"Come on, Ashley. We're late as it is." Ryan looked at the devastated girl before her. In the last couple of days she had aged considerable and her mood was at an absolute zero – even if was never great to begin with. The girl had a beautiful smile but seldom used it.

Ashley moved like she was in a trance. She couldn't believe that her sister was gone. Dead. She hadn't stopped it from happening. She had failed. Again. And the punishment came immediately. Now she was totally alone in this world. No one to love or be loved by. The only person she had left was Ryan. A woman bought and paid for. A woman she paid to care.

A pathetic existence, right? And it was even more pathetic that she was concerned about the consequences for herself while she was about to bury her sister. A sister who didn't even had the privilege to feel alone and lonely anymore.

She was dead

Kyla was dead.

"Why don't you join them, Ashley?"

"No."

"This is your friends, your family."

"Ryan…"

Whoa. Terribly annoyed now. Ryan knew that she could only push so far before the girl would close up for good.

"Your mother is down there."

Ashley stiffened, her eyes turned cold.

Okay, full stop. Ryan knew she had blown it. They had never talked much about the girl's mother and maybe they should have, because it was clearly a touchy subject.

Suddenly Ashley's body shivered, eyes widening. Ryan looked down at the people gathering for Kyla's funeral. She followed the girl's stare and it landed on a cute blonde being comforted by an equally cute brunette. They were practically drowning each other in tears.

Right behind them sat Eve, crying softly. Ryan could see the heavy cloud of guilt threatening to consume her. Eve felt too much. That was her weakness.

"She's here." Ashley almost choked out the words.

Ah Spencer. The great love from the girl's past. Ryan sighed. Getting Ashley to talk about the people of her past had been difficult, even when Ryan managed to convince her it was necessary, but Spencer… pulling teeth out of the mouth of an angry crocodile were a preferably task, compared to get information out of Ashley about the former girlfriend.

The silent tears contorting Ashley's beautiful face, told the story of Spencer, better than any words could.

Spencer was down there. With Carmen. Madison and Glen seemed to be comforting each other – as the match made in heaven they probably were. And a sobbing Aiden with a slightly older brunette by his side. Paula and a heavily greying Arthur Carlin with serious face. Kyla's mother, completely devastated, surrounded by family.

Ashley was the only on missing and she preferred it that way. She couldn't face their questions, their accusations 'you never write, you never visit, you didn't really care about her, did you?'

"Kyla knew you loved her."

It was scary how Ryan was able to read her. Sometimes even more accurate than Spencer.

Spencer…

"Maybe you would feel better if you go down there and say hallo."

"No."

"Ashley, you can't keep running. You need people in your life, people you can trust."

"Trust?" Ashley muttered. "Who the hell can I trust down there? I don't know any of them anymore. And it's best it stays that way."

"Why?"

"You know why, Ryan! I don't want them involved."

"They are involved, whether you want them to be or not. They will always be connected to you and Kyla."

"Yes and Kyla's boyfriend died because of that."

Ryan nodded. "The authorities believe it is a coincidence. They won't act on it, Ashley, but you know we try to protect them the best way we can."

"And it helped Kyla exactly how?!" Ashley sniped. "Eve practically lived on top of her and to what use? These people," she gestured in the direction of her former friends and acquaintances. "They don't even have that. They don't even know about the potential danger they are in."

"We all agreed that it was for the best that they…"

"They are open for attack, Ryan. Frighteningly open."

"I know, but we do what we can to protect them. They are no reason to disturb their lives even further, but with that said, I really don't think that you staying away from them will make any difference for the level of potential danger they're in. I think you are making excuses."

Ashley paled. "Do I pay you to have an opinion on my personal life, Ryan?"

"You're scared."

"Kyla died you big log, of course I'm scared!"

"No, you're scared to face Spencer."

And Ashley didn't even have it in her to deny it.

Spencer…