Ashley : Detached

"I'm going on a job. When I get back tomorrow afternoon, you better have your shit packed, because we're leaving for Mexico at 6PM."

I stared at Kyla, half in anger, half in disbelief. How could she do this? How could she do this to me? My world was literally falling apart, and here she was, obviously on her way to do something illegal, and then running away again. I was so tired. It felt like all life had been drained from me. My heart ached, I was angry, I wanted answers. But these people, who were supposedly my family and girlfriend – if she was even that – had just abandoned me to pick up the pieces of my heart that they had shattered. I couldn't do this anymore.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kyla."

"Yes you are, Ashley Davies. Now get your things and go home and wait for me. And phone me when Clay gets there."

I put my foot down. "Kyla, you're not listening to me. I'm not going with you! I'm not leaving LA. Or the States."

"You will be ready tomorrow, Ashley. I'm not talking about this again." I followed her to her car and watched her get in.

Kyla slammed the driver door of her RX-7 shut, and opened the window. "I'm doing this for us, Ash. For our futures. It's the last raid, then all of this is over. No more running, no more struggling." She started the engine and looked at me carefully. "I'm going to kill her, you should know that by now. Go home and wait for me. And not a word to anyone."

I watched as Kyla, Madison and Aiden drove off. I was scared for them. They were doing something illegal, I could figure that much. The uneasy feeling I've had all day was still in my throat.

"Ashley!"

Just a day ago – a couple of hours ago – that voice made my knees weak. But right now, I wished I had Kyla's strength and lack of conscience to kill someone. Kill her.

Spencer stopped beside me, out of breath. "Where are they going?"

I stared at her incredulously. "Where are they going? You have got some nerve!"

Spencer kept calm, and it infuriated me even more. How dare she? "Ash, you've got to tell me. Please. I wouldn't ask you if this wasn't important."

"Don't you dare call me that!" I spat at her. I was so angry, and hurt, that I felt the need to physically hurt Spencer back. I couldn't believe the things she's said, the things she thought about me. It hurt so much I thought I was going to throw up.

"They're going on a run, aren't they? I know about the trucks, Ashley," Spencer pressed. Why was she acting as if she didn't just rip my heart into pieces?

I was sick and tired of being kept in the dark. Of everybody's secrets. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but please, enlighten me."

Spencer stepped closer to me, but I gave a step back. It was for her own safety. "Ashley, they're hijacking trucks. I need to know where." She didn't make any sense, and finally it must have dawned on her that I really didn't know. I saw emotions reflecting in her eyes going from concerned to relieved to panicked. "I need to stop them. They're making a big mistake, these truckers are armed and all the major highways are full of patrol vehicles. I'm a cop, Ashley."

Everything around me froze in time. Spencer just admitted to being a cop. So Kyla was talking the truth. I've been lied to, I've been used, she slept with me to get information out of me! How could I have been so blind? All this time I thought I meant something… The contents of my stomach presented itself. I've never felt so hurt and betrayed before.

I felt her hand on my back, gently rubbing circles to ease the heaving. "Ash… I never meant to hurt you. Everything I've told you about how I feel is the truth, I never lied about that."

"Get away from me!"

"Ash, please, I beg you to just listen to me. I know you're upset with me right now, but if you care about Kyla – "

Hearing Kyla's name while this was about us broke me. I shot up and pushed her back, hard. When she regained her balance I felt dissatisfied and pushed her again. And again, until she fell. Everything in my body screamed to just beat her up right there. I wanted her to feel the pain that I felt. But it wasn't enough. Two could play this game – I'd show her what betrayal was.

"Ash…"

"I don't know where they're headed. I didn't even know what they were doing, but if we hurry we can catch up with them." I tried really hard to stay calm while I held out my hand to help her up. Spencer Wilson would soon see what mentally unstable really meant.

"Yeah, this is Officer Spencer Carlin, badge number three-five – "

I listened as Spencer phoned in to try and track Kyla via Geo-tagging on her phone number. I felt numb. Betrayed. Hurt. Sad. Spencer Wilson. Spencer Carlin. Her surname was Carlin. She was a cop.

She didn't spend three years in jail. She never stole cars, or committed fraud, or assaulted anybody. She was the innocent girl after all, the girl that I had wished so many times she'd be. But she was a liar. She'd been lying to me from day one. How could I ever know for sure if what she said she felt was for real? She used people. She didn't care who she hurt along the way to get her job done.

She was the same as Kyla in that way. Kyla cared even less about hurting people to get what she wanted.

I always knew – I knew Kyla was up to no good. I just never expected this… I wanted to see the good in her, to believe that my sister was trying to live an honest life like the rest of us.

But what she was doing was far beyond that. She was dangerous, she was a murderer. She assaulted people. She committed fraud. Money laundering. No wonder there was always money for certain things, but hidden away when we needed it for necessities. It felt better, in a way, that she hid the money. I felt nauseous at the thought that I was graduating with stolen money.

So many things made sense now.

Kyla kept saying I needed to go on a dry run with them, or do a run with them. Their 'runs' meant hijacking trucks with high-valued items so it could be sold off on the streets for millions. And Mexico… How could I have been so stupid? Kyla was running away.

And I wondered this time if she was going to be able to, like she'd managed all those years ago, making an escape from Baltimore.

But it didn't matter. Kyla didn't matter, and neither did Spencer. All I wanted was justice for the way they ruthlessly destroyed me, destroyed my life, my faith in humanity. I would bring Kyla and Spencer together. Whatever happened then was their problem. If both of them died today, sadly I'd be very happy…

"Which interstate? Okay, yes, I've got it, thank you."

Spencer switched off her phone and briefly turned to me, regret evident in her eyes. "We're about fifteen miles behind them." Her voice cracked. "I'm really sorry, Ashley."

I didn't care. Spencer Wilson – Carlin, was dead to me.