Picture This (Niall Horan Trilogy)

-The pretty ones are always the best [Chapter 27]

Ashley's POV:

Tears brimmed in my eyes as I listened to the deathly silence of the night, deathly; got that right. I picked up some grains of sand and let them fall softly through the gaps on my fingers doing this several times as if it was the most entertaining thing in the world. I didn’t know why I was here right now it wasn’t until the evening when the clock would strike that time and it’d be exactly 14 years on since it all ended. I knew I wasn’t able to sleep again back there at that time and it just seemed automatic like I owed it to her to be early to prove that I still cared just as much as I always have even if I have only just remembered.

I knew it was still there, everything was still there waiting for the next year to come and the next and all the remaining years of my life. It was all there in the box underneath my bed, the few things. Her hairbrush, the locket and the picture along with the ring. I didn’t wear the jewellery as often anymore since I had almost lost it so many times some people never understood how a piece of jewellery held such value in my eyes but it did they don’t understand that it’s all that’s left all I have to cling onto the memory of her and the thought that maybe just maybe she remembers me.

I looked out to the rocks and the figure had disappeared, I checked my phone it was 2:15. I had one new message. The light from my phone hurt my eyes as they adjusted to the brightness of the screen against the pitch black moonlight. I squinted to read the message as the cold air whipped around me lifting up loose strands of hair that has escaped my bun.

From: Lou Tomlinson:)

Was that you going out earlier? Hope you’re okay, text me back when you get this.

I text him back saying that I just needed some fresh air and I was fine. Well somebody couldn’t sleep either.

I could have sworn I heard a disturbance behind me but when I turned around nothing was there. Then a voice spoke along with a hand being placed on my shoulder.

“Ashley, long time no see”

A deep voice interrupted the silence of the night here and I instantly recognised it as being him. I flinched away at his touch gripping my phone in my pocket and un-locking it just in case. I got up backing away from him.

“Get away from me!”

I stood to face him. His used to be dark hair had got lighter slowly going grey and it was bald in some patches. His features were the same just older and worn out. His dark eyes were still the same colour but more tired and the skin around them was stretched slightly leaving little wrinkles making him so much older were bags underneath his eyes. His thin lips were set in straight line but spread into a wicked smile showing yellowing teeth and stubble hung around his chin and jaw-line against his tanned skin. He wore a navy blue t-shirt and from what I could see he had put on weight, his jeans were too small but the right length with some brown leather shoes against the sand.

He laughed slightly a deep and bellowing one. He scared me shitless and tears were brimming in my eyes even more than before.

“Well haven’t you turned out to be a pretty little thing! The pretty ones are always the best to get rid of…”

“What?”

I said backing away from him slowly but he just followed.

“Nothing. You think it was me, don’t you?”

“I know it was you!”

I retaliated and he laughed wickedly at my fear.

“You can’t prove nuffin darlin’”