Chapter 128 128

Chapter 128 128
Jayden POV

"Why did you do it?"

My mind drifted along with the soothing songs on the radio when her familiar voice caught my attention. I was not sure if she was asking me that question or talking to her driver or even someone on the phone, but she was already looking at me as my eyes lazily searched hers.

"Doing what?" I asked as my brows furrowed.

She rubbed her arms - obviously a sign of her nervousness. "My name," she said, her gaze dropping to the cell phone in my hand. "Why did you make it that way?"

"I have always given you that name in my contact list," I admitted with a shrug. "Ever since I got my first cell phone."

"But why?" Her brow furrowed, and there was a curious streak lining her tone. "That doesn't even make sense."

"Of course, it makes sense." I could not help but smile. "Who else in the history of this life has ever won a Halloween costume competition in such a ridiculous costume?"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, but I could see that she was struggling to keep the corners of her lips from curling up. "It's not my fault if Hannah or some of her goons had stepped on my tail and ripped it to shreds."

"You should have known better than to dance with that man." I pursed my lips as an old, icy shadow briefly popped up from the depths of my chest, revealing its razor-sharp teeth. Mentally stomping it down, I went on with what I at least hoped was a convincing smile. "It's obvious to anyone that you were being fooled."

"Thanks for warning me," she snorted sarcastically. "Oh, wait - you did not."

"I thought you realized he was more than just a pretty face." Once again, my wolf image stirred. Even so, I remained adamant, keeping my expression and tone under control. I couldn't let it lash out ever again, not with her.

Ashley was much more precious than that.

"We were only ten." Her tone was crisp, but the blush on her cheeks showed how upset she was. "How are you supposed to know anything at that age?"

I readjusted my position in the seat. The traffic was more hectic than usual on that Saturday afternoon, and my legs were getting weary just sitting around. 

"You have a point, though," I said as I stretched my limbs as far as I could in the space available on the rear passenger seat. "But I figured out what they were up to as soon as he approached you. He's Hannah's cousin, isn't he?"

"You knew what they were going to do?" she asked incredulously. "And you still did nothing to stop it?"

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, realizing that she was getting genuinely pissed off. It was evident in her eyes and the way her jaw had tightened. "I was an idiot."

"No word from there," she muttered, though her anger seemed to have died down. "But seriously - I was almost forced to get up on stage with my backside hanging out for all to see."

"You could have just declined your victory and not gone on stage in your seven-hundred-thousand-dollar, sabotaged, custom-made Godzilla costume," I offered.

"And let her win?" She snorted. "As if."

I grinned at her answer. If there was anything I could not forget, no matter how many times she proved it, it was her persistence, even though some people would probably describe it as blind stubbornness. Either way, it makes Wolverine seem fragile in comparison. "That's why I gave you my cape," I said. "And remember... the name was not my idea. It was you who said it when that mom with the microphone asked for you."

She grimaced. "'Count Godzilla'." The words came out grudgingly, and I saw her cringe mentally at the shameful memory. "I made up stories about my character and how it came to be to try to explain why my costume was the way it was. It was so awful. It was probably the most mortifying moment of my life. Hannah was practically laughing at me while I was blabbering." Her eyes dropped to her hands. "Is that why you have named me that in your contact list?"

"No," I said frankly, reaching out to touch her fingers. I sensed David - her one and only personal driver and the one I knew she considered family - looking at me through the rearview mirror, but I shrugged it off.

"Then why?" she asked, her voice faint in a tone of uncertainty. Her fingers curled around my hand, albeit hesitantly.

"I... I have never seen anyone braver," I said simply, not knowing any other way to answer her.

Her eyes widened, and she stared at me, seemingly puzzled. "What?" she asked breathlessly.

Smiling, I answered her. "Even though I saw you sobbing in the closet after that disaster-"

"Thanks for reminding me," she cut in sarcastically, making my smirk widen.

"Anyway," I went on, "I don't think any ten-year-old would have done what you did that day. You wore that broken Godzilla cape and costume the way you wanted to. It was... quite admirable."

Her face reddened completely as she averted her eyes. "I still can't believe you put my name like that in your contact list. How did you even get my number in the first place? I never had your number."

"I asked," I said truthfully. "It's something we commoners have to do sometimes."

She punched my shoulder. It did not hurt, but then again, she did not mean it to. 

"Stupid idiot."

I pulled away from her, a smile still lingering on my lips. "Miss Violent," I parried as I saluted her.

She rolled her eyes, yet I caught her biting back a laugh. She was getting ready to retort, but just as she opened her mouth, David cut in with a curt tone of voice.

"We have arrived," he announced as the car gradually slowed down to a full stop.

"Let's go," she told me as she got out of the car in the blink of an eye.

I followed her to her parents' apartment without saying anything. She was too agitated to stand still even in the elevator. Pacing hastily, her brows were furrowed, her eyes distant, and her lips pursed into a tight line. It was her thinking expression, and I knew better than to try talking idly to her while she was in that state. I mean, I could have teased her or commented on her behavior and gotten myself another beating, but I thought it would be better to let her mull it over.

After all, she was on the phone with her parents about her broken engagement.

Or at least, that's what I thought. Looking at her empty ring finger and her apology, it seems like she's already made up her mind, and she's already chosen me... but you never know with a girl like Ashley. She's smarter than she thinks, but also a lot more naïve than other people our age.

It was kind of cute, actually.

Finding myself frowning as she made her way over to her parents' apartment in silence, having suddenly realized something. Though I wasn't sure why she decided to look for me, it could be explained in the usual way. Maybe she was also feeling what I had been feeling these last couple of weeks while being apart. It's a cliché, and I never quite grasped the true meaning of the phrase before, but now that I have experienced it, I firmly believe it.

Without her, something important, something extremely vital, had been missing from my life.

Growing up together, no matter whether she was around me just to mock me, half-flatteringly praise me, or even annoy the hell out of me, her presence was undeniably comforting. As I once told her during my amnesic - she truly is like an anchor that keeps me grounded on the waves of life. She has always been and always will be like that.

That's why I used to hate her.

"Do you want a drink or something?"

Her question snaps me out of my reverie. I unconsciously followed her - more out of bound by instinct than actual awareness - to the kitchen. She stood by the door of the refrigerator, where she kept her drinks, and tapped on its metal surface, one eyebrow raised.

"No." I shook my head as I plopped down on one of the bar stools. Ashley poured herself a glass of water before sitting next to me, cell phone in hand.

"I don't know if they will answer or not," she told me after she had downed her drink. "They're probably still working right now."

Even though her voice sounded casual and seemed unbothered, I knew there was a big part of her that resented having her parents absent. And that bitterness hardened her tone slightly, giving her a hint of disappointment and filling her eyes with a glimmer of sadness. I wanted to comfort her, yet I did not want her to think that I saw her as weak. Surely I don't - she was far, far stronger than I was. She would no doubt be my first choice if there were ever to be a zombie apocalypse.

But her strength of mind might be a hindrance, rather than a support, at times like this.

"Mom?" Her brows lifted up toward her hairline as she brought her cell phone to her ear. 
"Aren't you working?" She rolled her eyes after a moment. "No, of course I'm glad mom and dad took the afternoon off. Yes, hello, Dad. A photo shoot? Oh, well..."

She scratched her arm and glanced at me. I gave her a reassuring smile, and she gulped before going on. "Everything went well. But about that... I called to tell you-"

She was interrupted by her mother, who spoke for quite a while before Ashley finally stopped her.

"Okay, okay, stop it!" She sucked in a deep breath before she went on. She propped herself up with her elbows and placed them on the edge of the table. "Wedding preparations are not important. There won't be any marriage happening."

Ashley looked away as an annoyed female voice came through the phone, loud enough that her words could be heard all the way to my ears. "Again?! The wedding is in August, Ashley Van Smith! Is this a joke to you? Why won't you marry Jared?"