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Ashley ignored all the attempts at reassurance from her friends. She loved them dearly, and while she did definitely appreciate their efforts, she just wanted to be left alone.
In a hurry, she gathered up all of her belongings and left the arena. She didn't have a segment or match scheduled, so as far as she knew, it was okay to do that.
Counting her lucky stars she hadn't rode to the arena with one of the girls, Ashley quickly located her rental. In an instant, she had her bag in the back and got into the driver's seat. She had to steel herself for a moment, her eyes closing as she caught her breath. Somehow managing to hold it together, she put the key in the ignition and took off.
She cursed under her breath, still disbelieving what had happened less than a half-hour earlier. How in the world could Matt possess such unabashed nerve?
Ashley's grip on the steering wheel suddenly became so tight, her knuckles went white. She was so angry, and she knew she had to get hold of her emotions, as she'd just realized she was speeding. Thankfully, her driving wasn't going erratic, but she tried to pace herself, telling herself it wouldn't be worth getting a ticket over anger at her asshole of an ex-boyfriend.
In minutes, she was back at the hotel. By the time she was out of the car and toting her bag toward the building, her emotions shifted. She knew she would just completely break down the moment she reached her room. And so, she rushed to get there.
Hurriedly, the slim blonde made it to her hotel room. Her fingers fumbled clumsily with the keycard as she fished it out of her purse. Once steady, she swiped it through the door and crossed the threshold in a speedy manner. She was just beginning to cry as she flipped the lights on, then crossed over to the bed as she felt around for her cell phone.
Damn him to hell! she thought with so much bitterness. Why had she ever even remained friends with him after the breakup? With friends like Matt Hardy, she didn't need any enemies!
Hastily, she dialed the number of the only person in the world she wanted to speak with at that moment. A single tear trickled its way down her left cheek as she listened to the phone ringing on the other end.
Oh, please be there! she silently wished. Please pick up!
The answer came on the third ring.
"Hello?"
She couldn't even speak for a beat, her emotions getting the better of her at the sound of his voice.
"Hello? Is someone there?" he repeated.
"J-Jeff..." she moaned in a surprisingly soft voice.
"Ash... Oh, no. Baby, what's wrong?"
Her bottom lip quivered, and she hated herself for crying. What was wrong with her? Matt was most definitely not worth her tears. Why did she allow him to get to her so badly? And besides, she and Jeff were not ashamed of their relationship, or of loving each other. The only reason they'd kept the relationship a secret was all because of Matt.
"Y-Your brother," she murmured. She reached up to her face with her free hand, lightly wiping away the tears. "He caused a scene not much earlier... confronted me about us." She sniffled and heard Jeff sigh.
"Oh, did he?"
The blonde could hear the annoyance in her boyfriend's voice. She spilled her guts then, not omitting a thing Matt had said to her. She wished he were right there with her at that moment, wished he could just envelope her in his arms and kiss her. He would make her feel so much better with so little effort.
"You know what I predict?" he suddenly asked, pulling her out of her small reverie. He continued without waiting for her to respond. "I predict that I'll be payin' my big brother a little visit when he gets back home on Wednesday. He had no right to confront you, especially in the way that he did!" He was silent for a beat as he knew his girlfriend was so distraught. Then, "Sweetie, I'm so sorry... I'm sorry for what you're goin' through right now. Where are you?"
"I'm at the hotel."
Jeff was surprised by that answer. He figured she would still be at the arena, as it was kind of early.
"This early?" he asked softly.
Ashley took a deep breath before answering him.
"Yeah. I didn't have anything scheduled tonight, so I just skipped out of there." She sniffled and reached over for a tissue from the box on the nearby nightstand. "I know it was probably wrong of me to do that, but I couldn't stick around - not after what Matt did," she choked out.
Damn it, the young man thought. He really did wish he could be with her right then to comfort her. It was exactly where he should be.
"Hang in there, Ash," he said. "It won't be long before you get back here."
"I know... and I can hardly wait," she agreed. "I'd better go. I'm gonna get ready for bed and turn in early tonight."
"Okay," Jeff said, reluctance in his tone. "Sleep well. I love you, Ash."
She smiled in spite of her tears.
"I love you, too."
The conversation ended, and Ashley put her phone aside as she rose. She wiped at her face with the backs of her hands, fully intent on heading for the bathroom to wash up. However, there was suddenly light knocking on her hotel room door.
She held her breath as she walked over, hoping beyond hope that it was not Matt who was out there. A quick peek through the peephole told her it was thankfully not him at all. She opened the door.
"Hey," the kind voice of Candice spoke, the brunette eyeing her softly. "Ash, I know you didn't want to be bothered, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
The blonde smiled a little, nodding. It really did touch her that the brunette cared so much.
"I'm okay... Thanks. You can come in if you want."
Candice crossed the threshold and sat on the edge of the bed. Ashley joined her and sighed. The two were silent for a moment until the brunette took the plunge.
"Is it true? I mean, it's none of my business, and you don't have to tell me..." Her voice trailed off.
"About me and Jeff? Yeah, it is."
"Oh. Wow," Candice said. She didn't say so aloud, but she thought the two would really make a cute couple. "How long?"
"We've been dating about a month and a half now," the blonde said.
"Well... I hope he's treating you well."
"He is," Ashley revealed, and this time, a bright smile crossed her face. "He's amazing. And I'm so in love with him. In fact, I just got off the phone with him before you came."
Candice was smiling as she eyed her friend. She hadn't seen the blonde this happy about a boyfriend in awhile.
"He loves me," Ashley went on. "We just became such good friends, and it blossomed into more." She told the other woman about the day things had gotten physical, and she was glowing as she related the story. "Jeff is about as 180 degrees the opposite of his brother," she concluded.
"Thank God for small favors!" Candice cracked.
"Oh, tell me about it!"
The pair laughed, and Ashley was definitely feeling better. She hugged Candice moments later as the brunette left
for the night.