Love Her Wilde

Out With a Bang: Asher

It was hard to believe it was almost over already. I'd spent the entire trip, all ten days, so wrapped up in all that was Dylan, that it seemed like we'd only just landed. Now, here we were, at the reception, due to check out the next day and, despite all the dancing and laughing happening around me, I felt lost.

"You alright, buddy?"

I snapped out of my worried haze to find Ryder standing before me. He looked a bit disheveled from dancing and drinking, his shirt untucked, and his tie lost somewhere between here and the beach. But he looked happy, so happy that I felt happier just looking at him.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm fine. You don't need me dragging down your high."

"Why are you sulking in the corner?" Ryder continued to prod. "Where's Dylan?"

I glanced out onto the dancefloor where I last spotted my 'date' for the evening. She was no longer there. In fact, the more I scanned our little party area, the more I didn't see her at all. "She was dancing a bit ago..."

"She probably ran to the bathroom or something," Ryder assured. He grabbed a stool from the bar and slid up next to me. "So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I guess."

"Why are you over here pouting alone then?"

I laughed a bit and shook my head. "I am NOT pouting."

"You kind of are," Ryder argued. "And it's about the only time in the last week I haven't seen you glued to Dylan's side, so what gives?"

I sighed and scrubbed my hand over the scruff I'd allowed to grow on my chin. I usually kept myself clean shaven thanks to my father insisting that facial hair made me look unkempt, but over the last few days, I'd picked up the dark shadow of a just beginning beard. Dylan was into it, and that was all the encouragement I needed.

"I don't know," I began, with another heavy sigh. "I guess I'm just dreading leaving tomorrow."

Ryder gave me a knowing smirk. "Not quite ready to return to real life?"

"Not in the least,' I answered with a scoff.

"I don't blame you. I think you've been happier here than I've seen in years. Kinda feels like I got the old Asher back."

"I FEEL like the old Asher," I stated with a sad laugh. "It's only been ten days and... I just don't fucking want to leave. I don't want to go back to the same shit I've been trapped in for the last... fucking I don't know. Since my mom died."

"So don't," Ryder replied, with a shrug like it was the simplest thing in the world. "No one can force you to go back to that life, Ash. Despite what your father has drilled into you, you ARE allowed to make your own choices. Ones that make YOU happy."

I let out a loud laugh at that. "It'd be so much simpler to just stay here and pretend I died or something."

Ryder rolled his eyes at my dramatics. "You say that, but I know you," he stated. "You have this over-inflated sense of responsibility. You'd make it a few weeks before that ate you alive."

"Sad, but true," I agreed. I looked to the ground and then clenched my eyes shut. "I just don't know how to do this and not lose everything I've worked for."

"Ash, you're a good lawyer. You can be a good lawyer at a different firm. Hell, you could start your own firm. I guarantee you some of your father's clients would leave to follow you. You don't have to lose anything. And if you're father has any decency in him at all, he won't ask you too."

"You have more faith in that fact than I do."

"Come on," Ryder goaded. "I remember your dad taking us to baseball games and road trips and stuff. Hell! You remember the summer he took us to the Grand Canyon? That's still one of my favorite vacations. He's got some sort of heart in there..."