BABYLON //a.f.i//

• W O N D E R L A N D •

His eyes were unreadable. He simply looked at me, head slightly tilted, as he took in my words. "What a beautiful way to have said nothing at all. You should have been an actress, Cora. Maybe then you atleast could've been paid for your bullshit." His tone was monotonous, dripping with disappointment. He shook his head. "I don't have time for your pointless monologues."

"Ashton, please..." I whispered.

"No. No words, Cora. No words unless they're actually going to mean something. I don't have fucking time for this. And you thought I was playing games with you?" He ran his hands through his hair before taking a deep breath. "We're meeting Max for dinner. You need to go get cleaned up. I didn't exactly plan on you being covered in blood when you got here, but I'll see what I can do." And with that he turned his back to me, walking towards the glowing marble building.

His sudden ending of the conversation angered me, but I knew nothing I wanted to do in that moment would be useful. So I followed him silently, the anger and confusion bubbling in my blood, threatening to boil over at any second.

"You're acting like you're not keeping things from me. Since when did revealing every single dark secret about ourselves become a requirement for this?" I spat suddenly, the anger finally taking control.

He turned, his eyes flashing. "I've said nothing, Cora. You're right, I haven't told you much about myself, but you lied. When presented with the opportunity, you chose to lie right to my face."

"Not saying anything still isn't the truth Ashton. You've just become complicit in your own lies." I hated him looking down at me as if I was this horrible, terrible person. Truth is, I was, but he was being hypocritical. He'd been lying to me the whole time, he was just more eloquent about it. When Ashton lied, it sounded so sweet I was willing to let myself believe it for a moment. But there was something there, something that I had begun to notice more. The anger. The anger in Ashton that I saw him try so very hard to conceal. It was splitting his skin now and seeping through. I could see the vicious tense in his muscles, I could see the darkness take over eyes. It was interesting. It was terrifying. It was the demeanor of a man who was trying to keep so much inside that it was literally ripping him apart. I could only wonder what.

He looked at me, breathing slowing in the cool night. "I just want to know who I'm trusting."

"Don't you think I want the same thing? Who do you think stands to lose more, here?"

"One of the most important people in my life is currently missing, Cora. One of the few people I cared for could be going through hell, and I have nothing. I'm standing here like goddamn Sherlock Holmes trying to at least find him. I feel helpless, Cora. And if you knew me, then you'd know it's never me who feels helpless. So I stand to lose a lot more than you could ever imagine right now. I stand to lose everything if this goes wrong. You may think I'm dangerous, but you don't know this city like I do. You don't know the people, the disgusting people I know. There are things, awful things that happen in this place. And we're about to enter it head on."

This had taken a turn I hadn't expected. Pain. Ashton was experiencing pain. I could see it because I knew it well. It softened me. "I'm sorry about Michael, Ashton. I really am." I made a bold move and reached out and took one of his strong hands in my blood-spattered one. "But if we're going to have a shot at finding him, you're going to have to tell me exactly what this all is. I'm beginning to feel like a mouse trapped in a neon maze. And I know..." I took a deep breathe. "I know I haven't been honest with you either. But if that's what you want, then I'll cooperate. But like I told Luke, I just want to help you find your happy ending. My fairytale burned a long time ago, so if I can help someone recover theirs, it's all I want.... I lost those closest to me as well, except..." I took a shaky breathe, "Except it was too late for them.  I know what you're feeling because that's what I've felt every day for years now...So I want to help you... I do, Ashton. So let's do it. I'm willing to dive in if you are."