Never as in Forever

Chapter 41

Tobin's POV

I probably searched the entire city. Every single place and I couldn't find her. Every bar, coffee shop, every little nook and cranny and alley and wide road. Nothing.

I filed a police report, and now they're looking for her too. I stare at the news where her picture is shown. I groan. This is her fault, she shouldn't have done any of that.

Now I don't know where she is. I can't find her, and she doesn't want me to. She can really hide from me. I can't believe it. Why. Why would she leave.

"Hey" I hear a voice say.

"Hi" I turn. It's a girl that's older than I am, tattoos and long blond hair. Well built too.

"So that's your friend?" She asks, nodding to the picture in my hand.

I nod.

"She went missing, I hear" She says.

"Yeah" I whisper.

"Do you know why?" She asks.

"Sort of" I clear my throat. "She did something she shouldn't have, then tried to escape by leaving. But I couldn't let her go"

"That's rough" She says.

I nod.

"What's your name?" The girl asks.

"Tobin Heath. Yours?" I ask.

"Ashlyn Harris" She sticks out her hand.

I shake her hand. It's firm and reassuring.

"Want to hang at my board place for a while? We can talk there" She says. I nod.

I don't know her, but a board place seems like a chill place to be.

I follow her to the beach, and we go in her board shop. It's a surfboard shop.

"Do you know how to surf?" She asks.

"No" I say.

"Come on. I'll teach you" She says, tossing me a brand new wet suit.

I shrug and change into it.

Ash teaches me to surf, and it's almost as good as skateboarding and long boarding.

"That was fun" I laugh, putting the board into its place on the wall.

"I'll give you the board and suit for free" Ashlyn smiles.

"Are you sure? I mean, this is quality stuff" I say.

"Positive. Now you can keep it" She grins.

"Awesome. Thank you" I grin, then I frown.

Alex. I totally forgot about her. Guilt rushed through my body.

"Thinking about your friend?" Ashlyn asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" I ask.

"I'm familiar with that face" She smiles, but I can see she's also in pain.

"You can relate?" I ask.

She nods.

"It's tough" she sighs. "My best friend, Ali, kinda left me" she rubs the back of her neck.

"Best friend? If I knew one thing, I'd think that Ali was your girlfriend" I smirk.

"Ah, you caught me. And by the way, I know that Alex is your girl" She winked.

I blush.

"She was, before she ran off" I whisper.

"I feel bad for you" Ashlyn said.