Ashley Cooper's Arc

Chapter 22 of 37

Danny had gone quiet after Mike ran out. All week he barely spoke to Ashley. She kept texting Mike, and he never wrote back. She sent nine messages. She watched the little screen for the three dots. They never came. Their new start had frozen before it began, and she didn't know why. Saturday morning Danny set a suitcase by the door. He wouldn't look at her. "You're going to your mother's for a while," he said. "I can't have that boy in this house, and I can't watch you chase him." "Dad, please. Just let me explain." Ashley's voice cracked. "I've heard enough." He handed her the bag. "Ricky's outside." The truck smelled like pine and old coffee. Ricky drove with one thick arm on the wheel. His red flannel hung open over a white shirt. He'd once told Ashley that winning through cruelty wasn't winning at all. Now he just glanced at her. "Your mom's real glad you're coming," he said. She didn't believe him. The hotel sat at the edge of town. The hallway carpet was stained brown. Cigarette smoke soaked the walls. Ashley heard something skitter behind the baseboard and stepped back. A roach crossed the doorway. Mandy opened the door in her sweater and jeans, lipstick perfect even here. She pulled Ashley into a hug. "Baby. I'm sorry it's like this." "It's fine," Ashley lied. She dropped her suitcase on the thin mattress. The room had one lamp and a smell she couldn't name. She told her mother everything. The kiss with Mike. Danny walking in. The nine dead texts. Mandy listened, sitting on the bed, holding Ashley's bone hand without flinching. "He's not ignoring you because he stopped caring," Mandy said. "He's scared of your father. That boy watched Danny throw him out twice. He thinks staying near you means war." Ashley stared at her phone. She'd been sending the wrong messages. Every text begged Mike to answer her. None of them told him the truth he was waiting for. She typed slowly. "My dad sent me away. I'm at the hotel now. You didn't cause this. I don't blame you, and I'm not asking you to fight my dad. I just wanted you to know I still choose you." She hit send before fear could stop her. The three dots appeared. Then vanished. Then came back. Ashley held her breath. Mike wrote back. "I ran because I thought I ruined your family. I didn't know what to say. Can I come see you?" Ashley's eyes stung. "Yes," she typed. "But my dad's the wall now, not you." Mandy read over her shoulder and squeezed her arm. "There. He never left. He just got lost." The stall was broken. Mike was answering again. But now Ashley faced a new problem she couldn't text her way out of. Her father had locked her out of her own home, and Danny stood between her and any future with Mike.