Chapter 124 124

Chapter 124 124

Ashley POV

To tell the truth, I regretted my decision as soon as I got out of the car. But his piercing, dark eyes caught mine from the second floor before I could find the nerve or perhaps, the sanity to run. So, despite feeling as if every step was through a bed of quicksand, every breath felt as if it were swallowing oil, and my heart was racing as if I was galloping as if my life was at stake, I had no other choice but to go inside that damn building.

"Serenity" is a café and bakery concept with a large selection of vegan menu items that directly blend into the non-vegan menu. How someone would make cheesecake without cheese baffled me enough to make me order it from the front desk along with a large iced latte. I made my way around the round tables scattered throughout the rustic bistro, excusing myself when it became too crowded amongst the patrons.

Miles sat down, alone, next to one of the windows on the second floor that was rarely visited by people. He looked rather casual and was dressed in his normal daily attire. White headphones were draped around his neck, and a pair of sunglasses dangled from the neck collar of the T-shirt he was wearing. As I moved closer to his still and motionless figure, I felt my palms become sweaty quickly, despite the air conditioner keeping the temperature of this room comfortable. His gaze was focused outside, on the street below, as I plopped down in front of him while trying not to rub my arms.

"Hi," I greeted as I grabbed an iced latte and took a quick sip. It was cold and sweet and filled with caffeine, which I desperately needed on a hot day like today.

Miles blinked as he turned to me. "You're wearing a lot of makeup today," he said softly and touched his messy hair. "And you have something here."

"It's for engagement photos," I pointed out as I ran a hand through my hair bashfully. Holding an ornate barrette with a fake diamond glued to its thin surface, I put it in my purse. "There must be one I'm forgetting," I added. "Is this too much? My face, that is."

"I wouldn't say too much, no." Miles crossed his legs. "Did you do it this morning, or...?"

"Just now." I finished his sentence with a half-hearted smile. "I left Jared about fifteen minutes ago."

"You must be so excited," he said, his tone dry.

"Of course I am," I replied.

"Is that why the wedding is in mid-August? Less than a month from today?"

I sighed. "I know it's a short time, but I promise... I'm not pregnant."

"Then why so soon?" He tilted his head slightly as he continued. "Considering the fact that we got the invitation last week, it does seem fishy."

"Seriously, I'm not pregnant." I took a sip of my drink. "I mean, you can't hide a pregnancy."

His eyes bore into mine, probably searching for the truth, for a moment before he finally gave up. "No," he said. "I believe you. But, what's the reason?"

"I... I don't want to talk about it," I said harshly.

The conversation stopped after that. Miles had ordered an iced coffee without dessert or anything, yet didn't touch the half-finished drink once as I swirled the cheesecake. I was not truly hungry, even when I asked Jared to accompany me to lunch, and pushed the hand-sized plate away from me after a minute or two of poking at the strawberry cheesecake with my fork.

"How..." I started at the same time his lips parted. With a small smile, I said, "You go first."

He shook his head and gestured for me to start. "No, go ahead."

"Alright..." I shifted my gaze elsewhere. "I just wanted to ask how he was doing."

I did not feel the need to clarify what I meant by "he", and judging by Miles' brief silence, I was right. My hands clenched into fists as he spoke.

"I want to say that he's okay. And maybe I can make you believe me, or at least want to believe me. But that would just be a waste of time, right?"

I nodded as I gulped nervously.

"Simply put, he has a meeting with the director. He wants to stop being a pop idol star."

His words felt as if someone had hit me with a sledgehammer. My eyes widened, as I felt my breath catch in the back of my throat. Instead of speeding up, my heart slowed down until it almost felt as if I should tell it to beat for me. I could not believe what Miles had just said.

"What?"

His jaw tightened. "He has not told us that straight up, but it was obvious from the way he acted. He fucking hates it."

"But his memories have come back to him," I blurted out, my voice strained. "Well, things might be a bit confusing, even considering the past few months, but he should be fine. All the songs, the dance choreography, the memories of being together as a band - he's back to the way he used to be. He is whole again."

"And he hates it so fucking much."

I felt a lump in my throat, a burning pain, my breath hitched almost to the point where I could not breathe. "But why?" I croaked. "That's all he wanted. Even when his memories were gone, he continued to strive for his dream - why would he sacrifice everything he had worked for in this way?"

"Do I really have to answer that?" His tone of voice was irritated, as were his eyes that stared at me. "Stop being ignorant and tell me the answer yourself."

I averted my eyes.

"You're not helping yourself by acting like a fool."

I still did not bother responding.

He snorted. "Fine," he began, his voice cold. "Let me put it to you, you're the reason Jayden hates being a pop star now." Just as I opened my mouth to protest, Miles cut in right away.

"Are you going to ask 'why?' for that too? Or are you going to get your head out of the mud and face reality?"

"But he has everything he wants." I shook my head, in utter disbelief. "He has you, his friends, he has his fans... and he has Blair."

"He broke up with her."