He sprinted out of his room, nearly tripping down the stairs. Ashley stood in the hallway, his phone in her hand, watching the screen buzz.
She raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Looks like your friend is calling."
Ashton tensed. He could already feel the interrogation coming. "Who is it?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual.
Ashley glanced at the screen. Her smirk faltered for a split second. Darwin.
Ashton exhaled in relief so subtly she almost didn't catch it. Almost.
"Darwin, huh?" Ashley muttered, tossing the phone into his hands. "Guess you weren't lying."
"Yeah," Ashton replied, answering the call immediately before she could ask more questions.
"Yo, Ash! You hopping on your pc for a match?" Darwin's voice blasted through the speaker.
Ashley folded her arms, staring him down. She was still unconvinced.
"Yeah, I'll be there in ten," Ashton said quickly, then hung up before Darwin could say anything that would make this situation worse.
Ashley tapped her nails against her arm, still watching him. "You're really going out like this?"
"I already told you, it's not a big deal."
She scoffed, shaking her head. "Not a big deal? You're exhausted, covered in bruises, and barely standing— but yeah, sure, let's just run off to meet Darwin."
Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but Ashton ignored it, slipping on his sneakers.
Ashley sighed, stepping closer, her frustration slipping into something softer. "At least eat before you go."
"I am going out so I will eat"
"You won't," she muttered. "You'll come back late, half-asleep, and probably forget to take care of your damn face."
Ashton paused, finally meeting her gaze. She looked… upset. Genuinely upset.
And for some reason, that made his chest tighten.
Ashley glanced at his phone in his hand before looking back at him, tilting her head slightly. "Darwin's your only plan tonight, right?"
Her words were careful, almost like she was setting a trap.
Ashton forced a smirk. "Obviously. Who else would it be?"
Ashley held his gaze for a long second. She didn't call him out. Didn't argue.
She just smiled—but it wasn't a happy smile.
"Lucky you, then."
Ashton hesitated.
Something in the way she said it—it wasn't just passive aggression. It was a quiet, simmering jealousy she tried to hide behind a smile. And somehow… that made walking out the door a little harder.
He adjusted his long trench coat and turned slightly. "And yeah," he added with a dry voice, "I won't be eating with you tonight. So… have dinner with Mom."
He turned the knob.
Just as he stepped outside, his phone rang again.
Mom.
"Hello, Mom," Ashton said, answering quickly. "When are you coming home?"
"I'm on my way. I'll be there in twenty," she replied. "Are you having dinner with Ashley?"
Ashton exhaled. "No. I'm eating out with a friend tonight, so… you two eat together."
There was a brief pause.
"Okay. Did you take Ashley out today like I asked?"
His hand tightened slightly around the phone. "Your sister caught a cold because she ran around in the rain yesterday. So no, we didn't go."
"What rain? Is she okay?"
"It's just a cold. Nothing serious."
"Alright… I'm heading home. Bye, sweetheart."
"Bye."
He hung up. Behind him, Ashley stood in the hallway, arms folded, sniffling quietly. "Was that sis?"
Her voice was stuffy, her nose still red. But the hurt in her tone wasn't from the cold. It was something else entirely.
"Yeah," Ashton said without turning around. "It was Mom."
Ashley's eyes narrowed. "I'm pretty sure she won't be proud seeing those bruises on your face."
"I know," he replied shortly. "I'll be back later. Don't wait up." And with that, he stepped out and shut the main door behind him.
As Ashton walked out into the yard, he dialed Darwin's number.
The call connected on the second ring.
"You have no idea what trouble you saved me from," Ashton muttered as he stepped onto the sidewalk.
"What?" Darwin asked, puzzled.
"Nothing. I'll explain later. I'm going on a date with Jenny."
There was a second of silence before Darwin responded, "Again?"
"Yeah."
A loud laugh echoed through the line. "Damn. But you can't dodge the allegations though."
Ashton raised a brow. "What allegations?"
"Nigga, you gold digger."
"Shut the hell up."
Darwin cackled on the other end. "Alright bro, I'm in the middle of a match. Best of luck with your expensive dinner. Enjoy."
"Thanks, man. Bye."
Ashton hung up and slipped his wireless earbuds in, the world muffling down to soft background noise. Pulling out his phone, he opened a cab-hailing app and quickly booked a ride.
He then dialed Jenny.
She picked up almost instantly.
"Hello hello, Miss Jenny—where are you?" he said, slipping into a softer tone.
"Hey," her voice crackled through the buds. "I'm just in the elevator."
"So…" he asked, grinning faintly, "where are we going?"
"There's a restaurant nearby—uh, what was the name again? Oh, right! Gloria."
Ashton's grin froze.
Gloria. One of the most upscale, fine-dining places in the entire city.
Of course, it had to be Gloria.
He swallowed hard. "Nice choice, Jenny. Just give me a few more minutes. I'm grabbing a taxi."
Jenny giggled. "I'm only waiting because the one making me wait is Ashton Blackwell."
He chuckled, though his heart was pounding. "I'm sorry, Miss Jenny. Your knight was… busy in battle."
"Ooh, what kind of battle?" she asked curiously.
"You'll see," he said with a sly smirk—but his voice caught briefly as he leaned toward the driver's window.
"Yeah, the OTP is… 0942," he told the cab driver. "Beaumont Apartments first, then Gloria."
"Hello?" Jenny said, "What happened?"
"Yeah—sorry, I was just telling the cab guy the location," he said, pulling the door shut behind him. "What were we saying?"
"You were telling me about some battle?"
Ashton rubbed the back of his neck, leaning into the seat. "Yeah, you'll find out when you see me."
"What?" she asked, confused.
He sighed. "I'm pretty sure you're not gonna like it. But… it is what it is."
There was a brief pause on the line.
"I don't understand," she said softly.
'She's definitely gonna be disappointed seeing me like this…'