245 Jackson at the FD Studio 2

Jackson observed Sabrina's face for a few seconds before speaking: "I see you have bodyguards."

"Yes. Max thought that I am too carefree considering my identity. Now that he is about to take over the company, he is facing different issues and he fears that I might be implicated.", Sabrina lied with a straight face. She is used to pretending with Jackson in public, so it came naturally.

Jackson nodded in understanding. Her story makes sense.

"They stopped me from coming to see you. Did they stop him as well?" Jackson gestured with his chin behind Sabrina.

In slow motion, Sabrina turned in the direction Jackson pointed.

'Oh, shit!', she cursed internally when she saw Ashton looking at her with an unreadable expression.

She wondered, how long is Ashton standing there? It does not matter if it's three minutes or three seconds, it can't be a pleasant sight to see her so close to Jackson. She took a step away from Jackson while thinking how to respond to the bodyguard question without alarming Jackson: "Ashton is an employee."

Jackson narrowed his eyes at Ashton while speaking to Sabrina. "So, he can get close to you, while I can't?"

Sabrina gritted her teeth. "Don't say such ambiguous things. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, please leave. I am busy and I don't have time for casual chit-chat."

"I understand…" Jackson threw a glare at Ashton before walking out of the studio.

When Jackson was out of sight, Sabrina realized that she is holding the flowers.

"Nicole, please get rid of these…", Sabrina placed the bouquet of roses between two lamps which are on the shelf for display and walked toward Ashton.

"Ashton…", she called while reaching to hold his hand. She can see that his hands are balled into fists.

Ashton moved to avoid her touch and inhaled a choppy breath. "Rina, I am sorry. I need some time to think things through…" In three swift steps, he made a half-circle around Sabrina and headed toward the exit.

With every step he took, Sabrina felt her world collapsing. "Ashton!"

Ashton paused his steps.

"Please. I need to cool off. If we talk now, it will not end well.", he said without looking at her.

Sabrina watched Ashton walk out of the studio and her legs refused to move. The sharp pain in her chest was paralyzing and even her lungs were unable to process enough air and the whole place was spinning, but this time, Ashton was not by her side to be her anchor. She dragged herself to her office and plopped on her chair. Now what?

Outside…

Ashton's head is buzzing as he walks down the street in a daze.

He came out of Delphine's office and peeked into Sabrina's only to find it empty. He was not sure if it's appropriate to sit there by himself or not, so he went to the main area of the studio to wait for her. And Sabrina might be there.

He reached just in time to hear Sabrina reject Jackson's offer for lunch. Ashton wondered, why is Jackson there? Didn't Sabrina say that Jackson does not come to her work?

In the next moment, Jackson's eyes landed on him and he saw Jackson smile smugly as he approached Sabrina and kissed her cheek.

Ashton didn't expect that the sight of Jackson being close to Sabrina will impact him so much. It was like a thousand needles piercing his heart, at the same time. And then Sabrina called him an employee. Well, she didn't lie, he accepted a job in her design studio, but somehow… he thought that he is more than that.

'How stupid of me…', Ashton thought. He knew that Sabrina is with Jackson and the smart thing was to stay away from her because it can't end well.

So, what if she is having issues in a relationship? Sabrina and Jackson are together for such a long time, that there is a high chance they will make up. And where does that leave him? Did he really think that he will have a happy ending with Sabrina? Ashton shook his head at his foolish thoughts. He got carried away and made a mistake by coming close to Sabrina. Too close. She is now part of him, and just the thought of separating from her is agonizing. He really messed up this time.

"Hey!", a loud call pulled Ashton out of his thoughts.

He turned toward the voice and saw that a few steps away from him, in an alley, Jackson is leaning against the wall and holding onto a lit cigarette.

Jackson's eyes moved over Ashton, assessing him silently before he spoke: "You are Hunter's buddy. Ashton. Right?"

Ashton nodded. "Is there a reason you stopped me?"

Jackson took a drag of the cigarette and exhaled lazily. "I saw you at the party that my in-laws organized. And I see you here now."

Ashton's lips twitched when Jackson called Sabrina's parents in-laws. He told himself to stay cool. "So?"

Jackson narrowed his eyes. "I see how you are looking at Rina. She is out of your league, and she is taken."

Ashton's brows furrowed. "Anything else? I have things to do."

Jackson exhaled smoke. "Know your place and you will have a peaceful life."

Ashton didn't respond. He turned and continued walking. He didn't know where he is going, but he knew that he needs to go somewhere far away. Somewhere he can think.

He does not need Jackson to remind him that Sabrina is out of his league. Sabrina is out of everyone's league.

Jackson can't intimidate Ashton, but what scares Ashton is the fact that he fell too hard for Sabrina, and that was not supposed to happen. Because she is taken, and she is too good for him, and just how he feared… it hurts.

At this point, the only comfort Ashton finds is that he and Sabrina didn't go beyond kissing and hugging. And that is not much of a comfort.

Ashton's phone rang and he saw that it's Sabrina.

He looked at his phone and contemplated if he should answer or not. What will she say? That she wants him to come back, or that she thought about everything and that they should keep their distance from each other? Regardless of what it is, he wants to hear her voice, and to hold her in his arms, but… he should not go there. Even if every cell in his body is screaming for her proximity, he should know better than to touch the forbidden fruit.

He turned off his phone and continued walking.

…

~ Seattle, Ashton's apartment ~

Saturday

9:52 AM

Ashton woke up in his apartment.

When he moved his things to Sabrina's apartment on Tuesday, he moved the clothes and toiletries and some other things, but the furniture is still here.

Ashton returned to his small studio where he spent the last few years of his life, but he never had such a horrible night. He struggled to sleep, and he was tossing and turning and even went for a run twice… but nothing helped to ease the pain he feels.

He finally slept off after sunrise, probably due to mental exhaustion and he has no idea what time it is.

He drowsily reached for his phone and saw that it's off. That provided fresh mental flashes of the previous day on the street, turning off his phone, and Sabrina and Jackson and again he was pulled into an abyss of desperation.

Ashton turned on his phone and as soon as the OS loaded, the notifications started coming in, startling him out of his daze. He wondered if there was some catastrophe, why else would he get all these missed calls and texts?

His heart ached when he saw that most of them are from Sabrina. Twenty-three missed calls and fifty-four unread messages.

Ashton tapped to see the messages and they were mostly of the same content: she is worried and wants to talk to him. Based on the timestamps, she didn't get much sleep either.

He cursed himself internally. If he turned on his phone last night, he would see how desperate she is to talk to him, and he would at least let her know that he is OK. No matter what, he does not want to make Sabrina worried… and what did he do? He walked away and told her to give him space and turned off his phone. If that is not childish, then nothing is. Very irresponsible. Since when is running away going to solve anything? And he is not a guy who runs away from problems.

Ashton took a few deep breaths and dialed Sabrina's number.

He counted. Two rings… three rings… four… Anxiousness swelled inside him. What if something happened? She would not do something stupid, would she?

"Yes?"

Sabrina's drowsy voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts.

"Hey…"

Sabrina sat on the bed abruptly. "Ashton?"

"Yeah… Listen, I am sorry that I didn't call earlier. My phone was off and…"

"That's OK. No need to explain.", Sabrina said in a shaky voice. "If one of us needs to explain anything, that would be me. Can we talk? Please?"

Ashton took a deep breath and hesitated. It's not that he does not want to talk, but he fears where that would lead. Will she tell him that it's over? Or will she tell him to stay? Which one of those is worse? Sure, Sabrina said that she will break up with Jackson, but Ashton does not see that happening in the near future. Shouldn't he keep his distance until she is available? What if that does not happen? Is it better to suffer now, than to live off her breadcrumbs and to suffer later? Is a little borrowed happiness worth increased misery later?

"Ashton?", Sabrina's voice reminded him that he is on the phone. "Please, give me a chance to tell you the truth…"

He agreed against his reason telling him not to. "I will be at your place at noon..."

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