Broken Pieces

Why Me?

Tobin's P.O.V:

I woke up with the worst headache known to man. It was late afternoon, early evening. There was also an oxygen mask covering my mouth. I was trying to figure out what had happened to me the night before.

I took the mask off and I took a deep breath but it immediately resulted in a coughing fit. It was so bad that I fell on my hands and knees and started coughing up something that was black.

I got up and it took me awhile to gain my balance. I walked outside to our living room and nobody was at home.

"ASHLYN," I yell! No answer. I go back into Ashlyn's room and grab my phone. I dial Ashlyn's number.

"How do you feel, Harris," Ashlyn asked picking up the phone?

"Great," I say sarcastically.

"I'm surprised you didn't black out last night."

"I don't even remember what happened last night," I say innocently

"Well, your mother called and-," she said as I interrupted her.

"Nevermind, I remember now. How's Wentworth? Is he okay," I ask.

"He feels bad for hurting you. He was pretty mad at you," she said.

"I'm okay. Well, not really, but better than last night I guess."

"Talk to me, Tobin. What's going on? You scared us to death," Ashlyn said.

"Well, I was finally ready to talk to my mother about why she let herself go with the alcohol and got locked up in jail, but I guess she didn't want to talk about that. She wanted to talk to me about how she could have been there for me if I broke her out of jail. Everything just spilled from there I guess," I said.

"No, I mean why did you run," Ashlyn asked?

"I ran because I wanted to trust her and I wanted to give her a second chance, but I let myself get caught up in all the shit that I knew she would pull me into. I KNEW that she would draw me into the reasons why it was all MY FAULT that we weren't a family," I say trying to fight tears.

"Tiger, I want you to listen to me, okay? Listen. No way in hell was this YOUR fault," she said angrily.

"I love you, Ashlyn," I said finally breaking down and letting every single tear drip down my face.

Ashlyn's P.O.V:

I sit in my car as a single tear fell down my face. Hearing her break down breaks my heart.

"I love you too, Tobs," I say solemnly.

"Ashlyn, I wish everything would just go away. That's also why I ran. I needed to forget for just a few seconds of my life. Maybe I could have a perfect carefree life for just a few hours," she said.

She just wants to have a normal life like everyone else. She didn't ask for this life.

"I know, I know," I say without really knowing what to say.

"Please come home," I hear her say, fighting emotion.

I let another tear fall trying to stay strong for my kid. "I'm on my way," I say as I hang up.

I drove as fast as I could breaking the speed limit a little. Tobin, I'm coming.

I pull into my driveway and quickly jump out of the driver's seat. I unlocked the door and ran into the house.

Tobin's P.O.V:

I heard Ashlyn pull into the driveway and unlock the door.

"TOBS," I heard yell as she was running towards me!

She grabbed me around the waist and hugged me. I crumpled to the floor and Ashlyn supported my weight.

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT! IT'S ALL MY FAULT," I yelled into her chest.

She tightened her grip on me and kissed me on the head. "Hold my hand."

I did as she asked and she kissed my hand and held me. She waited for me to start calming down as we were sitting against the couch.

"You're breathing really hard, Tiger. You still have a lot of smoke in your lungs. Let me go grab your oxygen mask," she said.

I squeezed her hand harder,"Please don't leave me".

Instead of bringing the oxygen to me, she picked me up and set me down in her bed. She put the oxygen mask on my face and my breathing became slower and easier.

"Your mother is laying all of her guilt onto you because she knows that you'll listen to her, She knew you could bear her past and she knows that you're the closest one who's ever going to give her a second chance," she said putting her hand through my platinum blonde hair.

"Why me, Ashlyn? Why did the world just randomly pick me," I asked Ashlyn?

"I don't know why Tobs. It's just life and how it rolls out. You didn't ask for it and I get that, but things always happen for a reason, Tiger."

I close my eyes and cuddle up next to Ashlyn. She pulls me closer so that my head rests on her chest,

"You're gonna get through this. It's just going to take some time," she said as she kissed the top of my head.