Chapter 83

All the tears and pent up emotions I held back from expressing with Linc comes flooding out of me in waves as I hug Ashley and she cries too. We clutch eachother awkwardly on her bed, careful not to interrupt all we are hooked onto, and cry freely. I forget about Linc in the room with us. He remains quiet at the door, giving us as much privacy as he can without taking his eyes off me.

"Oh Ashley, I am so sorry. Are you okay? What did the doctors say?" I pull back, wiping my eyes but the tears keep streaming down my face.

She looks okay, but I can tell she took the beating really badly. Her lips are split, her brows, her cheeks, I think the bridge of her nose is broken too, she has stitches almost everywhere. I feel worse than terrible. The guilt holds me in a chokehold, I can't breath looking at her.

"I am fine. Well, I will be. The doctors say I will look like a Kardashian in about two weeks." Ashley says sheepishly, smiling as best as she can with all the bandages, the