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Two days later
Jeff kicked the trash can in his kitchen, thoroughly disgusted with himself. He tore loosely at his hair as he realized just how weak a person he was. He had succumbed yet again.
He needed help. He knew that inside and out. The company hadn't suspended him for nothing. He sat down and reached a hand out, his fingers just touching the telephone's receiver. He toyed with the idea of calling Matt, but then wondered why he would want to put himself in such a position. His brother wouldn't help him, he would post another 'cryptic' blog about him on MySpace!
The young man's mind made up, he yanked the receiver and dialed. Pressing the device to his ear, he inwardly prayed for an answer.
"Hello?" a sleepy voice spoke.
"Hi, Ash."
"Jeff? What is it? Why are you calling so early?"
He ran his free hand through his hair.
"I need help... I-I did a real stupid thing this mornin'."
Suddenly, the woman on the other end was wide awake. She needed no further explanation.
"I'll come right over," she promised.
Jeff didn't have to wait long as Ashley took only ten minutes to arrive. She rang the doorbell to the minute, and he rushed to let her in.
Their eyes met the moment the door opened, his slightly bloodshot and unfocused. Hers were flooded with concern.
"Oh, my God... Jeff, what did you do?"
The rainbow-haired man led her by the wrist, which he loosely held onto, showing her the nearly empty bottle.
"Percocet... Painkillers?" the blonde asked in a soft, worried tone. "Were you in pain from a past injury?"
"Nope. That's the thing... I took 'em and didn't need 'em." His words were a tiny bit slurred, which she hadn't noticed when they were on the phone earlier.
Ashley's expression reflected her disappointment.
"Oh, Jeff."
He nearly cried upon seeing such a look cross those lovely features. At that very moment, he realized that she was just about the last person he would want to give him such a look. He didn't want to disappoint her.
"Ash..." Jeff edged closer to the pretty blonde, his hand coming up to her cheek. She didn't move a muscle to get away from him, and he allowed his fingers to stroke the soft, smooth skin. He marveled at the feel of it. "... I'm sorry."
She stared deeply into his eyes and nodded, not moving or avoiding the physical contact. Instead, she put her arms around him.
"I know, Jeff... I know." She felt tears wanting to come forth from behind her eyelids, hating to see the otherwise strong but sensitive young man this way. Jeff Hardy was exactly what veteran RAW announcer Jim "JR" Ross had always dubbed him - an enigma. He was strange and beautiful and unique... and Ashley could no longer deny her attraction toward him. They were so alike on many different levels, and it sort of scared her. He was her ex-boyfriend's brother, yet the two were polar opposites of one another. And she knew she had developed feelings for Jeff over the last few weeks.
"I-I need help, Ash," he said again, his voice heavily tinged with despair. His hand moved from her face, and he was now holding her as she was him.
Ashley winced at his emotion.
"Do you want me to help?" she asked uncertainly. She wasn't a therapist or counselor, but she was definitely willing to get him into rehab. She would do everything and anything she could to help this man.
Instead of responding with words, Jeff suddenly burst into tears. Sobs wracked his body as he hugged the diva closer, so tightly that she could barely breathe. Ashley didn't dare pull back or complain, however, and she felt her tears finally spill forth. She held him tightly, her hands running up and down his back.
Finally, she allowed herself to speak again.
"I'm here, Jeff... I'm here, and as long as you need me, I won't go anywhere." She held him back and gazed into his eyes as she spoke. She meant every word she'd said. Whatever it took, she would be right there with him, for him.
The young man nodded, still holding her. His eyes focused somewhat better than before, he mouthed a response to her.
"Thank you." Even in his painkiller haze, he was perfectly able to wonder how Matt had managed to screw things up with this adorable, precious woman. She was an absolute gem. He mentally vowed to himself that, should he succeed in getting help, and getting clean, and he was so fortunate as to get a chance with her, he wouldn't blow it.
Ashley knew from Matt that Jeff had gone to a rehab center before, a few years prior. He had done well afterward until falling off the wagon again all this time later. She wanted to help him contact the place again.
Leading him to the living room couch, she sat beside him. He seemed reluctant not to touch her, as though he were trying to draw strength from her form.
"Jeff... The treatment center you went to a few years back - what was it called?"
He told her, then retrieved their number, which he still had in his cell phone's memory book.
Ashley stared at the display, absorbing the ten digits in her mind. She was about to make the call herself, but the young man stopped her.
"No - let me do that."
As he took the phone from her, Ashley felt such warmth rush through her. She knew how tough this was for Jeff, but he knew he had to take those first few baby steps to get any farther. And she couldn't have been more proud of him.
She sat back, cross-legged, as she watched and listened to him.