Free Hooked by Audra Cole, Bella Love-Wins

Brandon’s house and the airport. I let myself sink into the sadness, not even trying to give myself a pep talk or some positive thinking mumbo jumbo.
    It’s nearly midnight when I land in Seattle. I pull out my cell phone and start to text Ashley but then decide against it. I delete the message and put the phone back in my pocket.
    If I tell her I’m here and heading to her house it will only bring up questions and I’m too tired and emotionally drained to even begin to explain what happened.
    It doesn’t seem possible to untangle the mess of emotions that are tightly wrapped around me. Especially not through a series of text messages.
    I get a rental car and start driving to Ashley’s house. On the long drive there, I blast the radio, trying to drown out my thoughts before they drown me.
    An hour later I pull up outside Ashley’s house. Even though it’s one in the morning, the light in the living room is still turned on. I smile as I picture her bent over her worktable, sketching.
    Before getting out of the car I call Brandon, as promised, to tell him I arrived safely. He doesn’t answer the phone. I call back again and still get his voicemail. I leave a short message and hang up.
    I take a deep breath and exit the car. I leave my bags and go up to the front door. I ring the bell and then take a step back, wondering how she will react at seeing me here, unannounced.
    “Charity? What are you doing here?” Ashley says as she flings open the door.
    As soon as I see her I lose all control and start sobbing. A look of panic flashes on Ashley’s face. She wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me inside the house.
    She leads me to the living room and pushes a pile of clothing off the side of the couch to clear a space for me. I plop down and lean back into the full cushions.
    “What happened?” Ashley repeats, sitting across from me on the ottoman.
    “Ugh, Ash, it’s such a mess,” I say, laying my head back.
    “Wasn’t tonight the banquet?” she asks as she takes a moment to glance over my appearance. I tried my best to fix myself up a little at the airport, but I know I probably still look ridiculous. My makeup is heavy and smudged, and I look like I have two black eyes.
    I nod and let out a sigh that ends up sounding more like a groan.
    As if reading my mind she rises from her seat. “Let me get you some blankets. We can sort everything out in the morning.”
    “Thank you,” I answer, sinking low onto the couch, curling into a ball.
     
    ***
     
    “All right sleeping beauty. Enough is enough. You gotta get up.”
    “Ash,” I whine, before opening one eye. 
    “I come bearing gifts,” she says, holding up a paper bag. I recognize the logo from the café I used to work at.
    “I’m not hungry,” I say, burying my face into the pillow.
    “When was the last time you ate?” Ashley asks, suspiciously.
    “I don’t know. I think I had a baggie of peanuts on the plane last night.”
    “Charity, come on, sit up,” she pleads. “Please eat something.”
    I push myself up and sit cross-legged on the couch. I pull the bag towards me and peek inside to see a pile of pastries. I shake my head. “Ash, what are you trying to do? The tabloids already think I’m fat!” I say, pushing the bag away.
    “What!” she screeches. “What are you talking about? Is that why you’re here?”
    I shake my head. “No, well, not really.”
    She plops on the ottoman again and grabs a scone from the bag and starts nibbling at the corners. “Then what happened yesterday? Did you and Brandon break up?”
    “I don’t know,” I answer. I hang my head and rub at my temples, my head throbbing. “I just kind of snapped.”
    “Snapped? Oh boy…”
    In reality it has been less than twenty-four hours since I last spoke with Ashley, but with everything that has happened, it seems like a lot longer. I never told her how much the negative media attention shook me up. It’s hard to know where to start, as I replay the