Sequel: *** Isn't My Case ›
It Was a Lie When They Smiled
Letting it out
Ashley’s POV
“Well, umm…” I mumbled, looking down. Mikey touched his finger to my chin and guided my face to his. He gave me a small kiss and I looked right into his eyes. I sighed and shifted so I could pull my cell phone out of my pocket. Leaning back on Mikey's shoulder, I pressed the right buttons until I'd gotten to all the text messages from The Creep. I handed my phone to Mikey and told him to read them.
As I waited for Mikey to explode, I nervously looked around the bus. Frank and Dee were still sleeping. I glanced over at Gerard and Kierstyn who had started a lip wrestling match. It wasn't fierce and lust-filled. Thank God they keep that kind of stuff to themselves. It was sweet.
I couldn't wait for their wedding, but I didn’t smile about it. I was too nervous about Mikey reading my stalker’s text messages. I gulped and looked back at Mikey. He looked completely emotionless, looked just like Gerard when he got extremely angry and needed--or wanted--to hold it in.
I stood and walked back to my bunk, knowing Mikey would follow.
“You could have told me,” Mikey said softly as he sat next to me.
“I know. I should have,” I replied.
“Is this what you were hiding from Dee and Kierstyn at breakfast before we left?” I nodded guiltily. Mikey grabbed my hand. “You should have told someone, anyone, instead of hiding it. Sweetie, I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I don’t want you getting hurt. I didn’t want anyone getting hurt. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Ashley, you know if you get hurt it’s gonna hurt all of us,” Mikey said pulling me into a hug. "But, I confess, I'd probably do the same thing."
I wrapped my arms around him. "That's one of the reasons I married you. You're overprotective."
He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my temple in return. “You've got to tell us these things,” he added.
“I will, next time,” I replied.
“Well, there’s not gonna be a next time.”
I pulled away from Mikey and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
He raised his eyebrows as well as he looked down at me. “We’re hunting this guy down. We’re gonna block any unknown numbers from calling or texting you. We’re gonna make it happen.”
I smiled and hugged Mikey. I also wondered why I hadn't thought of that before. MENTAL NOTE: Don't be a dumb-ass.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you, too." The response was so automatic. Almost on autopilot, though its meaning only grew with time. I found the right man.
Mikey stood and walked back into the living area. He explained everything while I held onto his arm and looked at the floor. He answered every question, even the ones clearly intended for me. He simply repeated what I told him, knowing I didn't want to answer any questions at the moment. I felt like on of those politician's wives that just stand there, looking around while their husband confesses to whatever wrong act he'd done.
Bob silently took out his phone and dialed three numbers. Betcha can't guess them.
911. No shit.
Mikey repeated the story to the lady, then handed the phone to me after saying, "Yes, ma'am, she's here." I took the phone and answered the expected questions.
What was the number the texts were sent from? Do you have any enemies? Have you ever seen this person?
There was no number. No. No, but he's stalking me.
---
My throat was sore. I gave the phone back to Bob, apologizing for using so many minutes. He said it was fine: Usual Bob.
Mikey sat down on the couch, pulling me back down beside him. He bent over and picked up a DVD case off the floor and threw it at Gerard. "You've made enough wedding plans for one night, bro. Let's all watch a movie, yeah?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
I knew Mikey simply didn't want to deal with anything else. Or let me deal with anything else for that matter. A movie would guide us to bed easily without talking about the day's events. He can be dominant when he wants to, as he was then. Everyone followed his gentle order and settled down. I knew the hidden anger was going to show sometime. Whether it was sooner or later.
Somehow I figured it wasn't coincidence that the title screen showed it was my favorite movie…
“Well, umm…” I mumbled, looking down. Mikey touched his finger to my chin and guided my face to his. He gave me a small kiss and I looked right into his eyes. I sighed and shifted so I could pull my cell phone out of my pocket. Leaning back on Mikey's shoulder, I pressed the right buttons until I'd gotten to all the text messages from The Creep. I handed my phone to Mikey and told him to read them.
As I waited for Mikey to explode, I nervously looked around the bus. Frank and Dee were still sleeping. I glanced over at Gerard and Kierstyn who had started a lip wrestling match. It wasn't fierce and lust-filled. Thank God they keep that kind of stuff to themselves. It was sweet.
I couldn't wait for their wedding, but I didn’t smile about it. I was too nervous about Mikey reading my stalker’s text messages. I gulped and looked back at Mikey. He looked completely emotionless, looked just like Gerard when he got extremely angry and needed--or wanted--to hold it in.
I stood and walked back to my bunk, knowing Mikey would follow.
“You could have told me,” Mikey said softly as he sat next to me.
“I know. I should have,” I replied.
“Is this what you were hiding from Dee and Kierstyn at breakfast before we left?” I nodded guiltily. Mikey grabbed my hand. “You should have told someone, anyone, instead of hiding it. Sweetie, I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I don’t want you getting hurt. I didn’t want anyone getting hurt. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Ashley, you know if you get hurt it’s gonna hurt all of us,” Mikey said pulling me into a hug. "But, I confess, I'd probably do the same thing."
I wrapped my arms around him. "That's one of the reasons I married you. You're overprotective."
He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my temple in return. “You've got to tell us these things,” he added.
“I will, next time,” I replied.
“Well, there’s not gonna be a next time.”
I pulled away from Mikey and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
He raised his eyebrows as well as he looked down at me. “We’re hunting this guy down. We’re gonna block any unknown numbers from calling or texting you. We’re gonna make it happen.”
I smiled and hugged Mikey. I also wondered why I hadn't thought of that before. MENTAL NOTE: Don't be a dumb-ass.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you, too." The response was so automatic. Almost on autopilot, though its meaning only grew with time. I found the right man.
Mikey stood and walked back into the living area. He explained everything while I held onto his arm and looked at the floor. He answered every question, even the ones clearly intended for me. He simply repeated what I told him, knowing I didn't want to answer any questions at the moment. I felt like on of those politician's wives that just stand there, looking around while their husband confesses to whatever wrong act he'd done.
Bob silently took out his phone and dialed three numbers. Betcha can't guess them.
911. No shit.
Mikey repeated the story to the lady, then handed the phone to me after saying, "Yes, ma'am, she's here." I took the phone and answered the expected questions.
What was the number the texts were sent from? Do you have any enemies? Have you ever seen this person?
There was no number. No. No, but he's stalking me.
---
My throat was sore. I gave the phone back to Bob, apologizing for using so many minutes. He said it was fine: Usual Bob.
Mikey sat down on the couch, pulling me back down beside him. He bent over and picked up a DVD case off the floor and threw it at Gerard. "You've made enough wedding plans for one night, bro. Let's all watch a movie, yeah?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
I knew Mikey simply didn't want to deal with anything else. Or let me deal with anything else for that matter. A movie would guide us to bed easily without talking about the day's events. He can be dominant when he wants to, as he was then. Everyone followed his gentle order and settled down. I knew the hidden anger was going to show sometime. Whether it was sooner or later.
Somehow I figured it wasn't coincidence that the title screen showed it was my favorite movie…