Lips of an Angel

Part 2

“It's okay, Ashley. Seriously, it's okay. I can explain everything if you just give me the chance,” she said, facing him with wide, fearful eyes. Her grip was tight, almost bruising, as she held his upper arms and shook his body lightly trying to drag him back to his senses.

 Ashley couldn't deny he probably needed the help, but her efforts were hardly effective. His breath had caught in his chest as he'd read those words on the headstone; congealed into a huge lump that blocked his airway and choked him. The gentle motion of her shaking rose bile in his throat, he was sure he was going to be sick if she didn't stop – if he could ever manage to breathe again. Strange, strangled, choking noises escaped his lips, and stars danced before his eyes; he was going to pass out.

 “Ashley, please, calm down. You need to...”

 Her words were cut off as the blackness started to roll across his vision. He fell limp in her arms and Denise shrieked frantically.

 “Dammit Ashley, calm down. Come on, you need to breathe!”

 His legs gave way and her delicate form couldn't support his dead weight. He fell. Ashley expected to welcome the comforting darkness of unconsciousness but his knees hit the hard ground and a breath was forced form his lungs in a jarring gasp that grated at his throat. Colour flooded back into his vision in swirling spirals that made him gag.

 No, no I will not be sick, Ashley told himself. Dragging in lungful after painful lungful of air he willed the world to steady and his stomach to quiet.

 Denise knelt in front of him, concern etched plainly on her face. “That's it Ashley, just breathe. I'm sorry. I knew this was going to be hard, but I had no idea it would hit you like this.” Tears glinted in her dark eyes.

 She'd never meant to cause him any pain but it seemed, no matter what decisions she made, Ashley somehow suffered. It wasn't fair, and it pained her so much when all she ever wanted was to protect him. But at least she could be sure, once this last and most difficult meeting was over, she wouldn't cause him any more pain again.

 “What the hell is this all about Denise? Why is your name on that headstone?” Ashley choked out, his voice gravelly and parched.

 “This is what I need to talk to you about. I had to show you, I know it's a shock but I knew you wouldn't believe me unless you saw it with your own eyes.”

 “Believe you? I still don't understand, Denise. What is this all about? That grave, it's yours? But you...you're not...”

 “Dead?”

 Ashley nodded. She wasn't though, she was standing right there in front of him real as day. She'd caught him as he went to fall, shook him to try and throw off his panic attack. She was no ghost.

 It was her grandma, surely, that laid in that grave. Or an aunt for whom Denise was named, that had to be it, right?

 “That's just the thing though Ashley. I am dead.”

 He shook his head, “No, no, there is no way. You're right here Den.” Ashley frowned at her until a startling realisation fell upon him. “This...this is all just some big charade you've cooked up, isn't it. Well it's not funny Den, ha...it's not even very clever.” Ashley got back to his feet, a harsh laughter pouring from his lips.

 “Nice try Denise, but you're not going to get to me this easily. I really don't get what the whole point in dragging me here today was, but I'm done. Face it, I've moved on, I'm happy with Sasha. Now why don't you do the same! I'm not interested in playing these games.”

 He turned to leave, feet crunching rapidly on the path, scuffling gravel in all directions. The residual shakes from his shock was wearing off and mentally Ashley kicked himself for falling for Denny's little trick.

 Dead, yeah right, what kind of a fool does she take me for?

 But his mind wandered back to the last words she'd spoken as he turned away from her at the graveside.

 “It's no joke, Ashley, I swear to you. Please just hear me out. Listen.”

 He hadn't wanted to hear her words, there was nothing she could say that would appease that anger that had started to boil in the pit of his stomach. Why couldn't she just move on? And why the sudden games after such a long time with no contact? The whole breakup had been her idea, it was what she wanted, so where in the hell was the sudden issue?

“I'm trying,” she'd said, “I want to move on, but I can't, not until I explain. Until you know the truth I can't go anywhere.”

 But her words died in the air as he'd rounded the corner and hurried for the cemetery gates. He had no want of her stories, not any more.