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Ashley shook her head in frustration as she hung up and flipped her cell phone to a close. It was no use - he wasn't going to answer. Something was definitely up.
Matt wasn't answering his cell phone. Given the fact that he didn't have an event right at that very moment, and that it wasn't the wee hours of the morning, when he would be asleep, the blonde found that suspicious. But it was the same old song and dance.
The cell phone that was still clutched in her left hand abruptly began ringing, startling her. Ashley blinked and stared down at its display, then felt some measure of surprise at who was calling.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Ashley. It's Amy," the other woman said genially.
"Yeah, I know. How are you?"
"I'm all right. I should be asking *you* that question," came the reply. "How's your leg holding up?"
Ashley glanced down at her still injured leg, now in a slightly smaller cast than she'd had in previous months.
"It's okay," she answered. "I just wish it were better by now."
"I know how it is... You're just itching to get up and come back."
"And just plain *itching*," the blonde complained.
They both laughed, and it was the first time that day that Ashley had done that. Amy felt bad that she was about to dampen her new friend's mood with the mention of something not too pleasant.
"Listen, I have to tell you something, Ash... It's about Matt."
The blonde diva's heart began racing. So, this was it... The redhead was going to break some big news to her. She knew it from the tone of her voice. She wondered if Amy had been the one Matt had been running around with after all. And then, she felt awful for such thoughts. Amy was a great person, one she definitely considered a friend over the last couple of months. She wouldn't do that. Besides, she was with Adam, and she loved him. She knew the redhead would never do anything to betray the tall blond Canadian.
"Wh-What is it?" Her voice shook.
Amy sighed before continuing.
"I saw Matt the other day," she revealed. "He came by to see me."
Ashley felt as though a wrecking ball had just smashed into her stomach. So, her initial instincts were in fact correct? That was what was going on? Matt was seeing his ex-girlfriend? She didn't know what to say.
"I... see."
"Ash, he thinks you're messing around on him and accused *me* of 'putting stuff in your head!'"
"What?"
"I don't know what his problem is, but he seems obsessed. He bothered me for months - calling me, approaching me when Adam's not around - to spend time with him. I finally agreed to hang out just for a little while, and he grilled me about you."
Ashley frowned, though of course her friend couldn't see it. But Amy continued.
"I think he's still very bitter over the way we ended, and he thinks you're going to do the same thing I did."
"What exactly did he say to you?"
"He asked me if you've been spending time with guys, Ash," the redhead said. "And he said, 'I *know* there's another man.'"
"Oh." The blonde didn't quite know what to say. Even after experiencing the third degree from Matt directly, it blew her away that he could subject her to it through someone else. And not *just* someone else, but his ex-girlfriend. It was madness.
"To be perfectly honest, I was sorry I agreed to see him," Amy admitted. "I only gave in to get him out of my hair." She paused for a beat, then spoke again. "By the way... How's Lucas?"
The blonde winced slightly. These days, she regretted the times she wasn't over at Matt's for one reason and one reason only. Lucas. The dog got plenty of attention when she was there - from *her*. Matt was a different story. Mostly, he seemed to ignore the little dog.
"Well, he seemed okay when I was at Matt's the other day."
"'Seemed' okay? What do you mean? Why wouldn't he *be* okay?"
Ashley swallowed hard. She knew how much the other woman loved animals - to the point that she had her own charity, A.D.O.R.E. - and how very much she loved Lucas in particular. This wouldn't be easy to say, but it would be even more difficult to hear.
"Amy, Matt hardly pays any attention to him. He snaps at him when he does."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, but Ashley could hear the other diva taking a deep breath. She knew Amy must have been about to lose her temper.
"So, he's neglecting my dog, is he? He's mistreating him?"
"Y-Yeah, I would say that." Ashley's head then nearly spun from the string of colorful curses she heard on the other end. She knew Amy would be mad, but wow!
The conversation didn't last much longer after that. The women agreed to get together very soon, and the redhead told the blonde to take care of her leg. After that, they hung up.
Ashley fiddled with her cell phone, staring down at it as she pondered an attempt to call Matt again. The way she saw it, why should she even bother? Clearly, he wasn't interested in taking her calls. She would speak to him again when he deemed her worthy enough to call. She sighed.
The ringing of her doorbell suddenly startled and surprised her. She was not at all thrilled by the thought that it was probably Matt. She pushed herself up off the couch, grabbed her crutches and hobbled over to the door. Whoever was paying her a visit obviously knew about her injury. The fact that they didn't ring the bell again as she took awhile to answer told her that much.
Ashley smiled as she caught a glimpse of her visitor through the peephole in the door. A slew of butterflies suddenly came to life, fluttering away in her stomach. She opened the door with a bright grin, noticing the bouquet of flowers he clutched in his right hand.
"Hi, Charlie!"