3. Thanks For The Memories
If that's the worst you got, better put your fingers back to the keys
……
Ashley sat impatiently in the car as Kyla loaded the groceries.
"You know, this would go faster if you would help."
Ashley merely glared.
Once Kyla was in the car, Ashley gunned it.
"Whoa! Ok, Speed Demon…where's the fire?" Kyla asked, barely managing to get her seat belt on in time.
"I had a little run in with Spaiden." Ashley said through gritted teeth.
"Spaiden? Spai- oh! Spencer and Aiden? Oh. OH! Oh my God, what happened?" Kyla asked, turning around in her seat to face Ash.
"Well, let's just say I looked like an idiot, Aiden was acting like a twat, and Spencer…" Ashley trailed off. "I just wish I had another shot at Aiden though. I swear, if I had been expecting the way they acted I so would've been able to fight back. I'm loaded now. And I hate that I looked like an idiot and I so don't want to leave it like that." Kyla bit her lower lip.
"Ky…" Ashley trailed off. She knew that look. Kyla knew something and was debating whether or not to tell her.
"Well…"
"Spill it, Kyla Marie."
"Chelsea heard you were back in town and invited us both to her housewarming party tonight…and I'm like ninety-nine percent sure Spencer and Aiden will be there…" Kyla gushed. She knew that whenever Ashley used her middle name she better give up or she'd wake up to find her room booby trapped worse than Annie's cabin in The Parent Trap.
"We're going." Was all Ashley said.
……
Kyla instantly regretting informing Ashley of the party. Ash was dressed to kill; black Paramore shirt and tight ripped jeans gave her her sexy rockstar look that Kyla knew was just going to get the girl into trouble.
"Are you sure you want to go in?" Kyla asked for the umpteenth time. Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Yes."
They made their way into Chelsea's new house/studio and were instantly greeted by the hostess. They made small talk with Chelsea and Sean and Ashley seemed to have relaxed, but Kyla could sense that the girl was wound tight and the smallest confrontation was going to make her blow.
"I'm going to go get some punch" Ashley declared, flashing Chelsea and Sean a smile before calmly walking into the next room.
"Is she ok?" Sean asked after Ashley had left.
"She ran into Spencer and Aiden in the supermarket today…so she's been a little…tense." Kyla replied, looking around nervously for any sign of the couple.
"Oh…well…does she know they're coming tonight?" Chelsea asked. Kyla nodded, looking even more nervous. Chelsea smiled softly.
"I'm sure she'll be ok." She said.
"It's not Ashley I'm worried about…" Kyla replied, spotting Aiden and Spencer walking in the door.
……
Ashley stood by the punch bowl, eyes scanning the room intently. So intently she didn't notice a young man walk up beside her.
"You look…focused." He said, with a hint of amusement. Ashley jumped slightly.
"Yeah" She said, looking him up and down vaguely. He had short dark brown hair, a handsome somewhat boyish face, and light blue eyes. He wore a dressy, button down white shirt with a tie…and jeans…and Chucks. Ashley smiled.
"I'm Noah." He stated, extending his hand. She took it.
"Ashley"
"You new around here?" He asked, making small talk.
"Not really. I grew up here but I moved away five years ago. I live in New York now. At Julliard." He seemed impressed.
"Wow. Julliard?" She nodded.
"What's your story?" She asked him.
"I'm from Boston. I moved here four years ago and now I'm in film school. That's how I know Chelsea. The film department works with the visual art department sometimes. So what brings you back to L.A?"
"My mother's funeral" She saw his look of shock and continued, "No don't…its ok…we weren't that close."
"I know how that is. My dad and I didn't get along too well." He said, shaking his head. Ashley suddenly felt that familiar tingle on the back of her neck. Glancing away from Noah, she saw them.
Noah saw Ashley's body visibly tense up. She stood a little straighter; her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her hands went into fists and her head tilted to the side a little. He may not have known her longer than five minutes…but he could tell something was up. He turned around and spotted a woman about their age with long blonde hair standing with a young man, also about their age with dark black hair. He glanced back at Ashley and saw she was staring at them as well.
"You know them?" He asked.
"Sure do."
……
Aiden sauntered over to where Ashley stood with Noah, Spencer trailing behind him.
"Ashley, hey." He said his voice relatively calm. Ashley and Noah looked him up and down before Ashley spoke.
"Aiden." She said shortly. Unable to keep the disdain out of her voice. He smirked. She noticed Spencer kept her distance. Ashley didn't mind. She could spar with Aiden without her interference.
"How've you been?" he asked.
"Just fine."
"Really."
"Yes."
"That's good."
"It is."
"I've been wonderful."
"I bet you have."
"Spencer and I have our one year anniversary coming up next week."
"Isn't that peachy."
"It is."
"I'm happy for you."
"Are you?"
"No."
"I thought not. No never could handle the fact that Spencer only hung out with you to get to me."
Ashley felt her temperature start to rise. She clenched her fists tighter and tensed. Grinding her back teeth she forced herself to hang on.
"Keep telling yourself that." She bit back.
"I will. Because it's the truth." He took a step towards her, "You just couldn't read the signs. You were so dependant on Spencer because she was the only one who would waste their time on you."
She waited. She could feel the blood boiling in her temple and the slight pain in the palm of her hand from her nails. The whole room was staring because Aiden had raised his voice on the last couple words.
"Is that so?" She growled, her voice taking on a dangerous octave that Kyla often said reminded her of a panther. That 'Panther Growl' was a sign that Ashley's inner Tyler Durden was taking over. Had Aiden been smart, he would've backed off there. But he wasn't…so he kept pushing.
"It is." He took another step. Ashley relaxed her body slightly.
"You were never her friend. You were just her gateway to me. She only tolerated you because you were friends with me."
Another step. Ashley loosened her grip on her fists ever so slightly.
"You just got in the way. We talked about you behind your back, you know. 'Poor pathetic Ashley' we said. And you were too blind."
Another step. Ashley moved her right foot back a couple inches.
"You thought you were pretty special, didn't you? But you know what that doesn't matter now. Because you know what matters?"
Another step. He was in her space now. On her turf. She shifted her weight.
"What matters is that I'm the one she's fucking at night."
She snapped.
He never had a chance.
……
Before Aiden knew what happened, he was lying on the floor blood pouring out of his nose. Touching it gingerly he knew it was broken. He looked up to see Ashley; fist still cocked from where she'd punched him. Eyes as cold as ice.
"You bitch!" He yelled, jumping to his feet and staggering forward. She didn't budge.
"Did that hurt?"
He glared. She took that for a yes.
"Good."
Spencer and Noah both came running over to the two.
"Oh my God!" Spencer cried in alarm.
"Oh my God." Noah said in amazement.
"What the hell happened?" Spencer asked.
"Stay the fuck out of this!" Aiden yelled.
"Hey! Don't yell at her like that." Ashley said, Aiden merely smirked.
"I'll yell at her however the hell I want." He said, glaring at her. "She's my fucking wife and you? You're nothing."
Ashley lunged.
Only this time she didn't get very far. Noah grabbed her around the middle mid-jump and lifted her backward.
"Whoa! Easy Tiger." He said softly, setting her back down and eyeing Aiden warily. "Let's go find your sister, you broke his nose in one hit…your hand is probably busted." He said in a low voice. He knew that if he didn't get her out of here this fellow was a dead man. Ashley merely nodded.
Spencer started towards her. But Ashley held up a hand.
"Don't. Or I'll deck your smug face too."
Spencer took a step back. She knew Ashley wouldn't follow through on that but she also knew that the fact that she threatened it meant she wasn't playing around. She watched as Noah led Ashley from the now crowed room and towards a spazzed out Kyla.
Ashley looked down at her hand, covered in Aiden's blood and smiled.
I am Jack's smirking revenge.