“Aunt Sally, I’m not exactly in a position to talk to Ashton about this. In fact, things could get a lot worse if I do…” I replied.
“Damn it… It’s all my fault!” she exclaimed with a sigh.
I knew I should try and talk Ashton out of it, especially since I owed Marcus a favor, but things just wouldn’t be the same anymore if I did. The two of them had been rivals for many years, but it was nothing like this. Besides, I didn’t know what Marcus told him the other day that made him hell-bent on finishing him off.
The barbecue had begun by the time we got back to the main house. “Here, try some of this!” Ashton said as he handed me a plate of grilled chicken and vegetables.
“You grilled these yourself?” I asked with a smile.
He nodded. “Go on. Try it!”
I sat down by the side and gave it a try. It tasted really great and reminded me of the soup from earlier. “I wonder if Hannah is with John right now… Aunt Sally made quite a lot of food, so maybe we should bring them some…”
Cameron was a great cook, and having Sally around to help out made the soup even better.
Ashton nodded. “I’ll have Joseph deliver it tonight!”
“You aren’t the only one who is celebrating New Year’s Eve tonight, you know? Shouldn’t you let Joseph spend time with his wife and kids instead?”
“Hmm… Are you suggesting that I deliver it myself?”
“Yes, please!”
He leaned closer toward me and whispered, “Do I get a reward?”
I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Will this do?”
Ashton’s face lit up with joy. “Yes, it will! You know, I thought you’d want me to bring it to Emery instead as you two seem really close.”
“Do you believe in there being another version of yourself in this world?” I asked.
He raised an eyebrow at me and waited for me to continue.
“Emery and Macy are really alike. I can see traces of Macy’s innocence, cheerfulness, passion, and honesty in Emery. In fact, when I look at her, I can almost feel like Macy’s still here with me. Hannah, on the other hand, is humble and stubborn like me. We’re practically like two peas in a pod, and I can understand exactly what she’s going through right now. That’s probably why I feel the urge to look after her.”
To be precise, Hannah resembles my old self. I know how much it hurts to wait and to keep hanging in there despite being hurt badly by the ones we love so much…
I looked up at Ashton when I heard no response from him and saw him staring at me.
“Ashton, I…”
He reached out and pulled me into his arms before I could finish. “I’m sorry! I won’t let it happen again!”
It took me quite a while to realize that he was blaming himself for what happened to me.
“Don’t overthink it, Ashton. I wasn’t talking about you when I said all that.”
“Okay…” he mumbled softly.
I guess memories of the past exist as a means of reminding us to appreciate the present… I let out a sigh at the thought of that.
Sally broke into a grin when she saw us hugging.
She then motioned at Cameron and Zachary who were chatting nearby, and the three of them looked in our direction.
Feeling embarrassed, I quickly pushed Ashton away and whispered into his ear, “Hey, there are people watching!”
“We’re a married couple, so what’s the problem?” he whispered back.
I quickly made my way back into the house to avoid their gazes.
After taking a look around the kitchen, I realized I didn’t really know what Hannah liked to eat as we didn’t hang out that often.
I then whipped out my phone and gave her a call.
The call got through after a few seconds, and I heard her somewhat hoarse voice on the other line. “Hey, Scarlett! Happy New Year!”
“We’ve still got quite a few hours before midnight, Hannah. Anyway, what do you like to eat?”
Hannah was both surprised and confused. “Huh? Why’re you asking me this all of a sudden?”
“We bought a lot of stuff to celebrate New Year’s Eve, so I was thinking of making you something nutritious since you’re breastfeeding now. I’ll have Ashton bring them over in a bit,” I said while glancing at the ingredients in the kitchen.
Her line went mute for a brief moment before she continued, “Thank you, Scarlett. You’re the first person to call me out of concern so far!”
“Is John with you today? How’s your baby’s fever? Has it gone down?” I asked.
