Betrayal

Chapter 11: Keep her safe Ashley.

Jessica finally decided to stay with Ashley until everything blew over. The brunette immediately incorporated the younger woman's routine in the planner Aubrey so kindly gave her so they could have meals together at roughly the same time every day.

"Morning Ash." the blonde rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen.
"Morning." Ashley had to hide her face so that the other girl didn't see her blush at the use of a simple but sweet nickname.
"That's the best sleep I've had in awhile." Jessica stretched slightly, wincing at her shoulder once again.
"Let me have a look at your shoulder." the older woman moved closer, pretending to have only just seen the wound. "What caused this?"
"The person who managed to kidnap me." the blonde shrugged.
"Did the people ever clean it? Dress it?" the brunette frowned, grabbing the first aid kit from above the kitchen cabinets. Jessica shook her head and Ashley sighed, grabbing some alcoholic wipes from the box.
"This is gonna sting."

A few hours later, the two were changed and ready to leave to get Jessica's stuff from her house.
"Are you sure he'll be at work?" Ashley confirmed, looking at the blonde.
"Yes, he goes to work at 9am and comes back at 11pm." she nodded. The older woman nodded in acknowledgement and led her out to her car. 

"What number is it again?" the brunette started the engine.
"4 Doncaster Road." Jessica reiterated. Ashley nodded and started driving.
"What's it like?" she asked. "Being the leader in a gang."
"It's hard." the blonde started. "It's extreme- wait did you just say only leader? Does that mean you're in a gang?"
"I used to." the older woman only partly lied, she was going to get kicked out for rescuing Jessica anyway. "Until about a year ago. I moved to Atlanta to get out of the gang culture, then I found out that one of my friends, Dorian, was part of the Jadefists, so I cut him off."
"Oh." Jessica nodded. "You really need to be careful, it's dangerous out there."
"I know." Ashley nodded, pulling up. "It's awful."
The two got out and the blonde grabbed the hidden key from the tree, unlocking the door.

"Thank god for this key." she chuckled slightly, walking in, Ashley following close behind her. The Siberian husky bounded up to Jessica and started licking her face.
"O-okay. Bonnie down." the blonde giggled but raised an eyebrow at her. Bonnie got down and looked over at Ashley, a low growl beginning to form. The brunette's eyes widened and she stepped back.
"She's just protective of me, she'll warm up to you in a few days." the younger woman explained and gently stroked the huge dog's head. "Bonnie, this is Ashley, she's a friend."
Bonnie refused to look at the brunette and sulked off to the rottweiler and the German shepherd.

"Those two are my boyfriends dogs, I wouldn't bother going near them." Jessica took Ashley upstairs to her room. Opening the closet, she grabbed a large suitcase and the pair began to pack some of the blonde's clothes and belongings, along with stuff for Bonnie, grabbing her food and water bowls last.
Jessica grabbed Bonnie's leash and beckoned her over.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" the blonde asked, attaching the leash to the husky's collar. "I can find somewhere else to stay?"
"I'm totally sure. I'd feel better if you did, I want to make sure you're safe." Ashley nodded, taking the suitcase out to her car and putting it in the trunk so that Jessica could get Bonnie in the backseat. "Straight back or do you wanna grab something to eat somewhere?" she got in the driver's seat and allowed the blonde to sit in the backseat next to Bonnie, who was obediently laying across two of the seats.
"Sure. I haven't had proper food since they took me." the younger woman admitted. "They gave me a piece of bread or a glass of water every day, alternating."
"That's fucking disgusting." Ashley growled, infuriated that her friends would treat the girl this way, even if they were complete rivals. Where was the humanitarian love? "I always knew the Jadefists were always off with techniques. I mean, at least treat people like they're human, not rats and they might actually get results."
Jessica nodded and scratched behind Bonnie's ear.

"Where do you wanna go?" the brunette asked, pulling out of where she was parked.
"Taco Bell perhaps." the younger woman shrugged.
"Predictable." Ashley teased, looking in the windshield mirror at the blonde muffling a laugh. "You really haven't changed at all in the past few years really."
They both burst out in fits of giggles.
Pulling up to the drive-thru, they ordered their meals and left for Ashley's apartment.
"Thank you." Jessica whispered as the brunette parked at the apartment building. "For all this."
"It's nothing really." Ashley helped the blonde out and grabbed her suitcase.
"It means a lot." Jessica led Bonnie up to Ashley's apartment with the brunette and walked inside.

"Let's eat first, then we can sort out your stuff." the older woman beckoned the other woman over to the dining table. Jessica sat down and Bonnie sat at her feet, watching Ashley carefully. The brunette gave the younger woman her food and sat down herself, and they ate.

"Have you had any luck figuring out your sexuality?" Ashley asked.
"Not at all. All I know is that I'm not straight." Jessica shrugged. "You?"
"Same stage really." the brunette popped a fry into her mouth. "But I've been too busy to really focus on that. Literally haven't been laid since college."
"Wow." the younger woman raised an eyebrow. "You really haven't been okay have you?"
"I've been okay, just busy." Ashley shrugged. "And anytime I became even a little bit close to hooking up with someone, Aubrey interrupts, scares them off or just finds any way to stop it from happening somehow. Which I find kinda unfair since I let her hook up with Stacie every freaking week."
"That is unfair." Jessica frowned, sipping her drink. "Well at least she's out the way now and I'm not gonna get in the way of any experimenting you wanna do."
"Thanks. Same to you." the brunette finished her food and cleaned up. "How's your shoulder feeling?"
"Better. Thank you for the help." the younger woman got up and stretched, before kneeling down to fuss over Bonnie.

"Right, let's get your stuff sorted and then we can chillax." Ashley walked over to the suitcase. "And also Stacie's invited all the Bellas over to hers to meet Bella tomorrow."

Jessica nodded and followed the other woman into Aubrey's old room. There was just a bed with plain white covers and matching bedside tables left in there, with a closet built into the corner. The blonde began to sort her clothes into the closet and, with the help of Ashley, moved the furniture around so she had enough space to make a little area for Bonnie.