Katherine's POV

An ominous boom startled me out of my abysmal nightmare.

My cheeks are wet and my body is bathed in cold sweat. The sheets are twisted around my limbs, probably because i was thrashing in my sleep.

My heart pounded harder in my chest as the remnants of that nightmare still clung to my mind, hunting me.

I sat up and wiped the tears away as I tried to fix my hair.

I heard footsteps and a door closing, was Cara out ?

I was about to get up and check when the door of my room opened , Cara peeked inside and when she spotted me she gave me a small smile.

"You're awake." She said and i just nodded giving her a smile too.

She stayed by my side in the last few days , I can't imagine what would've happened with my life if this girl is not my friend.

"I booked us tickets, our flight is tomorrow." She said stepping inside.

"Good." I mumbled my voice low and hoarse from all the crying.

"There's someone who wants to see you." She said , her words made my nervousness grew more.

Could it be .. Him ?

"Who ?" I asked as a small hope started to build inside me.

"Me." Alex said as he came from behind Cara and then looked at me.

I couldn't help the little disappointment as all the hope i felt vanished.

Why i would think he will come and see me ? Why would he do that ?

I mocked myself and my hopeless thoughts.

I shook my head trying to kick these thoughts to the back of my mind as i saw Alex stepping closer.

Why he is here ?

He probably knows everything by now , did he come to shout at me ?

I know I deserve it but i am literally not in the mood for that, especially after what I discovered yesterday.

He came and sat on the bed facing me , as i shifted in my seat.

"I have some work to do." Cara said before she went and closed the door behind her leaving us alone on purpose.

I ran my hand in my messy hair probably making it more messy.

Alex kept silent at first , his face showing nothing, I don't know if he is mad or angry as he took in my appearance.

"You look like shit." Was the first thing he said as he looked at me.

My eyes widened a bit at his comment , i was expecting him to start calling me names , to insult me or shout at me.

But definitely not this.

I opened my mouth to say something but Nothing came out so i just closed it again.

"When was the last time you took a shower?" He said or kind of mocked at me again.

"If you came here to make me feel bad about myself, then don't, because i already do." I said and that was the longest sentence i've muttered since three days.

"No , i came to kick some sense into you." He said glaring at me.

"What ?" I asked as i looked at him dumbfounded.

"Look at you , what are you doing to yourself, you can't give up. Not now !" He said as I stared at the crazy man in front of me.

What is he talking about ?

Why he is acting so nice ?

"What are you talking about ? Why you are being nice to me , why you are not shouting and insulting me , i hurt your friend, i made you jobless, you should hate me." I said my voice raising.

"Look." He said still glaring at me , " I am mad as shit because of what you did , but I don't hate you and i will never will."

"Why ?" My voice was a mere whisper.

Definitely not the reaction i was expecting..

"Because I know that it wasn't all a lie for you , i saw it in your eyes." He said ,"Whatever you felt toward him was real and it wasn't an act."

I wish Ashton would think like that..

"I know that Katherine who wanted revenge is different from the girl i got used to in the last few weeks." He said his face relaxing.

"Don't be nice to me , I don't deserve it." I shook my head as tears started forming in my eyes again, "I destroyed the company, your dream , Ashton's dream , i ruined it."

Tears fell from my eyes as I muttered those words, while Alex closed his eyes for a brief second and ran his hand in his hair.

"We lost the company and no matter how hard i am trying , we can't get it back, this issue can't be fixed." He said with a sigh making guilt grow in my chest, "But Katherine, you and Ashton , you still have a chance.. It can be fixed."

No , it can't, I don't have a chance ..

Actually, I don't deserve a one..

"How is he ?" I asked the question that have been running in my head all the time.

"Physically , he is fine, he was discharged from the hospital in the morning." He said and i got a bit relieved knowing he is okay.

"But he is not okay , you should see how he is treating everyone.. He is being such a jerk." He said , "Well, He have always been a jerk , but now he is a much bigger one."

"You can fix this Katherine." He said his expression back to serious one.

"I can't." I said , "Ashton doesn't think like you, he hates me now."

"He doesn't hate you."

"No , he does , why won't he anyway ? I deserve his hate." I said as more tears came back to my eyes , "You should hate me too."

"Don't say that." He said inching closer , "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"Everyone but me, I don't deserve it." I said , then placed my head in my hands and cried unable to look at him.

He inched closer and wrapped his arms around , "Shush, stop crying." He said as he rubbed my back soothingly.

I buried my face in his chest as the sob escaped my lips.

I needed this hug , i needed someone to tell me all these things he said , I needed someone who won't judge me for what i did.

"Even when you look like shit , you still look hot sweetheart." He said in attempt to make me feel better and it did.

A smile made its way to my teary face and i punched his chest , "I am not your sweetheart." I mumbled.

"Yes you are." He said pulling apart , "And You will always be." He gave one of his smiles and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you." I said as i tried to wipe the tears away.

He knitted his brows in confusion.

"For not judging me after everything I've done." I said answering his questioning look.

"I am just too nice and kind for my own good." He said shrugging.

"Okay now go take a shower and clean yourself and then we can talk." He said , "I can help you if you want." He asked with a wink.

I shot him a glare as a response , no matter how hard he act seriously, he must come back to the usual Alex.

Alex stayed for an hour , we talked about what happened but then he tried to lighten my mood with his dirty jokes. After that he left , and I didn't miss the small chat he had with Cara and the kiss he gave her.

She kicked him out after that and her face changed into fifty shades of red.

I kept on staring at her with a big grin over my lips.

"What ?" She said glaring at me crossing her hands over her chest.

"Nothing." I shrugged as the a smirk crawled to my lips.

They are probably a thing now , and I can't be happier for them, especially after today , i saw a side of Alex i never thought it existed before.

"What time is our flight ?" I asked ignoring the glares she was sending towards me.

"Six in the morning." She answered , "You are going there today ?" She asked and for a while I didn't understand what she meant.

"To say goodbye i mean." She added noticing my confused expression.

My mouth formed an 'o' and my mood changed back , the smile disappeared from my face as i talked again.

"Yeah , I won't have time tomorrow." I said.

"Do you want me to come with you ?" She asked and i shook my head , "I prefer to be alone."

"Okay." She said and suddenly stepped closer and engulfed me in a bear hug.

"I want you to always be strong." She said as i hugged her back.

"I will."

****

I directly changed my clothes and drove toward my destination.

I slowed down when i started seeing the place, it hasn't been that long since i last came, but the hard pounding of my heart was still the same.

I parked the car aside as i stepped down. Taking a deep breath i walked toward the entrance gate. 

This time I didn't go to the same spot like last one , this time I gathered more courage and went toward the spot that frightened me the most.

I walked slowly , my hand clutching the hem of my coat as a cold breeze hit me making my body shiver at the impact.

Then , I saw them , three gravestone beside each others.

I slowed down then stopped when i was just in front of them.

Memories flew into my mind as flashbacks took me to my childhood, to my past.

I kneeled down as the first tear escaped my eyes , knowing for sure there is more to come.

"Hey dad." I whispered as i traced my hand above the soft green grass covering the grave.

"Hey mom." The second tear fell down as i felt something tearing my heart apart.

My gaze went to the last one , where my brother lays , "Mike." A small pained smile made its way to my lips as I remembered  him , his smile , his annoying smirk, how he used to annoy me and pull my hair , how he used to hit on my friends.

But then my mind took me back to our last memory when he held me in his big arms protecting me from the crashing of the car.

I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump forming in my throat as I kicked that exact memory to the back of my mind.

That day , the day i lost the three of them.

" l know I don't visit you often." I said as more tears scrolled down, "But it is so hard on me to come here... To this place, that is full with people i love ..but lost."

"I miss you daddy. " I said as i traced my hand above his name , " Do you remember when i used to come crying from school how you would always take me bike riding in the park i loved, and you would start telling some weird lame jokes.." A small chuckle escaped my lips at the memory.

"But i used to always laugh , your jokes used to cheer me up , not because they are funny but because of you and your attempt of making me feel better , your caring , it was enough."

"But dad , i am crying everyday now, i am hurting everyday but you are not here to tell me these jokes , you are not here to cheer me up. I would do anything to hear one of your jokes now , to hear your voice when you used to tell me 'Everything is going to be okay at the end , if it is not okay , then it is not the end.' "

My eyes started hurting me from all the tears as my dad's voice range in my ears. I turned my gaze to the next grave , "I missed you too mom, i missed you caring whether i ate or not , whether i took my medicines or not, i miss you covering me at night and when you would wipe my tears away and give me a hug, how you would sleep with me sometimes when i needed you."

"But now mom , whether i ate or not , took my medicine or not , it doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."

I looked at the one next to my mom as another sob escaped my lips and rippled in the opened area.

I placed my hand over my mouth trying to calm my breathes.

"I miss you annoying the shit out of me Mike , i miss you pulling my hair and hitting on my friends." I closed my eyes as a small smile made its way to my face when I remembered how one time he sneaked to my room when i was having a sleepover.

"But what i miss the most , is how protective you were over me , how you would kick anyone who dare to step near me... Remember when you punched that Cameron guy because he was messing with me , he ended up with a broken nose." A chuckle escaped my lips as the memory played in my mind , "You were pretty strong."

"I wish you are here now .. To protect me.. From all these people."

I turned my head away as i tried to take a deep breath to calm my racing heart.

"Sometimes i think life is punching me because i was the only one who survived that accident.. It is punching me by taking all the people i care about away from me."

Flashbacks of the day roamed my mind as i felt my vision getting blurry and my breath getting heavier.

"If you all were here , you would be ashamed of me , of what i did.. I hurt him.. He did nothing bad to me , he cared about me but i destroyed him.. I am a bad person dad , i am so bad." By now the sound of my sobs was raising as Ashton's pained expression crossed my mind.

"I wish I didn't survive that day , i wish i died... Because after that day everything in my life changed , everything in me changed, nothing felt the same after , nothing made sense.."

I couldn't handle staying here anymore, my whole body is trembling.

I decided to leave , i will go and say goodbye to Chase and leave and never come back here.

Never..

Whenever i come here , something bad happens..

And i am done , I can't handle more, because by the end of the day i am just a human..

I stood up as i wiped my tears away and took one last glance at them , "I love you all so much."

I whispered as the cold breeze hit me again. Then i started walking away trying my best not to look behind.

I walked toward the spot i came to last time but when i was about to reach , I stopped dead on my track and froze in my place.

My eyes widened as i saw him there , kneeling beside Chase's grave.

My footsteps made him snap his head to my direction.

His face was so cold and his eyes were so empty as he looked at me.

I forgot how to inhale and exhale as i looked at him again, it wasn't that long since i last saw him , but i missed him.

Yes i did..

He stood up , and walked toward me , that is when I noticed his bandaged arm.

He stopped walking and now he was facing me , his face showing nothing. This time I couldn't read it , he was really good at hiding his emotions.

"Ashton." It was more like a whisper.

"You wanted to explain." He said with a blank tone, "So i am here."

"Explain , Go ahead." The way he was talking and he was looking made me forget everything i wanted to say.

"I.. I don't know what to say." I said my voice shaking.

He let out a sigh, his jaw tightened, then he turned around ready to walk , but something inside me moved as i clutched his coat from the back stopping him.

"No, wait." I said.

I can't miss the only chance he is giving me , he is willing to hear me.

"I wanted to destroy you , yes , i wanted to make you pay , i hated you , i loathed you because I thought you killed him , for me you were just a killer." I said trying to not let my voice shake as I talked further.

"I was blinded with all the lies i heard , I didn't know the truth , believe me, i though you killed him." His face remind the same , no emotions, nothing at all.

"I want.."

"I understand." He said interrupting me, my eyes widened a bit and a slight hope raised inside me.

"You do ?" I said my voice so low, he nodded.

"Do you forgive me ?" I asked praying inside he would say yes.

"Yeah." He said , his face and tone still blank.

But I didn't care , all i cared about in that moment that he did forgive me.

A small smile made its way to my lips as i stared at his blue eyes.

"But.." He started and my smile directly disappeared knowing there is more ,"I told you the truth Katherine, i knew nothing about you but I told you the one thing i never told anyone about."

I saw how anger flashed in his eyes as he started talking , " And you acted like nothing of what i said is related to you , you kept on lying, you continued your act."

"Katherine, you knew the truth and you didn't stop. And for that part , I don't think i will ever be able to forgive you."

I didn't know what to say , i kept on looking at his pained expression as tears found their way again to my eyes.

"I came here ,thinking maybe you would tell me the truth, not more lies." He said , his face back to a cold one.

"Congrats , you did what you want , you made me pay , you manipulated me. It was all a lie for you so I don't want to see you anymore."

"It wasn't all a lie." Was the only thing i managed to say.

He shook his head not believing me , "I won't believe you anymore."

"Juts stay away from me , from my life and from my family. You've done enough already."

His tone and words made me flinch as i stared at him , he is back to the Ashton that i started to work with in the beginning , not to the man i get used to in the last few days.

"I hope i will never see you again."

"I am sorry." It was more like a whisper , my voice hoarse from crying. "For breaking you." I continued , my heart twisted in my chest when i looked into his eyes and saw the pain in them.

The pain i caused..

"You didn't break me." He said ,his blue eyes looked directly into my eyes for the first time.

"I broke myself by loving you."

With that he turned and went away leaving me trying to digest the last thing he said.

Loving you..

The guilt inside me intensified as his words kept repeating in my mind, i never thought he loved me, I thought it was less than that , he said he liked me.

It is different..

I sat on the ground , my legs unable to hold my weight anymore.

I closed my eyes as I thought of everything that happened in the last few days.

'I am weird.Just with you.' (Ashton's voice).

'You're breathtaking beautiful.'

'Dammit because i like you.'

'Maybe that should be our always.'

'The prettiest girl i've ever laid an eye on.'

'I can't seem to let her go.'

And then the last thing he said , as every word pierced into my heart.

'I broke myself by loving you.'

I opened my eyes and looked at the sky , i talked but I don't know to whom i was talking , maybe to my life, to life in general.

"Thank you , thank you for always taking away everything good in my life.. Thank you."

*************

Ashton's POV

Her soft voice kept on ringing in my ears distracting me from concentrating on the road ahead me.

I saw my knuckles turning white as my grip on the steering wheel tightened.

I founded it hard to breath normally so i parked the car aside trying to calm myself.

I took a deep breath as the only thing i was hearing was just her voice.

Why I told her that ?

The words escaped my mouth without my permission.

Loving you..

Yes , i loved her , even after everything i still love her but it hurt so much knowing she never felt anything toward me.

Her words kept replaying in my mind making it hard to keep calm as her voice was the only thing i was able to hear.

'I believe in you.' (Katherine's voice)

'You are weird.'

'Jerk.'

'I like you too.' (Katherine's voice)

I raised my fist and hit the steering wheel , but felt nothing afterwards.

I placed my head in my hands, it was all a lie for her , it was all acting..

'It wasn't all a lie.' (Katherine's voice.)

A big part of me wanted to believe in that , to hold into that small sentence.

But I can't, I can't trust her , not after everything she've done, I can't believe her.

Her presence makes me weak , and i hate being weak , i don't want to be weak anymore , i have to erase her from my life.

From my mind and from my heart..

And to that , there is one way.

I have to hate her..

And i will..

Just like i loved you Katherine, I'll force myself to hate you from now onwards.

_____________________

The End..

*Goes and hide in the near corner*

Lol kidding , that is not the end 😋 *Gives a shy smile*

Sad chapter i know , but i promise the next one (Last one) is going to be more sad *evil laugh* 😈

Hope you like it , if you did , vote and comment 😊

Love ya m'pumpkins ❤️