CHAPTER TEN

When Ashley got to the Carlin’s home, she took in her surroundings and remembered all the good memories she shared at this house with Spencer. Ashley put her head down on the steering wheel and she started to sob. Natalie watched from the inside of the house as her girlfriend couldn’t stop crying. It hurt Natalie to see Ashley this way. Natalie always told herself that she could never have all of Ashley’s heart because some of it, whether Ashley wanted to admit it or not, would always belong to Spencer. Natalie knew that one day she would leave Ashley, letting Ashley live her dream of being with Spencer. It hurt Natalie to admit that she and Ashley wouldn’t be together forever, but it’s what she had to do.

Natalie walked outside to Ashley’s car and opened the door. Ashley looked up and stared deep into Natalie’s green eyes and started to cry again. “I’m sorry Natalie! I’m so sorry! I can’t help it… I just… I’m so lost…” Ashley continued to cry and Natalie just held onto Ashley, silently letting the tears fall, knowing that that day Natalie would leave Ashley might be sooner than she thought.

Ashley calmed down after a while and she and Natalie went into the house. Paula and Arthur moved into a smaller house after Spencer had moved out after college. Their house had three bedrooms; a master, a twin, and a guest room. It wasn’t too small, but at times it could feel very, very small. “Oh, Ashley, there you are. I was just about to tell Natalie that you two are staying in the twin room. The guest is um… currently being occupied.” Paula looked very nervous at this point and Ashley could tell that Paula was keeping something from her. “Paula, who’s staying here?” Before Paula could answer, the front door opened and all three girls looked up to meet blue eyes staring back at them.

“Spencer? Spencer’s staying here?” Natalie frowned, afraid of the fact that she could lose Ashley very soon. Paula nodded slowly and looked towards Ashley, who stood perfectly still, staring right back into blue eyes. “Ashley I’m sorry. She called after you did and I was just so happy that I would get to see her that I told her she should stay with me and her father. She’s my daughter, Ash, she always will be, just like you.” Ashley turned away and walked into the twin room. Spencer looked down at the floor and Paula left the front room.