ended a two year relationship," Spencer said. Ashley winced.
"I'm so sorry," she replied. "What was his name?" Spencer giggled slightly.
"Jacque," she replied. Ashley tilted her head in confusion.
"That's an odd name for a boy," she said. Spencer outright laughed.
"It is, I agree. She isn't a he. I broke up with my girlfriend," Spencer clarified. Ashley couldn't help the feeling of elation that ran through her. Spencer was gay. She had a shot.
"Well, I'm sorry. That sucks, I've been there," Ashley said. "I ended things with my girlfriend a few months back." Spencer looked briefly surprised but didn't comment on Ashley's revealed sexual orientation.
"Can I ask why?" Spencer asked.
"I didn't make her happy like I used to. She met another girl who put a light in her eyes I hadn't been able to put there in a while. She didn't cheat, but it would have ended that way had I not stopped things," Ashley said. "It sucked. I loved her. But I wanted her to be happy and she wasn't."
"That was good of you to keep her happiness in mind," Spencer said, smiling slightly. "I wish Jacque would have done that. I probably wouldn't have broken up with her if she had just cared a little more."
"I don't know you very well, for obvious reasons, but everyone deserves to be happy in a relationship. If you aren't, you deserve to find one that does make you happy," Ashley said.
They talked for two hours after that about everything and nothing at the same time. Finally, Spencer had to leave for a prior engagement, but Ashley asked for her phone number.
"You know, just in case you want to hang out," she said, smiling brightly at Spencer. Spencer returned her smile and wrote down her number on a napkin.
And that was how Spencer Carlin walked into Ashley Davies' life.
"When does your flight arrive?" Kyla asked Ashley as they talked over the phone.
"My flight takes off at eleven thirty and is scheduled to land around one," Ashley said. "Meet me at baggage claim. I'll call you when I get there."
"Okay, see you then," Kyla replied. The sisters hung up their phones and Ashley continued down the terminal in Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle. She had just finished up a show there.
As Ashley took her seat in the airplane, she came to fully realize just what was happening. She was going back to Los Angeles, her home for the first twenty-three years of her life. She was going back to the place where she found her best friend crying in the sandbox because his castle had been knocked over by other kids. She was going back to the place where she wrecked her dad's car because she panicked when another car got too close. She was going back to the place where she fell in love and coincidentally where her heart was broken. She was going back to where she said she never would as long as she lived.
And it was all because of one person - Spencer Alexis Carlin. It was because of the most beautiful, kindhearted, funny, and infuriating woman Ashley had ever had the pleasure to meet in her life, the woman who still held her heart, even after three years of not being with her.
It was inevitable, the fact that she would see Spencer. They had dated for two years and in those two years, their families had gotten extremely close. Aiden, her best friend, had dated and was currently engaged to Spencer's brother Glen. Clay, Spencer's other brother, and his wife Chelsea had named Ashley the godmother of their firstborn son, Benjamin Tate Carlin. Raife, Ashley's father, and Arthur, Spencer's father, took up the hobby of playing Saturday afternoon golf together and their mothers had brunch together every Tuesday and Thursday. Yes, Ashley would see Spencer.
She couldn't say she was looking forward to it.
"I missed you," Ashley said to Kyla as she embraced her little sister. She hadn't seen Kyla in six months because of her tour.
"I missed you too, Ash," Kyla said, hugging her sister tightly. "Come on, let's go get you settled in. And I want to hear all about your adventures."
Ashley and Kyla left the airport and headed back to Kyla's apartment, where Ashley would be staying for her duration in Los Angeles. On the way there, Ashley told Kyla of her East to West Coast Tour. Her final show would be in Lost Angeles in two days, where she would be ending her year long tour.
"So this is home," Kyla said, opening her apartment door. "The guest bedroom is the last room on the right, down the hall." Ashley made her way toward the bedroom she would be staying in until she found her own residence.
"So what are we up to for the day?" Ashley asked as she joined Kyla in the kitchen. Her sister was busy making lunch for the two of them.
"Well, I figured you could get settled in. I know you said you had some meetings later today to get ready for the concert on Friday. After we could call Aiden and go see a movie?" Kyla said.
"Sure, sounds good. I have my meeting at three. I could call you when I'm done and we could go out from there?" Ashley said. Kyla nodded and handed Ashley her sandwich to go, knowing that her sister was getting ready to leave.
"I'll see you later," Kyla said. Ashley said her goodbyes and went downstairs to where her driver was waiting to pick her up.
"You look guilty," Ashley said, observing Kyla's face. She met her sister and Aiden at the movie theater.
"Yeah…," Kyla began. Ashley sighed.
"Out with it, Kyla," she replied. Kyla shifted nervously.
"I may or may not have made dinner plans with our parents…who may or may not have invited the Carlin's," Kyla said. Ashley clenched her jaw.
"I'm really sorry, Ash! I had no idea they would invite anyone else. I just thought it would be nice to have dinner with the family tonight. You know, because we haven't seen you in six months. Mom called me like thirty minutes later and said she had invited the Carlin's," Kyla rushed to explain.
"Will she be there?" Ashley asked. Kyla bit her lip and nodded. "That was a stupid question. Of course she will. Paula probably demanded it."
"Look, it's not your fault Kyla. You were trying to do something nice," Ashley said, running a hand through her hair. "I'll just have to suck it up and see Spencer for the first time in a year."
"Well, at least everyone will be there. There's more of a chance that you won't be in too close of proximity to Spencer," Kyla said, trying to be positive. Ashley rolled her eyes.
"If Christine and Paula have anything to do with it, I'll be forced to interact with Spencer all night. They still don't understand why Spencer and I broke up and I'm pretty sure they're still waiting for us to say it was all a big joke and that we're actually planning on getting married," Ashley said, bitterness seeping into her voice.
"It'll be okay, Ash," Aiden chimed in. "Kyla and I can help be a buffer. We'll make sure you get your distance."
"If it were up to me, my distance would be completed by being in a separate continent. But thanks for the help," Ashley replied. "I'll be okay. I suppose it's time for me to grow up."
The news about being forced to see Spencer that evening had put a damper on Ashley's mood and she didn't enjoy the movie like she thought she would. As the three of them left, she made a promise to herself to go see it again when she didn't feel like simultaneously punching a baby and crying her eyes out.
"What time is dinner?" Ashley asked Kyla as they drove back to the apartment.
"Seven, at mom and dad's," Kyla replied. Ashley looked at the time. One hour until her self considered doom.