Chapter 10: Telling a Lie

The next day, Andros was in his room when there was a knock on her door. "Come in," he answered. Ashley came in and stood in front of the door.

"Adyna said you wanted to talk to me?" She asked.

Andros nodded his head and he took a deep breath. "I have to ask you something," he informed.

"I'm listening," she answered.

Andros took a deep breath as he stared Ashely in the face. "What is it, Andros?" She asked. She saw something different in his eyes as he tried to get the question out. Andros took a deep breath as he looked at Ashley.

"Ashley, do you love me?" He asked.

She stared at him and lowered her head. "No," she replied. Andros walked over, grabbed her hand, and lifted her head to have her face him.

"Ashley, look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me," he told her.

Ashley stared straight up into Andros's face and bit her lip. "I don't love you," she answered. Andros was stunned at what she said to him and let her go. Ashley left the room trying to ignore the look on his face.

Once Ashley was out in the hall and away from Andros's room, she pressed her back against the wall, slid to the floor, and cried. "I'm sorry, Andros, I'm so sorry," she sobbed. She buried her head into her legs and cried. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Later that day, Ashley went to the control room to see Andros working there. "Sorry," she mumbled. She turned to leave.

"Ashley, wait," he called out.

Ashley stopped and turned around. "Please, don't do this," he insisted.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Shut me out," he replied.

"It's not like things will be the same after last night."

Andros sighed and Ashley crossed her arms over her chest. "Things were never the same between us, Ash," he told her. Ashley looked at him with a sigh. "Even though you don't feel the same. I still love you, Ashley," he confessed. Ashley kept her arms crossed and just stared at him.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"Doing what?" He asked.

"Andros. You're engaged to Adyna. We broke up five years ago."

"Wrong, you left me five years ago. The only thing you left me was the ring."

"What would you rather if I kept it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Andros let out a sigh. "To hold something that we once had," he replied. Ashley bit her lip and lowered her head. "Ashley…we were going strong, we could've beat my parents into letting us get what we want. We still can," he told her.

"That's where you're wrong, Andros. You have a bright future ahead of you. You're marrying Adyna. She can give you want you want," she answered.

He walked over and grabbed her shoulders. "That's where you're wrong, Ashley. You're dead wrong there, because what I want is you," he told her. Ashley shook her head and backed away from him.

"I don't love you anymore, Andros. I don't," she answered.

She turned and left the control room.

(Ashley's Quarters)

Ashley was lying on her bed staring at the far wall with tears falling down her face. She heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" She asked.

"Cassie," the person replied.

"Come in."

Cassie came in and saw Ashley lying on her bed with the tears on her face. "Ashley, what happened?" She asked. She walked over and sat next to her best friend. "What is it?" She asked. Ashley sat up and took a deep breath.

"Andros asked me to come into his room today," she replied.

Cassie stared at her and Ashley took a deep breath. "I go in there and he tells me he has to ask me something. When I asked him what it was, he suddenly asked me if he still loved me," she explained.

"What did you say?" Cassie asked.

Ashley let out a deep sigh and looked at Cassie. "I told him that I didn't, but it's a lie. I can still feel his touch and kiss on my skin. He haunts me, Cassie. Even now he still haunts me. I couldn't look at my son when he turned two because he looked and acted just like him. He still does and it kills me, because he is Andros's son and that he was created the night that Andros and I got engaged. How can I look at the father of my child after all that's happened?" Ashley asked. Cassie stared her best friend in the face.

"What do you want to happen?" She asked.

Ashley wiped her tears away and looked at her with confusion on her face. "What?" She asked.

"I'm serious, out of everything in this whole universe, what is it that you want?" Cassie asked.

She bit her lip and reached into her shirt. She pulled out the necklace she still wore around her neck. "I want…" she trailed off. She looked at Cassie with a sigh. "I always have and always will want Andros," she finished.