12 Reality Bites
12 Reality Biten
12 Reality Bites
(Jayden)
| hear screams and | see people gathered near the bathroom doors.
Wait, is that Winona? | rushed over. What the hell has happened? Ashlyn is on the floor and Winona is standing
over her.
| see Phillip moving quickly towards them too and many eyes are interested.
Damn it. It will be all over the media channels tomorrow.
Now I'm close enough to hear Ashlyn's words.
"| didn't know it was yours. I'm sorry! Please don't pushagain!" Ashlyn pleads.
| see Winona roll her eyes. "Push you? | should kick your ass, is what | should do." Winona says. "But honestly |
can't be bothered wasting the energy on either of you." Winona glares at me.
"Ashlyn? What happened?" | ask but my eyes are still locked with Winona's.
Ashlyn sobs her words. "She snatched the necklace fromand pushedover. She's a bitch. She hates me."
| help Ashlyn up and see the nail marks on her neck. "What the actual fuck are you doing attacking my Fiancée?"
I demand.
Winona looks surprisingly calm. She just shakes her head. "Jayden, Ashlyn needs help. She's done this to herself.
| know you don't remember but the dress she's wearing is almost the sas the one she helped pick out
for prom. That night was very special to you and I.*
A tiny hint of a red dress and gorgeous eyes, Winona's eyes, skirts around my brain. Is it a memory? Maybe.
I'm so confused now.
Phillip is by Winona's side, his arm around her. | hate that.
Winona looks atand reaches out her hand. "Here..."
| reach out my hand and she drops the broken necklace Ashlyn wore tonight into my palm.
"I didn't want it when | graduated, and | really don't want it now," Winona says. "Phillip, | think I'd like to take me
hnow please."
"Of course." He says and his protective arm guides her away.
you
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThey walk off and I'm not sure how | feel. | want to be angry, to defend Ashlyn, but | stare at the necklace. and
my head starts to hurt again. "Go out with me!"
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? Every girl in this school wants to hear those words from me."
12 Realty Bites
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"Well, not this one."
The pain subsided a little and then....I swear it's like a fuzzy dream inside my head.
Her eyes are younger. Winona's eyes.
She looked so determined not to dateback then. | almost walked off, defeated but there was a sadness
inside her eyes. I'd noticed it before when she didn't know | was watching her. That's why she got my attention
at school. | feel a hand on my arm, squeezing.
"What are you thinking about?" Ashlyn bringsback to the present. "Are you okay, Jayden?"
"I think | need to go hand rest. We both do." | wonder if | should call Mother about Ashlyn. Cto think of
it, Ashlyn had been acting differently since Mom went on vacation. Maybe they'd had a fight or
something.
"1 swear Winona did this to me. I didn't know that necklace was one you'd given her for graduation. She just
snatched it back. She wants to snatch you back. Look how hard she tried before."
| comfort Ashlyn by placing my arm around her shoulders because | think she's very fragile at the moment.
Something deep insideknows what happened. At least I'm pretty sure | know.
"I don't think that's true, Ashlyn. While | don't remember giving Winona that necklace, | do remember her in a
red dress, almost the sas you're wearing now, when we went to prom. Why would you wear something so
similar tonight?" "No. It's just a coincidence, | swear. | know you love red."
"Regardless, if you can't trust my love for you, no matter what you think Winona is here for, what does that say
about our relationship? It's becoming more and more clear in my head what | need to do.
Ashlyn was always the jealous type. But | never thought she'd be capable of this level of ridiculousness. | mean
even if | did remember anything about Winona and I, our relationship is water under the bridge. We've all moved
on. | loved Ashlyn enough to want to marry
her.
Now, I'm hurt and confused. | admit Winona had been in my thoughts a lot lately and not as a memory. As a
strong independent woman that she is now. | admired her talent and her hard work this week.
She is the best at what she does, and the entire office is buzzing about how amazing she is now. Those who
knew her before are saying she is so much better since she left and made her own life. I'm not supposed to know
that, but | made sure | found out what the gossip
was.
I'm not sure what she was like before but | can see what | saw in her when | married her. | feel mother is just
blased against her and as she and Ashlyn spend so much ttogether, maybe they've been working together
hoping I don't remember and want to be with Winona again.
Perhaps I'd better look into the evidence of the drugging a little closer.
| can't trust Ashlyn now and trust is
everything. | get that she sees
Winona as a threat but if she can't
believe that | love hi regardless of
FA aepaerhéinb r, then | need to
rethink my relationship status. "This
is not acceptable, Ashlyn. | loved you.
| wanted to marry you. Even
remembering anything about Winona
wouldn't have changed that. But you
don't trust in my love, You're
threatened by her and | do The
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12 Reality Bites
think you need professional help."
"No. No, I'm fine. | promise. I'm sorry. | just wasn't thinking. | love you, Jayden. Please, you must understand."
I'm on edge now and | raise my voice a little. "If you love and trustso much, just tellthe truth, Ashlyn!
Did Winona push you over to get the necklace back?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAshlyn shook her head. "No. I did it. | just need to be sure she isn't going to trick you into loving her again. I'm so
sorry, Jayden. It was wrong of me. I'll apologize to Winona."
"It's not her tricks that will makelove her, but your tricks that will stopfrom loving you."
"No! Don't say that. | promise this is the only time. | got carried away. It wasn'tdrugging you to get you into
bed again. It was her!"
"I'm not sure who | believe anymore. I'll let mother know you'll need to stay at her place until | get myself
sorted."
‘| don't want that. | want to be with
you. | got carried away. I've loved you
for so long. You and(inora fad’
Iqrerevaryéheias jealous of. We all
wanted the same. Can't we just start
over?" | cannot see us getting back
from here." The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
"You want her back, don't you?"
"This has nothing to do with me
wanting Winona, Why can't you just
forget about her and heap ith
er pate an listening to
yself and deciding what | really
want out of life." "What are you
saying Jayden? The wedding is still
on, isn't it?" The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
"I think we should take a break." | say as | walk away. "The wedding is off."
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13 Protecting What's Mine