The confetti was flying in the air, red roses were being distributed as a sign of victory. The sky had never looked more pink and Eastwood had never looked more cheerful.
We had won. They had won. They had fought the war for us. They had won the war for us.
I hugged Derek and he hugged me then, went to the others. Ridge hugged Derek as Carson was hugging Zane. Then Derek moved to hug Carson and Ridge came to me for the hug. He hugged me tight and I closed my eyes shut as I hugged him back.
Ridge tore apart from me when Carson approached and we hugged each other. Ridge left to meet the others and I patted Carson on his back.
"You did it. Congratulations!" I said.
"Congratulations to you too! We all won." Carson said and then my eyes fell on Chloe, who was standing a few steps behind Carson with Amber.
She looked disheveled and uncollected, but she was hugging others to celebrate our victory.
Carson was dragged away by Blaze from in between and now Chloe and me stood right in front of each other.
Carson moved towards Ridge and Derek and the three of them indulged in a group hug as Blaze stood next to them and clapped.
I saw all three of them tearing up and smiling through it while hugging.
I looked back at Chloe and her blood red eyes turned to me at the same time. The smile on her face falters. Her cheeks turned crimson in a second and she looks down at the ground.
I couldn't stand the sight of her looking so disheartened, so I took a step towards her. She notices it too and takes a few step towards me.
We meet in the middle and she doesn't even look up at me.
"How are you?" I asked her.
She takes my hand in hers gently then drags me away from the crowd. We now stood at the verge of the crowd where hearing each other speak was easier.
"I'm sorry, Ashley." She finally said looking up at me.
"I've forgiven you a long time ago. It's you, I'm worried about. How are you?" I asked, concerned.
"As fine as I can be. What is fine really?" She says.
"Chloe, you'll get over it. Don't worry. This too shall pass," I said, keeping my hands on her shoulders.
"Is he going to forgive me? Dom?" She asked me, hopefully.
"I-I don't think so," I hesitated but admitted it after a few seconds. I didn't want to give her false hopes. It will only break her more in the future.
"I thought so," she gave me a pained smile, "Thanks for telling me the truth, though. I needed to hear it from someone else. Because it's the last strand of hope that's the deadliest. It had to die." Chloe shrugs, truthfully.
Amber walks up to us and hugs us from the side. "I'm glad you two talked about whatever it was. Come on, we need coffee," Amber said and Chloe's eyes shot up at me.
We all knew what happened the last time I went to get coffee.
"We do need to get some coffee," I smile at Chloe and she smiles back.
***
We got our coffees from a nearby cafe and walked back to Eastwood, laughing along.
We entered the gate and stood up on the rock to get a better view of the people cheering.
It had been an hour and the crowd hasn't got tired, yet.
I was chanting with the others when suddenly I heard my name being called out. I looked down and spotted Derek, shouting for me.
He gave me a hand and I climbed down the rock and stood next to him. He took me to a comparatively quieter spot and didn't look too happy.
"What's wrong? You look worried." I said.
"Ridge. He. He has given this to you," Derek said, handing over a blue piece of paper to me.
I looked at him confused, but opened the paper to look what's inside. It was a letter.
"What is this? Where is he?" I asked, Derek. Carson had come and stood a few steps away from us and Derek takes a seat on a nearby bench.
"Just read it," Derek says and I looked back at the piece of paper.
Ashley,
Getting to know you was the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me and the best part is that I never saw it coming. I never saw you coming. I won't forget a single day of knowing you and cherish you all my life. So, remember me too, even if it's as a dream you had once dreamt and vaguely recall.
Most importantly, I would never regret loving you. How could I? You were my it. But, that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt. I mean isn't it what love's all about? I had never felt this found in my entire life but, at the same time, I have never felt this lost too. You were right, something that's made for me would find me and that's me. I was made for me and I lost me, in hopes of getting you in the end. And trust me I don't regret any of it, If I could do this all over again, I won't change a thing. But, in the end I also know that I need to find myself.
Even though you were never mine to lose, it doesn't mean that I didn't lose you. It hurts all the same, finding the person you can't live without and then live without them. It's even harder to be 'just friends' with someone you're so madly in love with. It makes you mad, it makes you bitter, it makes you lifeless. It makes you regret.
And I don't wanna regret any of it. But I also know that I'll end up doing just that if I see you and Derek together. And I don't want that. I'll hate myself if I ever did that to you or Derek. I don't want our love to hurt, for this has been the happiest chapter of my life. So, I'm leaving, to find myself. At least for now.
But, your work is not done, yet. I still need a favour from you. Call me one last time? I couldn't bear to see you but, I need to hear your voice one time before I let you go, completely.
Ridge
I folded the paper and kept it in my pocket.
Tears were flowing down my face, but I couldn't acknowledge them. Because it would mean that he's actually leaving. "What does this mean? Have you two lost it? How could you give me this? Where is Ridge?" I asked the boys taking out my phone. I dialed Ridge's number with my shivering hands. I looked up at the boys but they both just stood there.
I held Ridge's necklace that was around my neck, tightly.
Ring Ring
Ring Ring
Ring Ring
"Ashley"
"Whatever the fuck this means. Stop it. Stop where you are. I'm coming. Wherever you are."
"Say it"
"What?"
"Your part. The thing you're supposed to say when I say your name."
"No! I will not."
I heard him chuckle, "I need to hear you say my name."
"Where are you?"
"I need to hear you say it, Ashley. Don't do this to me."
"Do what? You need to stop doing this to me. Come back. Tell me where you are. We need to go back to 'Sakura'. I miss their coffee. I miss their Ramen. You were right. It was the best Ramen I had ever had. We need to go back there. I need another pokemon. I need another Meowth. I have the key to your heart. You can't leave without it. I want to make you 'our smoothie' again. You need to drink 'our smoothie' again. Not the watermelon one, that wasn't our original smoothie. The one with strawberries and sour tomatoes. That's our smoothie. I need to make you one. I need you to drink it, again. This time I'll join you. I'll have one too. I want to play the 'Ridge Quiz' again and win it this time. I want to sit on the ferris wheel with you again, I know you wouldn't sit without me. You need me for it. So, I have to sit on it with you, again. Tell me where you are? There's just so much we have to do. You can't leave."
.
.
.
.
.
"Ashley."
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Ridge."
The call disconnected and I sobbed out. I looked at the both of them for answers but they didn't say a word. Derek just sat there crying and Carson stood there looking at me.
"It was always supposed to happen, Ashley." Carson says, "It's not only the authority, but the Elites too. They are also a part of the problem. He was always meant to set an example for his followers. The Affluents would give up their place for the people to see. Eastwood will still lose 30% of it's students." He completes in a mellow tone.
"You don't need to do that. We have already won." I shouted at Carson.
"It needs to be done. It'll be going down in history and that is why we need to do it right. He'll be going down in history. The Affluent fought for the rights of the others when he himself had the privilege of being in Eastwood because he's an Affluent? Ashley, he'll be nothing more than a rich social worker who goes to slums once a month to provide them with food supplies and then comes back to his penthouse and continue living his privileged lives, thinking he knows their pain. It's always easy to sit in front of your TV and talk about how wrong the system is. What's difficult is coming to the streets and fighting against it." Carson said but I cut him off.
"Shut up. Just shut up. This is not the time. Where is he?" I looked at Derek.
"His home, leaving."
I started to move past them when Derek spoke. "He needed to leave Eastwood as the last part of our plan. But, leaving Eastville is his own decision and it's for you. So, think! Before you do anything reckless."
I ignored him completely and started to run.
I ran out of the gate and didn't stop. I am going to run to his house if I had to.
Thankfully I got a taxi and gave him the address. It all made sense now, the last part of the plan that they were afraid about. It was Ridge's part to do, not Derek's. Ridge was the one.
They were afraid that Ridge won't leave Eastwood because of me and that's why they needed to send him a message. The message was for Ridge, not Derek.
Everything that Carson had said at the abandoned mansion made sense now.
I thought about what Derek had said but I couldn't waste a second thinking over it. I couldn't just let him go even if he needed some time away from me.
I can't help but be selfish right now. I can't let him go. I wiped my tears off but the new ones came down, it was useless. I looked out of the window and saw that we were in a traffic jam.
What the hell! I don't have time to waste on these people. What if he leaves.
I pay the taxi driver and run for Ridge's house. When I entered his lane I saw a big moving truck leave the lane. I looked ahead for Ridge's car but didn't see any. He must be in the house. I ran to his house and finally saw his car and him.
Ridge had just put his car into ignition and looked up from the wheel. His eyes met mine but his face remained expressionless.
I jogged to his car as he took the car out of his driveway.
"Ridge. Wait, you've to stop, please. Stop this car," I banged my hands on his window.
"Ashley, you'll hurt yourself." He said, driving slow.
"Why now? Why all of a sudden?" I sobbed out, banging my hand against the window.
"Because I wouldn't be able to do this tomorrow. It takes courage to walk away from the only thing you've ever wanted. I know I won't be able to leave if I stay, even for a second," he said.
I kept running with the car, even though my feet had given up a long time ago and my hands were hurting from the banging.
"Then, stay. For me, please. For all the things I've listed." I begged.
"I really have to go," he said, looking ahead. He was true to his words, he hadn't looked at me for even a moment.
"Why?" I shouted.
"Because I have nothing left in me to give you. I will only be taking from you from this point on, if I stay and I don't want that." He says.
"You really have to stop now, I won't be able to run for long, Okay? You've to stop for me. My feet are hurting, Okay?" I said, crying profusely.
He releases a low chuckle, "We really wouldn't want that, now. Would we?" He said.
"I know, you wouldn't. You wouldn't see me hurting. You couldn't," I smiled at him, hoping for him to stop.
"You're right. I can't," he stated.
I stopped the banging and my body was flooded with relief. I knew that would work. I knew he would never be able to see me in this state and I'm glad that I had that power over him.
Ridge slowed his car down and turned his face to look at me. I smiled at him, even though I looked horrid. That doesn't matter right now, what matters is that he stays. He's the only thing that matters. I can't lose him.
Ridge gave me a small smile too and then he stepped on the gas.
The car flew away with such an impact that all I could hear was the sound of it's engine. I was left there shocked and broken.
I sat down on the ground, defeated. I held the necklace in my hand and cried and cried. My legs had stopped hurting but my heart hasn't.
There will always be this void in my heart and in my life.
***
This was the last chapter and it was so heart breaking to write. I have no words right now. But, thank you for reading it. 😭