“Water would be good,” I reply as I spot Ashlyn standing in the doorway with her ugly, angry-looking cat hissing in her arms. Staring at me, her eyes fill with tears, and I hear Dillon curse right before she disappears behind his large frame as he wraps his arms around her. Watching the hairless cat drop to the floor and run out of sight, I stand here not sure what to do with myself. I’ve been friends with Ashlyn for a long time now, and I’ve never felt awkward around her before, but suddenly, it feels like she’s a stranger.
“I’m okay,” I hear her say, and it takes a second, but Dillon lets her go only to take hold of her face between his hands.
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” she replies with a nod, and he leans down, pressing a kiss to her forehead before letting her go and turning to look at me.
“I’ll get you some water.”
“Thanks,” I say as he turns to leave. Looking at Ashlyn, I hold the flowers out awkwardly toward her. “These—”
I don’t have a chance to finish my sentence. Before I can do little more than open my arms to prepare myself, she rushes across the room, engulfing me in a hug that takes me back a step.
“I’m so sorry, Kim, so, so sorry,” she whispers, and tears instantly fill my eyes as her words rush through me, leaving me off-balance once more.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” I murmur, closing my eyes. “None of this was your fault.”
“I just know you must hate me for not doing more, for not—”
“You were drugged and kidnapped from your bed in the middle of the night,” I cut her off, reminding both of us of what took place. Kelly had gone to that crazy man willingly. Ashlyn had not. She was an innocent victim. She didn’t deserve anything that happened. Not that Kelly deserved to be murdered by someone, but my sister’s lifestyle was full of careless acts that constantly got her into trouble.
“I just… I… I wish I could have done more,” she confides, pulling away, and I shake my head at her as she accepts the flowers from me. Setting the bouquet on the coffee table, she takes my hand and pulls me to the couch that is just as comfortable as it looks. Wiping away the wetness from my cheeks, I lift my head as Dillon comes back into the room offering us each a bottle of water before picking up the bouquet and leaving without a word.
Spinning off the top of the bottle, I take a sip before setting it down and looking at her. “Please don’t cry,” I plea quietly when I see tears falling from her eyes and down her cheeks in waves.
“I’m just glad you’re here.” She takes my hands and squeezes them tightly. “I thought you were dead. You don’t know how relieved I was when I found out that it was…” She pauses as the same guilt I’ve been feeling fills her eyes. Pulling in a breath, she moves her eyes past me and closes them. “I didn’t know her. I knew you had a twin, but I didn’t know it was her. I thought—”
“I know.” I squeeze her hands. “Did… did she say anything? Did you talk to her?” I ask, and her sorrowful eyes come back to me.
“No, when…” Her eyes close again before she opens them back up. “When I woke up, I heard her… I heard her…” She cuts off her own words and shakes her head like she wants to get rid of whatever memory she’s having. “He tossed her into the room with me. I was so out of it,” she whispers, and I hold on to her now shaking hands tighter. “I was asleep in bed with Dillon, then I was there. I couldn’t remember anything happening before that moment. I thought I was drunk. It felt like I was drunk. My head was pounding and everything was blurry. I didn’t know where I was. I thought I was dreaming.”
“Ash,” I whisper.
“I saw her. She was barely alive. I thought she was you, and I knew I needed to get free to get us both out of there, but he came back,” she explains, and my own hands start to shake from the fear I hear in her voice. “He…” Her eyes fill with distress, and she visibly shivers. “I passed out, and when I woke up, I was free. I…” She forces me to let her hands go then pulls me in for a hug. “I checked on her, but she was already gone. I was too late. She was already gone. She freed me before she—” Her voice cracks as she sobs, and my chest aches with her unspoken words. “She saved me,” she whispers. “Because of her, I was able to get away from him.”