~*~ Chapter 74 ~*~
NEW YORK CITY, NY – APR.16th, 2002 – TUESDAY
Kirstin had just left Tom at his work and was now on her way to Ashley’s hotel. A little red box with a silver ribbon wrapped around it sat on the passenger’s seat and Kirstin looked at it tenderly when she hit a red light. She smiled for a while and then turned her gaze and kept driving.
NEW YORK CITY, NY – HOTEL – APR.16th, 2002 – TUESDAY
Kirstin stopped her car in a parking garage and headed for the hotel’s entrance.
“Hi.” she smiled to the receptionist.
“Hello, Miss Addams.” the young and handsome receptionist answered her. His name was John and he was already used to Kirstin’s visits, because she had been there during the weekend and visited Ashley often due to their wedding arrangements.
“Hey, John. Ashley’s not here, is he?” she bit her bottom lip.
“I’m afraid he’s not, Miss Addams. The band left almost an hour ago.”
“Oh…” Kirstin pouted “That sucks.”
“Yes, I guess it does.” the guy showed a little smile.
“So… can you do me a favor?” she asked.
“Of course!” he exclaimed, almost too excitedly.
“I didn’t want to, but…” she placed the small package on the counter “Can I leave this with you and you give it to him as soon as he comes back?”
“Sure.” he smiled again and took the package “I’ll give it to him myself.”
“Great. Thanks so much, John.” she smiled big and the young guy blushed a little.
“No problem, miss.”
“Bye, John.” Kirstin said and turned to the main entrance.
“Oh, my God!” was the phrase Kirstin heard from behind her just a few steps before reaching the exit and suddenly, recognizing the high-pitched voice, her heart ached with anger.
“What are you doing here?” Kirstin asked between her teeth without turning around to look at Cindy.
“What do you think? Ashley invited me, of course!” Cindy lied.
“What?” Kirstin turned to face her, frowning.
“That’s exactly what you heard. Ashley invited me here.”
“You’re… you’re lying.” Kirstin couldn’t believe the girl.
“No, that’s really it. And what did you think it would happen after I told him you cheated on him with Jared? After you left the ball, he came running after me. I said to him it was wrong, we shouldn’t be together, but I guess his will to have me was bigger than my will to stop him. But can you blame him? I mean…” she smiled sarcastically.
“I…” Kirstin’s frown wouldn’t leave her face. Did Ashley really go running after Cindy after that charity ball in Redding? “That’s not true. We’re…” Kirstin stopped.
“You’re what?” Cindy still wore the sarcastic smile, pretending not to know what Kirstin was going to say next.
“We’re getting married.” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, what?” Cindy pretended this time not to have listened.
“Nothing.” Kirstin turned without saying another word and left the hotel.
NEW YORK CITY, NY – KIRSTIN’S LOFT – APR.16th, 2002 – TUESDAY
It was almost 8 p.m. when Kirstin entered her loft. She had been driving for a while, trying to put her thoughts into place, but nothing seemed to fit.
How could Ashley have run after Cindy and then showed up at Grace’s party? And how could he still be planning his wedding with Kirstin when Cindy was in the same building? And she was invited there by Ashley himself? Things just didn’t fit. At all. It was… just not… fitting.
She headed straight to her room and collapsed onto her bed. She had to think. She had to come up with a logical solution for all that.
“She’s lying.” Kirstin said out loud. But she didn’t believe her words and she didn’t know why. It was probably right; Cindy must have been lying, but if she was lying, then why was she there, and at the exact same hotel as Ashley was?
Nothing fit! Kirstin was driving herself insane with her own thoughts. Some tears started to drop as she couldn’t find the answers to this than the one that Ashley was cheating on her. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn’t even hear her door being unlocked and the footsteps heading to her room.
“There you are!” a cheerful voice came from behind her. She turned abruptly around.
“What are you doing here?” she said with some anger in her voice and wiped the tears away from her face.
“Have you been crying?” Ashley said calmly and stepped closer to her.
“You stay there. Stay away!” she almost yelled.
“What’s going on, K?” Ashley had a puzzled look on his face.
“You thought I’d never find out, didn’t you?” Kirstin asked him.
“What are you talking about?” Ashley tried to get closer to her, but she was moving away from him.
“You thought you could hide her forever, didn’t you?” the anger was starting to build up Kirstin’s body.
“Kirstin, for the love of God, what are you talking about?”
“How stupid do you think I am?”
“Oh, my God, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” Ashley asked with a demanding tone of voice.
“I went to the hotel today, Ashley.” Kirstin informed.
“I know. I got the package.” Ashley smiled “That’s why I’m here. I just loved it and…” Kirstin had just realized that Ashley was holding her tape and her letter in his hands.
“I saw her!” Kirstin snapped.
“You saw who?” Ashley frowned.
“Her! You thought your plan would be so perfect that I’d never see her, didn’t you, Ashley? Hiding her at the same hotel you’re staying at? That wasn’t such a perfect plan, I have to tell you.”
“My…” Ashley frowned. That didn’t sound like Kirstin at all. The words didn’t sound like Kirstin’s, the anger didn’t seem like hers, the angry tears… it just didn’t seem like Kirstin. Something was definitely wrong “Who is she? Who are you talking about? Tell me!” Ashley ordered.
“Cindy! Who else?”
“Oh, God.” Ashley couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.
“Oh, so it’s funny now, isn’t it?”
“Kirstin, what are you saying?”
“She told me everything.”
“What did she tell you?” now Ashley sounded worried.
“Everything!”
“What’s everything?”
“About you going after her after you dismissed me at the charity ball. About you asking her to come to New York with you. You…”
“What?” Ashley asked incredulously.
“That’s right. She told me everything. You thought I’d never figure it out, didn’t you?”
“Kirstin, don’t tell me you believed a word she said.” Ashley placed the tape and the letter on the bed and got Kirstin’s wrist.
“Let go of me.” Kirstin tried to pull herself out of Ashley’s grip, but wasn’t able to.
“Answer me, Kirstin, do you really believe her?” Ashley now gripped both her wrists.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Kirstin snapped.
“Why should you?” Ashley snapped right back.
“Because… I don’t know.” Kirstin looked down.
“You can’t. You can’t believe her and you know it. But somehow you’re forcing yourself to believe her, Kirstin. You know this is not true, but you still believe her words.”
“I haven’t heard you deny it.” Kirstin stared deep into his eyes.
“Do I really have to? Do I have to deny it for you not to believe her words? For Christ’ sake, Kirstin. You of all people should know better. You can’t believe a word that bitch says!” now Ashley was the one angry, and he had all the motives to be. Kirstin would now believe a girl that hated her since ever more than her fiancée?
“I… Yes! I do have to hear you deny it.” Kirstin still stared at him.
“Are you serious?”
“I believe I am.” Kirstin sounded confident.
“You have to listen to me deny it to believe me when I say I have nothing to do with that girl?” Ashley asked.
“Yes.”
“Then forget it.” Ashley stated and turned around, heading for the steps.
* Thanx Taryn, Shauna, Thea, Hannah, Alexandria and Angel for reviewing and correcting the grammar errors *
~*~ Chapter 73 ~*~
~*~ Chapter 75 ~*~
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