Life behind a photograph

Chapter 15 | Part I

Ash's POV

I knock on Abigail's apartment the next day. It haunted me when my phone rang in my jacket's pocket last night and I realized that the phone I smashed on the floor was Abigail's and not mine. It's normal for me to smash things around when I'm pissed and Abigail really pissed me off last night.

How can she know two fucks about me? It's not yet even exactly a month since we met. 

I knock harder and the door finally opens. A sleepy Abigail stands in front of me, fixing her hair. When she looks up at me I see that her eyes are red trimmed and swollen. 

Did she cry?

"Good morning" I say and push her aside to step in to her apartment. Everything is the same as it was last night and her bed is already made.

"You slept on the floor?" I ask and turn to her. 

"I guess. Why are you here?" she asks.

I take the new phone box out of my jacket's pocket and hold it out for her.

"Who's is that?" she asks.

I pull her by her hand and place the box on her palm.

"It's for you"

"Why?" Does she not know?

"I'm sorry for smashing your phone on the floor last night." I get it out, apologizing is not something I'm used to.

She looks confused at first but then smacks her forehead and gives me the box back. 

"That was my phone? Fuck" she walks to the wall where I threw  the phone at and bends down to pick the phone which she hadn't picked up last night apparently.

"Not even the phone fairy could save this," she mumbles. The phone fairy?

She turns it over and and over, examining it and cursing. 

"I'm sorry," I say again and walk to her, slowly taking the broken phone from her hands so that the broken glass wouldn't touch her.

"That was a shit phone anyways. This one is way better," I say and hand out the new phone once again.

"I can't take that."

"What? Why not?"

"Because,"

"Because?"

"It's too expensive. My phone wasn't even worth one quarter of that," she says pointing at the latest iPhone I had Monica pick up for me.

"Oh please. Just take it," I push it against her but she backs away.

"And besides I'm at the wrong. I shouldn't have spoken shit I didn't know."

"Yes. You shouldn't have, but that doesn't excuse my behavior."

"You obviously have some anger issues. I'll be careful from now but I'm not taking that," she says.

She lays back on the bed and rolls to lie on her face. "It's too early for this." she says and snuggles to the sheets.

I clench my jaw and walk to the bed to pull her up by her wrist.

"Hey!" she complains. 

"Are you going to take this or not?" 

"I'm not! Let go," she tries to free her wrist from my grip. 

"Fine." I let her go and walk to the window. 

I put the new phone on my pocket slowly but pretend to throw it out.

"Ash! What the fuck?" she jumps from the bed and pushes me away to look out the window.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she turns to me.

"You said you didn't want it," 

"I know but that doesn't mean you should just throw it away!" she snaps.

I shrug and wait for her to throw a fit.

"You could have given that to someone who needed it! Not everyone is as rich as you and not everyone could afford a phone." 

"I got that for you and if you didn't want it, I'm not giving it to someone else." I say and her expression softens. She looks away and turns back to the window. 

"You have way too much money in your hands huh?" she mumbles.

I take the phone out of my pocket and wave it in front of her face and she turns to face me with an annoyed expression.

I cut her off when she opens her mouth.

"If you say that you don't want it one more time I'll actually throw it out." I warn and she looks like she's going to complain but she doesn't. For the better because I wasn't going to think twice to carry out my threat.

"Good." I hand her the phone and she takes it with much hesitation.

"The first shoot is today huh?" I ask while walking to the dust bin to throw her old phone out.

"Yep," she pops the 'p'

"Look, I'm going to be honest with you," I say and she diverts her attention to me from the burger wrappers on the floor.

"You are a really good model and you do have potential. But I'm not so sure if I can say the same about the other models in the agency." I say and watch as she bites her lip. I tear my eyes away from the arousing action and focus on her blue eyes.

"I'm going to watch you guys in today's shoot and if, if they don't match up my standards I'm going to let them go." I rub my left eyebrow and wait for her to get mad at me but she nods understandingly. 

I go on.

"The contract clearly states that I can cut ties any time I want and so could Sarah if she wanted to. You're not dumb and I'm sure you and Sarah both understands that we only hired the whole agency because you came with the full package." 

"It's not that they look bad or anything. They all have everything and more but for me it's all about the poses and expressions you know?" I'm starting to sound dumb but I keep going anyways. "I'm not trying to be negative but-"

"I know what you mean Ash," she cuts me off. "Look, we had no work for over a month and suddenly we're the faces of one of the top perfume brands in the world. It's surreal even for me and I'm sure they're all expecting this to slip out any moment. I mean yeah, they would love to keep on modelling for you after today. But even if we don't, no hearts will be broken. Hell, being even considered to model for you and Luc is like a whole jump start for the agency. So even if we don't get this, we'll get many other opportunities." she finishes.

"I'm glad you understand because I'm taking a huge ass risk with this." I sigh. She just nods and gives me a reassuring smile.

"I have a meeting so I'm going to go. See you at the shoot then?" I say after a quick glance at my watch.

"Yeah."

I open the door but turn back to face her.

"I'm really sorry about the phone once again."

"No I'm sorry. Also, I'm happy for you." she says softly.

"Happy for me?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Remember when you told me that you would never date anyone and that you could never love someone in that way?" she asks and I nod.

"Well now you have someone." she says and smiles, but the smile doesn't reach her eyes as it normally does.

"Oh. You mean what I said last night?"

"Hmm,"

"Well thanks I guess. But this is either the best thing that happened to me or worst so don't be too happy," with that I close the apartment door.

//

[ Not me feeling like I'm still dragging the romance part- 

anyways vote if you want xoxo ]