I sat silently at the kitchen table and sighed to myself. A glance at the clock let me know Scott would be home soon.
"Oh well better get started on dinner." I said to myself standing, knowing that if dinner wasn't ready by the time he got home there was going to be a beating coming my way.
Right after I had thrown the chicken in the pan to cook my cell phone beeped letting me know I had gotten a text message. I picked my phone up and flipped it open. I squealed when I saw it was Matt and Jeff. I had been friends with them for years, ever since I moved down to North Carolina about seven years ago, they lived right down the street from me. The message read:
"Hey Ash,
We're coming home tomorrow and we are chilling no if's, and's, or but's.
Love M+J."
"Yes! Matt and Jeff are coming home!" I said to nobody and did a happy dance.
Matt and Jeff are none other than the Hardys, WWE Superstars, and are always traveling doing shows and such. I only got to see them a few times a year and I knew Scott didn't like either of them but I had been friends with them way longer than I had been dating him and I was gonna see them by hook or crook. Matt and Jeff equally didn't like Scott back, but they put up with him for my sake. If only they had known the things he had done to me I'm certain they would have been serving jail time for man slaughter.
Jeff especially didn't like Scott, he had admitted to me more than once that he had feelings for me, and truth be told I had feelings for him too, unfortunately it was after I was with Scott and every time he's told me I'd just avoid the question all together. You see when Scott and I had first gotten together he was a really sweet guy but after he moved in with me it all changed. He started treating me like a slave in my own home, if something wasn't done the way he wanted it I would pay the price. I wasn't in love with him anymore I was afraid of him and of what he would do if I ever left him so I kept my feeling for Jeff locked deep inside.
"Oh Jeff." I sighed remembering the way his beautiful hazel green eyes stared into mine the first time he told me he loved me. "I love you too."
My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the latch on the front door open and door swing. I glanced at clock, it was still too early for Scott to be home.
"Hello?" I called out, but received no answer. I walked into the living room, the door was opened a crack.
"Hello?" I called out again, still no answer. "Hmm must have been the wind." I said closing the door.
"Yeah a whisper in the wind maybe." A familiar voice came from behind me. I quickly spun around and saw Matt and Jeff standing behind me. I screeched and ran into Jeff's open arms.
"Oh my god what are you guys doing here?" I asked as Jeff pulled me into a tight hug.
"Well we got home a little earlier than expected and decided we couldn't wait til tomorrow to see you." Jeff replied.
"So you break into my house and scare me half to death?" I laughed moving over to hug Matt.
"Now Ashlynn, what kind of friends would we be if we didn't try to torment you in some way?" Matt asked pulling me into a bone crushing hug.
"Not very good ones." I laughed as he released me.
"So what are you up to?"
"Nothing I was just cooking dinner." As is on cue the smoke detector went off." Oh shit."
I ran into the kitchen and saw smoke coming out of the pan. I quickly shut off the stove
and opened the window behind it.
"Oh shit." I said flipping over the chicken and seeing it totally burnt on the one side. Scott would be home soon, I frowned.
"Don't fret pretty lady, Matt and I can fix this." Jeff said.
"Really?" I asked surprised.
"Of course we can, Jeff and I are pretty decent cooks." Matt said.
"Well then by all means." Jeff pointed to the chair I had been sitting in before.
"Sit." He instructed me.
"Sitting." I sat down in the chair.
I watched Matt and Jeff and every time I tried to correct them and tell them they were doing something wrong Jeff would reply "Damn it woman would you just let us cook?" So I sat and let them do whatever it was they were doing.
"Here Ash try this." Jeff said holding out a piece of chicken on a fork. I bit the chicken off the fork.
"Wow that's really good."
"Told ya." Matt said sticking out his tongue at me.
"Brat." I laughed. A moment later the front door swung open.
"Scott's home." I said more or less in the form of a whisper.
"Well that's our cue to skidattle." Matt said.
"You guys don't have to."
"No Ash it's ok." Jeff says as Scott walks into the kitchen.
"Come on then I'll walk you out then." I said heading to the front door. "I'll see you guys later." I hugged them both goodbye. I caught Scott standing in the doorway with an angry look on his face as I hugged Jeff.
"Yeah Ash, we better see you later." Matt said. Scott walked into the kitchen.
"Don't worry you will." I said in a whisper.
"Good." He said before him and Jeff walked out to Jeff's car. I stood in the door way for a moment and watched them pull away. I shut the door and walked into the kitchen. Scott was standing at the stove.
"What the fuck is this shit?" He asked picking up the pan. I shrugged.
"Matt and Jeff made it." He threw it down on the stove making it spill all over.
"What the fuck were they doing here anyway?" He was angry and started closing in on me. I started backing up.
"They just stopped in to visit is all."
"Mmm hmm yeah ok." He grabbed my arm hard."You fucking little slut. Don't think I don't see what's going on here."
"Scott I don't know what you're talking ab..." He back handed me across the face.
"You're fucking them." He screamed." You're a fucking little whore, you're fucking them!"
"No, I'm not I would never cheat!"
"Don't fucking lie to me!
He threw me down, my head bouncing off the sink as I went. I landed in a heap on the floor nearly unconscious. I felt myself being picked up by me hair. He was saying something but I couldn't make out what he was saying it was all jumbled. He slapped my face and I groaned in pain.
"Are you listening to me?" I couldn't answer."You know I hate being ignored!" He threw me back first into the kitchen table. I hit just below my shoulder blades and it knocked the wind out of me. As I laid on the floor I watched him walk out kitchen and heard the front door open and close. At least he was gone. I stayed down for a few minutes the catch my breath. My head was bleeding and my entire body was in pain. I sat up slowly. I was used to being beat, but not that bad. He had really let me have it. I knew I was lucky he stopped but I had a feeling it wasn't over and I had to get out of there before he got back, cause when he did he would be drunk and only god knows what would have happened.
"I got to get somewhere safe." I thought to myself. "Matt's." There was no way I wanted Jeff to see me like this.
I pulled myself to my feet. I stumbled as my head spun. I slowly made my way to the bathroom and tried cleaning myself up the best I could. I hadn't noticed I had been crying but my face was tear stained. I looked myself over. My back and arms were already bruising and there was a gash right at my hair line on the left side of my head where my skin had split when I hit the sink. After cleaning up as best as I could manage I staggered out of the house. I decided to walk instead of drive cause I didn't want to cause an accident plus it wasn't a far walk. I stumbled down the road forcing myself not to pass out before I finally made it to Matt's house. I knocked on the door and just prayed Jeff wasn't there. I leaned against the door frame to keep from falling over. The door swung open and there stood Jeff much to my dismay. I suddenly felt really guilty for pulling them into my fucked up life.
"Ashlynn? What's wrong?" He asked concerned.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have come." I said as tears welled up and I turned and started walking away.
"Uh uh, get back here." He ran after me and grabbed the same arm Scott had.
"Ow!" I screamed and tore my arm away.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab you that hard."
"You didn't it's just, nevermind." Suddenly I got slightly dizzy and almost fell over. Matt had come outside.
"Yo Jeff is she ok?" He asked.
"I'm fine." I yelled but then world did a 360 and went black.
I wasn't sure how long I was out but when I came to I was on Matt's couch. Jeff was sitting next to me holding a warm rag on my head. Matt was standing leaning over the back of the couch along with Shannon Moore. I groaned and grabbed Jeff's arm. I tried to sit up but Jeff gently placed his hand on my shoulder so I couldn't.
"Nuh uh, just stay down. You care to explain?" He held the rag up to show me it was covered in blood.
"Oh shit." I whispered.
"Oh shit is right. Ash you look like you got into a car accident what happened?" I scooted up a bit.
"I'd rather not say cause you guys will freak."
"Come on Ash, we just don't want anything like this happening to you ever again, please just tell us." Matt begged.
I looked at Shannon, then Matt, and then Jeff and a tear slid down my face. Jeff wrapped his arm around me to hug me but hit the bruise on my back. I cried out.
"What did I do?" He asked confused.
"You didn't do it." I picked up the back of my shirt showing them the bruises. "Scott did. The bastard tried putting me through the table."
"Did he do all that too?" Shannon asked using his finger to indicate my face. I nodded.
"That motherfucker! I'm gonna kill him!" Jeff yelled heading to the door with Matt right behind him.
"Jeff! Matt! Wait! He's not home."
"Then where the fuck is he?"
"Damned if I know, he goes where ever it is he goes after beating on me."
"Wait, he's done this before?" Matt asked shock.
"Well usually it's not this bad, he really let me have it tonight."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Jeff asked sitting down next to me.
"Cause I didn't want my life interfering with yours. I didn't want you guys to be out on the road and worrying about me all the time."
"We do that anyway. We worry about you all the time." Matt said.
"I knew that fucker couldn't be trusted." Jeff pulled me into a hug. "Don't worry Ash, you're safe, we're not gonna let him hurt you ever again."
"You're all staying here tonight, just in case that fucker tries anything." Matt said.
"Thanks, I love you guys."
"We love you too Ash." Matt said sitting down next to me. I turned to hug him too.
"Hey where's mine?" Shannon whined.
"Come here Shannigans." I laughed as I reached up behind me and hugged him before he went over and sat in the big arm chair.
"You need to go to hospital or you think you'll be alright?" Matt asked.
"I think I'm ok." I said not really wanting to go to the hospital.
"You really should go get checked out." Jeff said.
"Nah, it's ok I'm fine just flesh wounds, they'll heal."
"You're sure?"
"Yes Jeff, I'm sure, I'll let you know if I have to go ok?"
"Alright." He said." Hey Ash what caused him to do this?" He asked suddenly.
"Damn it." I was hoping they wouldn't ask me that. I sighed. "It was actually you guys."
"Us? What?" He asked shocked.
"Yeah, the fact that you guys came over, he accused me of cheating, and when I denied it he beat me."
"Oh Ash, I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, don't even think about putting any blame on yourself, Matt that goes for you too." He nodded.
"Just wait till I get my hands on that son of a bitch." Jeff said gritting his teeth.
"Jeff, don't get yourself all worked up. Worry about it later."
"But."
"No buts." I gently nuzzled the side of his face with my head.
"Fine." He said but was still grumbling to himself.
"Matt could you put the TV on or something? I need to get my mind off this shit."
"Yeah, sure." He flipped on Comedy Central. Jeff Dunham was on. We watched for about an hour and a half and when it was finally over I stretched and yawned.
"Tired?" Jeff asked.
"A little."
"You're sleeping in my bed tonight." Matt said. I slowly turned my head andcocked it sideways at him. "Not with me in it dork." He laughed.
"I should certainly hope not."
"Come on I'll get you something to wear to bed." He said leading me upstairs.
After rummaging though his drawers he tossed me a pair of sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt. He let me get showered and change and came back upstairs when I had gotten out with some tylenol.
"Thanks Matty."
"No problem Ash, I'm gonna head back downstairs, just call if you need anything."
"Alright." I hugged and kissed him on the cheek. "Good night Matty."
"Good night."
I had just gotten settled down on the bed and flipped the TV on when there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" I said in a singsong voice.
"Jeff." I got up and opened the door.
"Just came up to say good night." He said.
"Oh yeah, I didn't say good night to you or Shannon, I'm a dip stick. Good night Shannon!" I yelled downstairs.
"Good night spider monkey!" He yelled back up.
"God I love him, he's great." I laughed. "Ow." My back hurt when I laughed and I winced. "What the hell? It didn't do that when I was watching Jeff Dunham."
"Come on go lay down on the bed." He said.
"Yeah yeah I'm going." I said walking back to the bed and laying down on it. "Hey Jeff you would like to chill for a little bit I don't feel like sleeping at the moment."
"Yeah sure." He came and laid down on the bed next to me.
"It was really nice of you guys to let me stay here tonight."
"Well we weren't gonna let you go home."
"Home, if that's what you wanna call it." I slightly smiled as a tear rolled down my cheek.
"Ash, don't cry. It'll be alright." He said pulling me into a hug.
"How do you know?"
"I just know. I have you now and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you and neither will Matt or Shan. I love you Ashlynn." I gave him a slight smile.
"I know you do, and I know you guys won't let anything happen to me."
He sighed. I knew he wanted to hear me say I love you back but I was scared to say it for some reason.
"So how did you get this?" He said pointing to the gash in my head.
"My head got slammed against the kitchen sink."
"Ouch, you might have a concussion ya know?"
"Yeah I know which is why I don't wanna sleep just yet." He leaned back on the pillows.
"Come here." He held his arms out inviting me in. I moved up close to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Try to go to sleep I'll watch over you."
"Thanks Jeff that's sweet of you." I closed my eyes as he gently rubbed my arm up and down and soon I was in a light sleep. I could still hear stuff going on around me.I heard Matt's voice break the silence.
"Jeff? Could you come here for a moment?" I felt Jeff careful unwrap my arms from his torso and get up off the bed.
"Good night Jeff." I mumbled half sleeping.
"Good night Ashlynn. I love you."
"I love you too, I love you too, why can't I just say it?" I thought to myself. That was it I had to say it. I picked my head up but the door closed and I his foot steps go away from the door and go downstairs. I sat up and tried to figure whether or not I was gonna go after him. After a moment of debating with myself I quietly got up, opened the door, and as quietly as possible descended to stairs. I could hear Matt, Jeff, and Shannon talking. I peeked into the living room and saw Jeff was sitting on the couch next to Matt and Shannon still in same chair he was before.
"Dude maybe she's not the one." Shannon said.
"No dude, she is. I know she is, she just makes me so happy. She makes me feel like I don't know how to explain it."
"Love is a funny thing Jeff, sometimes you love someone, but they just don't love you back." Matt said. Jeff sighed.
"Maybe you guys are right." He said. I took that as my cue and I ran around the corner and jumped right on Jeff so I was straddling his legs.
"Ashlynn? What...?"
"Shut up." I cut him off, gently grabbed his hair at the back of his head, tilted his head back and brought my lips crashing down on his. After a few moments of making Matt and Shannon feel awkward I pulled away. I looked him right in the eye,foreheads touching, noses together.
"I love you too." I said smiling then hopped off of him and headed back upstairs. It had taken a lot out of me to do what I just did. I had just pulled the covers back on myselfwhen the door flew open.
"You." Jeff said pointing.
"Me?" I asked acting innocent. He climbed onto the bed next to me and propped himself up on his elbows.
"Is what you said down there true?" He asked.
"What do you think?" I reached up and pulled him down to kiss him. He slipped his arm under me and pulled me closer to him.
"Am I hurting you?"
"Baby my entire body's hurting, but I could care less right now." He laughed.
"I just have to hear it again. Ashlynn I love you." I smiled.
"I love you too Jeff."
"You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that." He said as he buried his face in my neck.
"You don't know how long I've been wanting to say it back."
"How long?"
"Since the first time you did, but I was so afraid of what Scott would do if I left him. He.."
"Shh... don't talk about him now, we're talking about us." I smiled and kissed him.
"Us. God that sounds so wonderful."
"You guys better not be having sex in my bed." Matt yelled up. We both laughed. Jeff sat up.
"Of course we are, after a hot kiss like that how could we not be?" He yelled back down. Matt made a gagging noise and we both laughed again.
"Oh my god that's too funny." I said. Jeff turned back to me.
"Be my girl?" He asked. I didn't even think twice.
"Absolutely." He climbed back on top of me and gave me a passionate kiss. "Stay with me tonight?"
"You sure you want me to?"
"Yeah Matt already thinks we're having sex, so why not?" We laughed.
"Alright can I shower first?"
"Of course you can silly boy."
"Sweet I'll be right back." He kissed me and went to take a shower. While I was alone I started thinking to myself.
"Yeah, I'm now with Jeff, but what am I going to do about Scott? If I throw him out he'll be angry, he might try to kill me! No, he won't touch me ever again. Jeff swore it."
After about fifteen minutes Jeff came back, he was wearing boxers and wife beater, his hair was all wet. He climbed in bed next to me. I sighed.
"What you thinking about beautiful?" He asked propping himself up on one arm while using the other to brush away a few strands of my hair from my face.
"Nothing, just what I'm going to do about Scott."
"Well me, Matt, and Shan are gonna help him move out tomorrow. Emphasis on the words move and out." He laughed. "And your gonna come live with me for a while until things cool down."
"Sounds good to me." I said as I snuggled in close to him. He wrapped his arms around me.
"Good night Jeff. I love you."
"Good night Ash I love you too." We both fell asleep.
The next morning I woke up but Jeff wasn't next to me. I got up and went into the bathroom and washed up a bit. I had a pounding headache and my back was killing me but I was in a good mood. I went downstairs and found Matt, Jeff, and Shannon sitting at the kitchen table.
"Hey guys what's up?" I asked. They all turned to look at me with grim faces. "What's wrong?"
"Come here baby." Jeff said.
"You guys are scaring me what's going on?"
"There was a cop at the door this morning."
"Ok, what did he want?"
"He wanted to know if we knew anyone by the name of Scott Jones, apparently he knew he lived with you but you weren't home so he came here."
"Ok and?"
"Well there was a car accident last night, baby Scott's dead."
"Oh." I was silent for a moment." What's for breakfast?"
"Wait that's it just an oh?" Shannon asked.
"Yeah what you want me to cry? It ain't happening. Come on guys we're talking about the man who used to beat me almost every day for the past two years. He isn't worthy of my tears." I said. "Matty you got any pancake mix? I can make some awesome pancakes."
"Yeah, in that cabinet right above your head." I got out the mix and a big bowl out of another cabinet. I poured the mix and water into the bowl and stirred it. I lit the stove and sprayed the skillet with some PAM.
"Come on Ash there's gotta be more than just an oh." Jeff said,
" Nope, nothing, I know it sounds heartless of me but no. No tears, no oh my god, no making a scene nothing." I said pouring the mix onto the skillet when it was hot enough.
"Alright."
"What you want me to cry over him?"
"No, no we were just expecting you to, I mean you lived with him and at one point you might have loved him..."
"Whoa, hold it right there. I never loved him. In fact the only reason he lived with me was because he had nowhere else to go and I felt sorry for him."
"Really?"
"Yes Jeff, really. I always say I care too much. I do I know I do, and somehow it comes back and bites me in the ass." I said flipping the pancakes a little aggressively. "It always bites me in the ass." I sniffed. I quickly wiped away the single tear that had worked its way out the corner of my eye.
"Ashlynn." Jeff said softly.
"I will not shed one tear." I said. "Shannigans, how many pancakes you want?" I asked faking a smile.
"Uhm, two." I grabbed a plate out of the cabinet and scrapped two off and gave them him.
"Matt you want the other two?"
"Yeah sure." I placed them on another plate, gave them to him them went back to the stove to pour mine and Jeff's.
"Matt keep an eye on the pancakes I need to talk to Ashlynn." Jeff said grabbing my hand. He lead me into the living room, sat down on the couch and pulled me into his lap. He looked into my eyes for a moment and then kissed me ever so sweetly. After we separated he gently took my face between his hands.
"Don't ever change the way you are. It's because you care so much about someone or something thing that I love you so."
"Really?"
"Yes really." He kissed me again. "And it don't always bite you in the ass."
"Yes it does." I lowered my eyes.
"Hey look at me." My eyes met his. "If it always bites you in the ass then how is it your with me now?" I smiled.
"I don't know Jeff, maybe it's just a strange twist of fate."