From the Ashes (Possessed 2.50)

“The girl’s damn near a fucking genius,” I mumble, amazed. Smart people are usually shy, introverted. By all indications, though, she has been queen bee in her life. Head cheerleader from middle school on. Her incarceration is confusing as fuck.

“You see why I’m curious now? Her records don’t match her record, yanno?” I understand what he’s saying.

“What about her parents?” I ask distractedly, going through her college transcripts. She was top of her class for the time she was there. I have to wonder how many other people knew she was this smart.

“Seem like decent folks. Dad comes from old money, the brother is the moneymaker now, though. Owns several companies. One that their mother has the most control over—interior design. Ms. Powers was a late in life child, not unwanted, but most assuredly, a surprise from what the brother has told me.”

I am not liking the picture being painted before me. I’ve never met the woman, and already, I have her pegged. How has no one else? How does no one see how broken she is? I can only imagine what prison has done to her.

“I’ll get to work in the next few days,” I inform Zach. Bastard knew I’d take it. “Don’t be fucking bugging me for updates, or I’ll walk.”

“Got it. Just don’t let her know you’re watching her. She gets tight-lipped when she thinks people are reporting on her.”

Just fucking great.

Hanging up with Zach, I have a gut feeling that Miss Ashley Powers is going to be a game changer. I’m just unsure how.

Ashley

He’s following me again. I don’t understand why. Since getting out of prison a month ago, I’ve set up a routine for myself. It began as a way to keep myself out of trouble. Not that I’ve had many opportunities since my release. I have no desire to contact any of my old friends so far, and honestly, I don’t think I plan to in the future. Keeping to myself seems to work best. Now it’s just become habit, almost comforting. No matter how hard I tried to stop, I found I couldn’t. It was the one thing I had complete control over, and I need that so badly right now.

For the last week, however, this man, a total “hotty mchottypants” has been everywhere. I don’t know if he’s trying to remain hidden, or if he wants me to know he’s there. I’m just over it.

I take an extra few minutes to place my order at Starbucks and even longer to mix my vanilla and cream into my drink. Once he’s sitting down, I wait until he diverts his eyes from me. Slipping through the employee entrance, I sneak to the front of the building, cross the street, and enter the bookstore to watch for him.

I need to know if he’s following me or not, and being sneaky seems to be the way to go. Less than a minute later, he comes running out the front door sans the coffee and muffin he bought, looking quite pissed off.

Ordinarily, I sit and drink my coffee. It’s how I prepare myself for the day. Unfortunately, getting up only to hang out with a bunch of prepubescent smartass teens isn’t always as fun as it sounds. After sleepless nights filled with nightmares, it’s becoming harder to get motivated.

The man looks aggravated as he searches up and down the street, presumably for me. Exiting my hiding place, I wait until his sight lands on me, but I’m not prepared for the impact. His deep blue gaze sears me to my soul, grabbing hold and damn near dragging me from my spot. I feel out of breath, and my stomach is doing flips. This can’t be happening.

Raising my coffee in salute, I walk away just as he smirks, knowing he’s been caught. My body hums with something akin to lust. I’ve never felt this kind of sucker punch before. The air literally gets knocked from my lungs, and I don’t particularly care for it.

I’m not ready to feel this way yet. I don’t know if I ever will be. I’ve done too much bad in my life to receive any good. I don’t think I’ll ever feel clean enough to experience the happiness I see in so many people around me.

With my thoughts already taking a dark turn, I know it’s going to be a bad day. Without a doubt, I will need a release at some point. I wish I didn’t. I can’t even say how it started or why, I just know it’s the only way to expel these turbulent emotions from my body.

I am so deep in thought that when a hand lands on my shoulder, my first instinct is to scream, so I do. Long and loud. I think I’ve pierced my own ear drums.

“Wooo, sorry. I tried to call to you, but I guess you didn’t hear me?” My hunky stalker holds his hands up in surrender, a look of shock crossing his features.

Raw from the emotions he evokes in me and not being able to deal with them right now, I snap at him. “What do you want?”

“Not a morning person, huh? Duly noted.” He laughs. When I don’t reciprocate, all humor fades from his demeanor. “I figured since I was caught, might as well Introduce myself.” He looks at me sheepishly enough.

“What exactly are you doing here?” I demand.

He mulls over my question like it’s that hard to answer. I think it’s simple enough. “Full disclosure?” he asks me.

Cocking my head to the side, I have to wonder if his momma dropped him on his skull. “No, please, lie to me.” God, I’m bitchy. My arms are itching with the need for release.

“Right, then. Zach hired me to follow you. Find out what th

e bad feeling he’s getting from you is.” Well, fuck. I wasn’t expecting that.

I know Zach doesn’t fully believe my happy-go-lucky persona. It’s exhausting, so I can’t blame him. I’m not happy. I’m fucking miserable. I hate getting up in the morning. I hate seeing the pity and shame in my parent’s eyes even though they say they forgive me. That they’re proud I’ve accepted my punishment with so much dignity. I’m fucking sick of seeing Landon and Cecilia so fucking happy. I’m just tired of everything and everyone in my life.

Might as well get his questions over with I guess. “What do you want to know?”