Ash's Darling | ✔

Chapter 31

~Esther~

I stared at my phone as it vibrated in my hand for the fourth time. I had been sitting in the bookstore Ash brought me to on our date, 'Fictional Worlds Book Shop', when my phone started ringing. I ignored it at first and kept reading after declining the call since it was a random number but the caller wouldn't give up. This was the fourth time they had called and I had yet to answer.

I sighed as I answered the call and lifted the phone to my ear. I might as well see who it is since it seemed like they weren't going to give up. "Hello?" I quietly asked, not wanting to disturb the other people that were in the store.

"Esther?" A man's deep voice came through the phone and it sounded familiar but I didn't know exactly who it was.

"This is she. Who are you?"

"Finally." The man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Esther, it's Seth."

Now that I think about it, how did I not figure that out sooner? I should've known it was him but then again, all of the guys on Ash's team sound about the same.

"Oh, hi." It seemed weird that Seth was calling me, he never– my breathing hitched and my face dropped. Why was Seth calling me? He never calls me.

I quickly got up from my reading spot by the large window and walked outside the store. "Seth, why are you calling me? What's going on? Is Ash okay?" Questions poured out of me as I shut the door behind me and started pacing the sidewalk. Seth never calls me.

"He's alive, Esther. It's okay." Seth assured me. It didn't help my nerves. If Ash is okay why didn't he call me? Why did Seth call me instead? "He got shot and he won't let us clean the wound and get the bullet out so the team and I were hoping you could talk some sense into him. He isn't listening to us and he just keeps saying he's fine."

"What do you mean he got shot?" I quickly asked. "What the hell happened?"

The only thought that was running through my head was that Ash got shot. I couldn't focus on anything else including Seth as he tried to explain. Something about Ash giving away his bullet proof vest and then someone's friend shooting him.

"Why didn't you call me on Ash's phone? I would've picked up a hell of a lot sooner." I asked, cutting Seth off from his explanation. I couldn't focus on it anyway.

"Trust me, I was going to but your boyfriend here wouldn't let me even lay a finger on his phone."

I suddenly remembered the picture I sent him last night. He must not have wanted Seth seeing the picture in our messages so instead he gave Seth my number.

"Can I fucking talk to my girl now?" I heard Ash's muffled voice from somewhere behind Seth and a small bit of relief flooded through me. He's alive. He's probably in pain too but at least he's alive.

"Give him the phone." There was no sound on the other end and I wasn't sure what was going on. "Please, Seth." I pleaded.

There was some shuffling before Ash's voice came through the phone, calming some of my nerves. "I'm here, baby."

"Ash, what happened?" I softly asked and as much as I tried to control it, my voice broke as I continued. "I told you to be safe."

"I know, darling. I'm sorry. I gave my bullet-proof vest to Kyle since he forgot his and then Anthony Meager's friend shot me." Ash's voice was calm but there was a small strain to his voice, telling me he was in more pain than he would show.

"Dude, lift up your shirt so I can clean the hole now." I heard another voice, possibly Kyle's but I wasn't sure, say from next to Ash.

"I told you I'm fine, just leave so I can talk to Mae." Ash answered back.