18 - Connect The Carlins
Ashley's PoV
Coach Carlin.
Coach Carlin.
I heard her voice. I couldn't bring myself to face her at all, I really couldn't. Everything just seemed so surreal to me.
Coach Carlin.
God, what the hell kind of cosmic joke is this?
I threw my hotel key card down on the dresser and flopped back on the bed. I rubbed my temples and sighed heavily.
It all felt so overwhelming, I wasn't sure what to think or where to begin. I came to Kenora to get my daughter back and that was my main focus. But it seemed to have faltered a bit the second I heard her.
Not only was my girl living here, so was the one I let get away.
Stupidly may I add.
My phone started ringing and it was Alex again. I sighed heavily and bit my lip hard. I pressed talk. "This better be important." I muttered and I heard a gasp.
"You answered your phone!"
"What do you want Alex?" I couldn't stop from sounding a little bitter. The more I thought about the situation I was in, the more I realized Alex knew Spencer was in Kenora if she knew Dylan was in the same town.
"Oh God, you know." Was the first thing that came out of her mouth.
"What? What do I know?" I sat up and ran a hand through my hair.
"Spencer-"
"-lives here." I interrupted her.
"Here?" Alex's voice went an octave higher. "What do you mean, here?"
"I gotta go," I said and closed my eyes, "I need to think."
"Wait! Ash… what do you mean by 'here'?" She sounded desperate.
"Here as in the same town my daughter is in, which you failed to mention by the way." I hissed and snapped my phone shut.
Years ago I would've needed a drink to help me understand this situation but I would never lay another hand on a drink again.
I knew better.
I wanted better.
The phone rang three more times before I shut it off.
"Ash?" I heard Chelsea on the other side of my door and I rushed to answer it.
"What are you still doing up?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I think I'm over tired," she said sheepishly, "I was wondering if you wanted to take a drive?"
"Um…" I swallowed, "sure, where too?"
"I don't know." Chelsea shrugged. "You know this place a little more than I do. What kind of things can you do around here?"
I immediately thought of 'Rapture' and instantly put the thought away. I couldn't face that place yet.
Or ever.
Maybe.
I didn't know.
I rubbed my temples in frustration and Chelsea placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Yea." I mumbled tiredly and she gave me a stern look. "I think I should've listened to you earlier and stayed in."
"Oh please tell me you didn't see her…" Chelsea said in a panicked voice.
"No!" I was rather disappointed though. I wanted to see Dylan but I knew I had to wait. I couldn't just see her, it'd be a violation. "I um, I almost ran into my ex."
She raised a dark eyebrow. "Who?"
"High school sweetheart." I stressed and her eyes widened before she got a shit eating grin on her face. "Why the hell are you smiling like that?"
"I saw the look on your face when you mentioned her earlier." She teased but I didn't feel amused.
I mean, I just heard Spencer.
Spencer Carlin.
Spencer Dylan Carlin.
It was still hard to process.
"I'm sorry," she muttered and I smiled, shaking my head.
"Don't be." I shrugged and grabbed my car keys. "I'm not too familiar with places around here but I'm sure we'll find something."
Chelsea and I grabbed our winter coats and took off to cruise around the town. I slowed down when we passed 'Rapture' and glanced in the huge picture windows and that's when I saw her.
I had to stop to allow another vehicle pull out if its parking spot and took the opportunity to glance at the blonde freely. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and tossed her head back, laughing at whatever the blonde across from her was saying. I didn't care who the other woman was, I was focused on her.
Spencer.
"Chels," I poked her arm and pointed to the window, "that's her."
I've never seen her head swing around so fast and she smiled. "Gorgeous."
"Yea." I whispered in awe and when the car honked its horn behind me, I knew it was time to move.
I still couldn't believe I just saw her.
My heart was beating so fast.
My palms were even sweating.
I licked my dry lips.
"Did you want to go to Tim Hortons?" I asked as I pressed on the gas pedal, picking up speed quickly, finding the need to suddenly just get away from any thoughts of her. I was losing focus.
"You know I love a good French vanilla cappuccino." Chelsea grinned.
Why did it always smell like burnt toast in every Tim Horton's?
I ordered two French vanilla capps and we found a spot by the window. "God Chelsea, Monday could not come soon enough."
"I bet," she smiled warmly and patted my hand. "But keep in mind that it's just a meeting Ash, okay? Carter is still working on the case with the courthouse here."
"I know but he said they if they give him the okay by Monday, I can see Dylan with supervision by the end of the week." I said in an anxious tone.
"True." Chelsea nodded. "I've talked with Kathryn Michaels on the phone before coming here and she seems to be the sweetest lady. Your daughter is in perfect hands, apparently, so you have nothing to worry about as far as that goes."
"Whoa," I turned to hear that voice I heard in the rink a few hours prior, "brunette hottie, how have ya been?"
I cleared my throat and glanced at Chelsea then back at the teenager who was now wearing a black winter coat and beanie hat. "Are you stalking me?" I asked and she laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm being the good girlfriend and getting my girl a hot chocolate," she pointed towards a shorter raven haired woman and an even shorter blonde with their backs to me. "But you're hard not to notice and I'm obnoxiously forward so I came to say hi."
"Hi." I nodded slowly with a grin.
"Hey," the girlfriend came up and tapped on the teenager's shoulder, "you're like a dollar short and Luc wanted to buy like a box of donuts."
"Oh God!" The teenager smacked her forehead. "Don't you dare let her pull that pout crap on you again, okay? Her mother will kill me if I bring her home in a sugar induced coma."
I chuckled as the other teenager laughed and shrugged. "I don't know what is about her but she's definitely picked up her mother's charms."
"Excuse me," the brunette laughed softly and made her way towards the small blonde, who was peering over the counter at the assorted donuts.
"New friend?" Chelsea grinned and blew into her coffee cup, her head tilting towards the counter.
I glanced as the three other ladies made their way towards us. "You don't mind if we join you, do you?" The brunette teenager smiled and pulled out a seat from the table beside us. "My name's Jaiden," she stuck out her hand and I took it, frowning slightly because that name sounded so familiar. "This is Jyll and," she paused when we both noticed the blonde was staring at me wide eyed, "yes Luc, she's a hottie," Jaiden looked at me, "she's usually not this shy."
I swallowed and stared into eerily familiar grey eyes that stared at me with some emotion I couldn't read.
"Jai?" The blonde whispered. "I don't feel good, can we go?"
"Sure," Jaiden frowned and looked at me, shrugging slightly, "I guess we'll see you around…" she left the sentence hanging for me to insert my name.
"Ashley." I said quietly and Jaiden bit her lip, frowning, like something clicked to her.
I felt like I was in the dark.
"Nice to meet you," she said seriously and grabbed the little girl's hand. "Come on Baby C, I've gotta get you home anyway so I can do my homework."
Baby C?
I blinked.
"Lucas Carlin." Jaiden snapped her fingers in front of the grey eyes that were locked onto mine. "Let's go."
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the little girl that walked away with the hockey player and her girlfriend.
Coach Carlin.
Lucas Carlin.
Mother and daughter?
"Hey," Chelsea patted my arm, "are you okay?"
"I think," I breathed shakily and shook my head, "I'm going to be sick."
And sick I became.
In the bathroom of Tim Hortons.
So many questions filtered through my head.
I couldn't process it at that time.
All I could do was allow Chelsea to take me back to the hotel.
I was going to stay in my room until Monday morning.
I couldn't handle anymore surprises.
-\-/-
Ouu so close yet so far away. No worries, the reunion will be coming up soon, I promise. Once the reunion does happen, Spashley will be inseparable.
