leave him // a.i {au}

34

After three weeks, Ashton was out of the hospital. He still had physical therapy twice a week in order to build up his strength. While in the hospital, his family were the only ones to regularly visit him. It seemed like everyone else had just been a figment of his imagination, never really being a part of his life. He was sad, but tried to focus his energy on getting better and back home. 

His physical therapist had told him that taking walks would help his muscle memory, so he asked Harry to go with him on one. He wasn't ready to go alone, scared that he wouldn't remember his way around the town or not be able to find his way home. 

For the majority of the walk, they were both silent. Ashton was taking in his surroundings, noticing the small details like how one leaf on a tree was one shade darker than the rest and how there was half of a board missing out of someone's fence. Harry, on the other hand, was paying attention to Ashton. He wanted to know what his brother was thinking, but he didn't feel right asking. Ashton had already been through enough. 

"I don't know, Harry," Ashton shook his head, clearly disgruntled about something. 

"You don't know what?" Harry was confused, the boys not having been talking at all until then. 

"Some of my memories have come back, but they're not in order. I'm still missing chunks of time and I don't know what to do." He sighed, trying to figure everything out. He never remembered him and Stevie breaking up but he did remember going to her engagement party and recognizing Kaylee. He didn't know where he'd met her though, everything still a big jumble of puzzle pieces in his mind he couldn't put together. 

"I'm sorry," Harry told him, not sure what else he could say. Sure, he could share some memories he had with his brother but it wouldn't be the same as actually remembering it. 

"Not your fault, bud." Ashton placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and offered a smile. Shaking his head, he said, "I just don't know what to do about Stevie and Kaylee, which I don't even remember being my girlfriend. It's not like they've tried to see me anyway." 

Harry shrugged. "I saw Stevie at the open house at school. She seemed sad." 

"School? Why was she there?" 

"She teaches Biology..." Harry said like it was common knowledge because Ashton knew this, at least he did before his memories were lost.   

"Oh," Ashton nodded, pretending that he remembered. "Why was she sad?" 

"I didn't talk to her," Harry said, the last words spoken on their walk. 

***

A couple days later, Ashton was to return to work. He was happy to find out he still worked at the coffee shop, so he didn't have to relearn something. 

"Glad to have you back," Edith hugged him and then his other coworker, Marge joined in on the hug. 

"Oof, I can't breathe," he managed to say and they let him go. 

"I don't know how this place remained operating without you," Marge said. "This one messed up more drinks than I can count," she teased Edith. The older woman frowned and left them to go into the back without saying a word.  "You heard the wedding is off right?"

"Stevie's?" Ashton asked. 

Marge nodded. "I'm surprised she's still teaching this year. She looked miserable the other day when she came in for coffee. I have never seen that girl so not put together. She was wearing sweat pants!" 

Even though Ashton's memory was still a mess, this news surprised him. He couldn't think of a time that she wasn't completely presentable, even for gymnastics practice. 

"I think you need to go see her," Marge encouraged. 

"No, she doesn't want to see me. She hasn't called me or come to the hospital since the day I woke up. I'd know if she wanted to see me."

"I still think you should, dear. You're not the only one going through some things."

***

After his shift, Ashton went over to Stevie's house. He had gone over so many times in school, that it was ingrained in his mind. 

"Ashton? How are you?" Her mother answered the door. She hugged him lightly and then smiled at him. 

"Fine," he said shortly. "Is Stevie here?" 

"Actually, she is. She only moved back here a couple weeks ago. You remember where her room is?" 

Ashton nodded and walked past her to the stairs. Walking down the hall, he noticed someone in one of the bedrooms, the door open. It was Bailey and she was very pregnant. He stopped in his tracks and couldn't help but stare. 

"What do you want shit head?" she snapped when she noticed him. She set down the magazine she was reading and stood up. "You're the worst thing that's ever happened to Stevie," she snapped and slammed the door in his face. 

Ashton had no idea what she was talking about since Aaron is the one that cheated on her and got her sister pregnant. He shook off Bailey's words and went further down the hall to find Stevie. The sight shocked him. She was on her bed, candy wrappers and ice cream containers surrounding her. Her brown hair was in a messy bun with strands falling out of the hair tie. Her clothes were baggy with a couple of stains, probably from the ice cream. Her eyes had deep bags under them, mascara dried underneath them. 

"Stevie? What's happened?" he asked when the shock had worn off some. 

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't feel like me anymore. On top of that, my sister won't stop telling me how she's won because she's with Aaron now. She's gloating that she stole my fiance and now he's over all the time. I can't handle it all and now I have to teach. I have absolutely no one, not even you who I thought would always be there."

"You do have me," he told her gently. "Just because I don't know every little thing that's happened, doesn't mean you've lost me." He embraces Stevie, not caring about the mess.