When someone's blood mixes with yours, it starts trailing together as one. Blood becomes thicker and stronger than ever; if separated, it kills each soul, stopping them from breathing.

~

Jane, Numb.

Jane

He was sweetly mumbling something about my laces, but what did he mean by 'I am going to save you every time?'

I did not need any saving, I was broken and once something is broken, it doesn't mend. Especially, something made of glass. When I was a sweet little six-year-old, I was made of glass; pampered by my parents; loved by all. I was untouched and look where it got me. The glass I was made off, shattered into sharp, tiny pieces, still pierced deep inside my body; making me bleed, but Ashton was trying hard to remove each piece carefully, tweezing them out with his perfect hands, causing the pain to erase. He didn't even have to know anything, he was just providing me with the right amount of comfort I needed.

I was doing perfectly fine on my own. Was I really? Independent? I didn't come here searching for a friend. That was not my goal. No, I was not hunting for someone to get stuck in the complicated net my fate planted for me. I knew how to fight my own battles. I didn't need anyone to take me out; to act as my tour guide; to hold me when I felt vulnerable. I was as stiff as steel before he stepped into my miserable life. I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for anyone to bake me pancakes, to pamper me or to shiver against my hand when he drove the car and at the same time, made my stomach burst out with different colours, causing chills to run through my entire body. Where was the Jane who hated bonding, the girl who gave herself to the emotionless life? The girl who used her rudeness as a weapon to shield herself from the rapid fire burning in the vile world around her?

"Get in the car, Hope," he whispered softly, holding the door for me. His warm breath against my bare shoulder sent shivers dancing all over my body. I turned around and smiled at him, still recovering from the chills. I could feel the heat igniting from our bodies. He was the sweetest person I had ever encountered. With his slicked brown hair and a dark kind of ecstasy, Ashton had a great personality too. It was about time I realised he was not a jerk; I was just too quick in judging him.

Even Ashton was slowly setting me on fire, but this was a different kind; the one I barely knew existed. He was pushing me on an edge. All it took was one glance from him and I would burn with red. I liked this new attention. Maybe I liked how he started spending time with me. Maybe he was my chance at happiness? I believed in fate. Fate made my parents fight and crash down. Fate knew I suffered and was finally done playing games with me. Maybe it was filling the empty loops in my life. But the main question was something else; Was I getting too attached? The peace I ached for, maybe he was the reason I felt better than usual. But that's a whole lot of maybes; doubts make you suffer. I couldn't possibly forget that.

Was I slowly transforming into his Hope? It was frightening but all of this was happening in front of my eyes just like the biggest tragedy of my life. This was the reality, and to be honest, it felt so damn good. It felt as if being thrown in the cold water, washing away the trauma. It was the first time feeling of being cared for. He made me feel weak and strong at the same time.

Being rude to him sometimes made me hate myself because it was always unintentional. Obviously, at first, I was irritated to an extreme but not anymore. Ashton's smile doesn't push the buttons of vexation in me, not even one bit. I was trying hard not to act selfishly; poor boy already had too much on his plate. Worried, I was acting a bit too weird around him ever since we started running, I wondered if he could see through; the pain, the melancholy. Could Ashton possibly tell I was hurt way past his imagination?

I didn't want to ruin it for Ashton because he was trying really hard to communicate with me. Anyone could see it in those beautiful, big, green eyes. I could watch them light up with happiness all day, all night. Besides, I saw no point in having a worthless conversation and throwing my garbage on him. I knew he was sensitive and emotional. I loved that about him. Even though I never meant to make him nervous, I loved how concerned he always was; paying attention to everything he said, afraid if he would make a wrong move, I would walk away. It was not his fault, I always ran away from him and all he ever did was catch me back in his embrace.

When I ran at the water canal, horrifying dreams came back, the ones I tried so hard to forget. The world around me became dark and I forgot that he was even beside me. The memory of being in Hawaii transcended me back to Texas. I was standing there with my wobbly feet. The six-year-old, waiting for answers in the same house. Alone. There was no light escaping inside and the furniture had moved out. It was just a wooden house with the floors that creaked and cried, watching the walls made of blood, ashes and bad memories. I curled my fingers into a fist and dropped myself on the whimpering floor, making my knees hurt. I crashed my head and threw punches into the gory wall in front of me and asked myself what I really wanted.

As I sat in his car, I untied my ponytail and let my sweaty hair dry in the cool air around us. The weather was slowly becoming better, the air was not filled with a tormenting heat. I turned my sight outside the car, this time, I was not memorising the beauty of Hawaii but I was thinking about those heart-wrenching thoughts again.

My pain turned into anger again; I wanted to find out where the monster was hiding, I didn't care how long it would take me to find him, I was going to hire a private investigator and throw him away to catch the hideous creature for me. Was he alive? Yes, he was dead for me but I wanted to see him again. This time, not in my dreams. I wanted to face what was real, to show him what he had done to me; he took away my childhood. I wanted to hand him over to the police. I would never get my solace until I was sure the vile, mouthfucking thing had suffered a great deal.

He was not human, a tear fell off my face and I came out of my thoughts again. The reality of where I was hit me. I was in Ashton's car, in Hawaii, the familiarity of the musky scent, mixed with a marine flavour came to me as a gift. I sighed in relief, my heart beating too fast, not fully recovered from the roots of the anger wrapped around my heart and mind.

My eyes were still outside the car. I didn't want to cry even if it was because of the rage. Oh, God, no! I couldn't possibly cry with Ashton just a couple of inches beside me. Another unstoppable tear fell from my eyes.

Hope?" He questioned again, oozing warmth dropped from his voice. I didn't feel like his twenty-one-year-old Hope. I was the broken little six-year-old who loved her pink magic blanket and the smell of mixed berry perfume. He wiped the tear off my face, his hand felt cold against my warm tears. I didn't want him to see me like this, not when I was probably plotting my dad's murder. I felt like a monster's daughter who wanted to rip her dad's heart apart.

"Why are you crying?" He asked sweetly in a concerned manner. I couldn't look at him. One of his hand was on the steering wheel and the other touching my face. I didn't meet his gaze or spoke anything, ignoring him. I kept making him feel as if I needed some space. I was too distant from him because my mind was somewhere else today, but all I wanted was for him to park the car on the side and take me in his arms. I knew he could help me relax but I didn't want Ashton to get worried about me. Emily and his mum were enough for him. It made sense that he cared too much for them but what about me? Why was I being made special? I was no family; I was just a girl he would meet during the summer, but nothing felt better than the feeling of being cared about. I always tried to hide from people who showed some type of affection to me but a part of me wanted to peel off and expose myself to him. This was Ashton, the boy who saw hope in me.

"I am not crying, something went inside my eye," I lied, rubbing my right eye, my voice cracked. I knew he was now aware of the fact that I was lying. I made it too obvious. I didn't him to feel as if I was a big liar. Urgh!

As if he heard my thoughts out loud, he immediately parked the car at the first empty slot he found. He didn't switch it off yet but he turned on the AC, letting the chilly air blow all over me. Luckily, we were under the shade too. Next, he let the roof and the tinted glass back on, drifting us away from the noises and interruption from the world around us.

"What are you doing?" I asked, aware of his actions. When he said nothing, I turned my attention back at him. He was gripping the steering wheel way too hard, his eyes were outside the empty wall in front of the car. Ashton was thinking, he was gathering his thoughts and planning his next action. He took a deep breath, his jaw twitched and he turned around, making his eyes dig inside mine. He came closer to me, using his knuckles to rub his skin against my shoulders, massaging them, pampering me; making me feel as it I was not alone. His hands danced from my shoulder to my face, burning and saving the parts of me he managed to touch with his sacredness. Cupping my cheeks in this strong hands, Ashton pulled my face closer to his, our foreheads touching, exchanging sparks, my teary eyes still locked with his. He rubbed my tears away with his fingers, drawing circles around my eyes. Then he pressed soft kisses on both of my eyes causing tingles. I closed them against his warm lips, letting him inject his magic straight to my veins.

"Hmm, something went in one of your eyes and it managed to make the other one red too? I can see everything below these long eyelashes." He spoke smoothly; trying not to force me into answering. My eyes were still closed, I knew he was looking right into me and as much as I hated being vulnerable, I shed another tear against his fingers. I couldn't hold back anymore.

"I hate to see you cry, Hope. I hate to see the strongest woman I know crying a river and that too in front of my eyes. These beautiful blue eyes are holding too much pain, it hurts so much to see these plump lips quiver as you cry. Jane..I need more than just silence, but right now, I need you to cry. I need you to take out all those pretty tears left inside you. I know you won't tell me just yet but I will wait till you are ready. I will hold you while you cry, please let me be close to you," he begged, easing the frown from my forehead.

"I miss her so much-" my voice cracked all over again. Why was I saying these things? I had lost my mind. Ashton knew what he had to do all too well; he unbuckled my seatbelt and picked me up, resting me on top of him. I quickly locked my arms against his neck, his hands ran inside my hair, slightly tugging at my locks, removing them from my face. He hummed something I couldn't make out and kept rocking me as if I was a baby. I liked the sound of his voice, the tone was soothing.

"What do you see in me, Ashton?" I managed to ask, my cheeks against his chest, my hands falling on his back muscles. My eyes were blurry and my head was aching from all the depressing thoughts. He pressed me closer to him, leaving no space and making my heart beat faster than ever. I heard his heartbeat, drumming like music into my ear. I kept my hand on my heart, trying to feel my heart rhythm against his. He really was watching me closely because he took placed his hand against my heart, doing exactly what I was doing. We were listening to our hearts as they kept pounding together in silence, echoing in the car, cherishing this moment out loud without speaking.

"I see you, I see Hope in you, Jane," he muttered my ear after a few seconds. I closed my eyes again and let another tear fall off. "I will get my justice," I said under my breath, whimpering in his arms. I had never cried like this ever since I was six.

"I promise that you will never be lonely," he whispered. I pulled his shirt in my fingers and soaked it even more. He kissed the nape of my neck, breathing heavily on my skin. He was letting me cry without asking me anything as he kissed my hair repeatedly. He was not judging me. I wanted my pain to erase, I wanted my mom back but it couldn't happen. Fate gave me Ashton. He was all I wanted right now.

"I will save you," he spoke again, pulling me up, kissing my broken eyes again and wiping those tears. He kept doing it again and again.

All my previous questions were now answered. I was growing to trust Ashton Anderson.

***

Note: She trusts him WHATTTT? Don't forget to VOTE or COMMENT 💜💜💜💜 Dedicated to new readers: Ktricky_rebel Creativecolette elande_pineapple blossombliss2312 gijuneImThatCrazyDorkkami4ever Sultryforest Kam-CatMorales03Kam-den Kam-kamLagunillakam-kim NicoleLadson pembehuydurbende ThaTripleOG theduffmovie ThePhoenixWings The_Write_Place pembehuydurbende

Okay, so I was thinking of adding a flashback in the next chapter. It is short, confusing and shocking. Do you want me to just post the flashback right away as something separate and continue the next chapter on Wednesday or you want me to post them together?