Runaway Marriage || ONC 2024 ||

3. Traitor Friends

Soon it was almost early morning and Ash completely forgot to ask where Ethan wanted to get off. He too didn't remind her. He just wanted to get away as far as possible first and then contact his friends. He looked to his side and caught Ash yawning.

"Hey, Pullover. I will take the wheel." He said and she nodded slowly and pulled over to the side of the road. He got out and walked to her side only to see her dozing off and then fall asleep on the wheel for good. He could wake her up and tell her to sleep after she changed seats but he couldn't. After all, she gave him a ride and drove for hours without a break. And through all this, he couldn't help but notice how she was good at driving and kept all the traffic rules and drove safely until now. What would she do if he didn't ask her to switch? Was she going to run them into another car? He sighed and carried her out of the car. After thinking for a second, he laid her on the back seat so she could sleep comfortably.

"I'm not like this usually." She mumbled trying to keep her eyes open. "I just didn't sleep... for three..." Her words became a whisper.

"I get it. Take some rest now." He said softly caressing her eyes close and she fell asleep soon. He smiled at the frown between her brows and rubbed it with his thumb softening it before closing the car door. Soon he took the wheel and they were back on the road again.

Ethan McKinely never met Ashleigh before. One, their families were always at odds. Two, because he didn't even know she existed until he heard the marriage news. Three, he was not interested. He met the Blackwells' sons at a ball before and he met their eldest daughter too but he never met Ashleigh.

When he first caught sight of her hanging there out the window, he didn't think who she was, only how poor of a job she was doing in her escape. He was in a hurry to escape his stubborn parents and sister. Her sister was the whole reason why he could make it to the villa. If it wasn't for her, he would have disappeared right after the marriage news. She was happy just like how Ashleigh's mother was and he couldn't deny both of them when they spoke to him.

He was a recent graduate from the royal academy and he was the top student. He still had so much to do and experience before even the thought of marriage entered his mind. But suddenly his priorities were all reversed not by him but by his father. That old man can't think of a better solution other than marrying his son away to a strange girl.

He looked at her in the mirror. She was a strange girl indeed. He learned her name from their wedding cards and that she graduated from the private overseas academy, his sister couldn't stop gushing about it. It was as difficult to get in as it was to graduate from that academy. Most of the students got a pass on their second or third try. Very few made it on their first try and even few graduated on time. This means she was capable and quite studious.

He then remembered how well she was prepared when he thought of the changed number plate. He couldn't help but laugh at that fresh memory. And then his mind went back to how she was crying when he caught her below that window. He had no mind or time to come back for her but then he remembered her scared and shaking figure and he had to make a U-turn. And he was glad to make that decision.

"The sun is out." Said an annoyed voice and he looked in the mirror to see the sight of her covering her eyes from the sunlight. He took a turn towards the gas station so they could fuel the car and then remembered that he had no money and his bank accounts would be locked by now.

"Evans, We need money for the fuel." He said as she climbed into the passenger seat. Her eyes were still squinting as she nodded with her sleepy face. She took her bag from the back seat and opened it to the sight of wads of cash. She came prepared, unlike him.

"You have no money?" She asked as she handed over a bunch of notes. "All I have is my phone. My father would have blocked all my accounts and cards by now. And unlike you, my escape happened at short notice." He said. He didn't want to admit that he had almost convinced himself to marry her and only came back to his senses a day ago. She didn't have to know.

He looked at her and she was too sleepy to consider anything and only nodded at his reply as if she understood everything. It was cute. He took the money and asked if she wanted to eat anything before leaving the car. He made a short trip to the restroom before going to the store and she left after he returned. Once they were back on the road, she ate her breakfast sandwiches and then sipped at her coffee.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked wrapping her arms around her legs and snuggling into her seat. "I have to call my friends." He took his phone out. She opened her hand and he placed his phone in her hand after opening the lock.

"It's Neal the Dolphin." He said the contact name without taking his eyes off the road. "Shouldn't it be Neal the Seal?" She asked and he chuckled replying, "I put the same but he changed it later."

"Ethan, Your bride has run away too." Came a cheerful voice from the other side of the line. "Yes, I know." He looked towards Ash and she shook her head. It was the sign to not say a word about her. He smiled and kept silent.

"Anyways, I want-" He got cut off by Neal immediately before he could even finish his words.

"No."

"But I haven't even said anything." Ethan's voice raised a notch. He knew what was coming, he should have expected it and yet he hoped a little.

"His Grace is livid. Neither I nor the guys got enough balls to brave that storm." Neal said solemnly and Ethan sighed rolling his eyes.

"Shut it. You good-for-nothings." He snapped. 

"Look man, I may be a good-for-nothing but I'm still your loyal friend. Do let me know your whereabouts. I worry about you." Came the reply. Ethan grabbed his phone and ended the call angrily before throwing his phone into the backseat.

"So, what are you going to do now? You have no money and I can't look after you for long since I too will run out of this money soon if I spend it on two people." She said and he sighed.

"What about your friends?" He asked. Maybe unlike him, she has some other ways. She came prepared after all and he could always pay her back later.

"Do you think, I would have all this money if I was going to call my friends? I was planning this for two months now." She replied and Ethan burst out laughing. Two months? seriously? It did hurt his pride a little that a girl did not want to marry him this much but he couldn't help but admire her in this matter.

"Besides, I do not want to experience what you just went through." She said and he looked at her. Unlike him, maybe she wasn't used to not getting help from her closest friends when she most needed them. He has no idea how many times his friends disappeared the moment his father entered the picture. They were all more scared of the Duke than they were of anything else.

"If I went through that, I would have turned all of them bald and had them drink god-awful bitter potions that I concocted." She said fisting her hands with a devious light in her eyes. Ethan couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiastic expression and his naive thinking.

"You are quite crafty Evans. Give me some of those potions too." He said.

"It will cost you quite a large sum. They are expensive." He burst out laughing again and he couldn't stop smiling for quite a while after that.