Quote of the day : No one wants to see the person he or she loves hurt, because they hurt more.

    
   With heavy heart she walked out of his office, hurt that he wouldn't even spare her one last look. Hurt by the words he said, but she knew she deserved every bit of it. So she was going to do the right thing, turn herself in. She said her thanks to his new secretary and walked over to the elevator. When she remembered how Davis had hugged her, warmth spread through her body. Then she also remembered what he whispered to her.

     "He loves you, but he is angry and hurt, I don't blame him, for I will be also, if I was him. I was actually very angry myself because Greg's mum was a mum to me, but I've known you for long now, and I know that you are not a person of that character. So I decided to let go of all grudges towards you, but Greg can't, at least not now. But give him time."

   But she was afraid the look in Greg's eyes was so determined, he definitely wouldn't forgive her. She knew and she feared that he would go on hating her for life, this she couldn't bear. She got off the elevator at her former floor, trying her best to return every greeting thrown at her by people who care to, some just looked at her from afar wondering why she looked this way, and why she had left work. The rest were all looking at her with pity, definitely believing that her broken wrist was the reason. All this she didn't care about, she walked to her old office and stood outside, looking at Chloe.

   She laughed a little when she saw Chloe glaring at her computer, she must find whatever she was doing hard. She smiled at all the memories they had together, knowing she would have that to console her when she goes behind bars. She remembered when they first met each other in junior high, Chloe had been a girl who was ready for all the friendships highschool provided, while she had been wary of friendship. They both had different interest, Chloe's brain had been filled with hot guys, and it still is. Then they both had been sure that they couldn't be more than schoolmates, but who knew, they both soon naturally fell into a patten of friendship. Although it took time, but eventually she got to trust Chloe wholeheartedly.

    After watching her for some minutes, she turned on her heels and headed for the police station. Once she was out of 'Marshall enterprises,' she hailed a taxi, and got in.

     "Take me to the nearest police station, sir." Her heart pounded in her chest as she said those words.

     "Okay, ma'am," the driver said and drove on.

     She looked at the scenery, admiring the beautiful New York for the last time, she wondered when next she would see it, or if she would get to ever see it again. The busy streets, so many big buildings, and it seemed like everyone was always busy with something. People bustled around the street not giving a glance at the person beside them. It was really interesting to watch, and she kept on watching it as time moved on.

  "We are here ma'am," the driver said pulling to a stop. Her heart dropped to the lowest pit as she saw the police station, standing tall before her. A part of her wanted to tell the driver to drive her away, while the other reasonable part of her knew she had to this.

   "Thank you sir," she said, paying the fare, and she got out of the taxi.

   She studied the place that was to become her new home for quite some time before she made a move to go in. Walking over to the big double glass door, she started debating on what she would say when she got there. Was she to just walk up to a random officer, and tell him she had killed a person two years ago, and would like to turn herself in. Still debating she placed her hand on the door knob, ready to turn it when a hand grasped hers. She felt herself being pulled backwards, and she collided with a hard chest, definitely a male. She looked up slowly and saw Greg's angry eyes. Now what was he doing here?

    She got ready to question him, but he soon started pulling her, until he had successfully pulled her to his car. He opened the door and pushed her in, and got busy buckling her seat belt.

    "What the heck are you doing Greg?" She asked in a high pitch tone. She was highly confuse.

  But Greg ignored her, and went over to enter the car, after putting her seat belt in place. She struggled with understanding his motives, he had wanted her to turn herself in, then why was he doing this now? He started the car and drove out of the police station premises, without as much as a glance towards her.

       "What are you doing Greg?" She asked again, highly frustrated.

       "Well, I decided that seeing you behind bars wouldn't do any good at easing off my current state of anger." He answered curtly, still not looking at her.

      "Well then, I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it to ease off my conscience, and restore the name of the one whom I tarnished." She shot back.

       "What conscience? The conscience that you happened to forgot all this while, and what do you mean about restoring her name. So now you care?" He sounded very angry, and ended this statement with a glare towards her, before refraining his eyes, it was almost like he couldn't bear to stare at her. Damn, it hurts.

     "I may have thrown my conscience into the winds at some point, but I never stopped caring about her," she said, close to tears now.

      "You care, and you made her cover up for your sins," he retorted.

   She fell quiet at this, and just watched as he drove. She no longer had the mindset to admire anything, and instead stared blankly at everything. It was later on she saw that he was actually driving her home, she realized this as she began to see those familiar houses. He parked in front of her house, and said very quietly, different from the angry man from before.

      "I don't want you to turn yourself in, no matter how I see it, I just can't bear to see you behind bars," he said. Igniting hope within her, hope that he might actually forgive her, love her again. "I want to forget everything that has happened, and continue with the mindset that whoever killed my mum is dead."

     "But..." She wanted to ask about the lady when he interrupted her.

     "I will clear her name, it is rather late, but better than never. Thankfully only a handful of people knew of what happened, her family, and mine, and then a few police officers. We didn't want to make it an issue then when we met with her parents, they had been so sad, and I would like to change that impression they have of their daughter been a murderer."

    "How do you intend to do that, without me showing forth?" She asked with a heavy voice. She had never for once thought of her family, and how they would have felt, she had been so selfish.

      "I plan on visiting her parents, I will apologize for the pain I and my family must have caused them, and compensate them. This way, they can atleast remember their daughter in good light, although it won't bring her back." His tone became harder as he finished saying this, it was as though he got more angry at the whole situation.

     "So, will you... ever forgive me?" She asked, and hoped that he would answer in the affirmative. Her hope shattered when she saw the look of disgust he shot at her.

       "Forgiving you! forget about it," he said coldly. "It won't happen, and from now on..." He looked at her face for long as if he was thinking of what to say, before saying, "stay. Very. Far away. From. Me."

     Her heart shattered into a million pieces as he said those words, he said every word independently, emphasizing his point.

    "I will." She said, getting down from his car. She watched him immediately pull out of her lawn, he must have been so eager to get rid of her, tears freely poured out of her eyes at this. He didn't want her to get punished for what she did, but this was a bigger punishment, knowing she would never earn his forgiveness. Guilt, and pain deepened in her heart, she wondered if she would ever get rid of that feeling.

___________________

   Sat on the couch, in the  same position that she was before Nora had showed up, she waited patiently for Chloe. She had had ample time to think over things, and had finally figured out what to do. She couldn't earn Greg's forgiveness, but letting her go without a scratch on her person was enough to ask for.

   She knew that Chloe would definitely not be happy with the decision she had made, but she needed to do this, for her sanity, and for Greg. He had asked her to stay very far away from him, and that she would do, even though her heart would hurt so much from this.

  Not too long after, she heard the keys turning in the lock and knew Chloe was home, and soon enough the brunette appeared with a tired look. Immediately she saw her seated on the couch, she smiled and came over to seat beside her.

     "You look tired, how was work?" She asked.

     "Frustrating!" She exclaimed, and rested her head on her chest. She found herself smiling at the gesture.

     "I went to see him today," she said quite bluntly. She saw no need to beat about the bush.

     "I know," Chloe said raising her head up from her chest. She stared at Chloe with shock, wondering how she knew. "I saw you, you came to my office, I only saw your back view though."

     "Ohh."

      "So, what did Greg do? You being here must mean he..."

      "He decided he didn't want me behind bars."

     "What! Really, he is willing to let go of it. Does that means he forgives you?" Chloe asked hope lighting up her face.

      "Apparently forgiveness is too good for me," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion.

     "Give it time Ashley," Chloe said reassuring her.

       "Time," she said with a distant look. And soon she broke down, "its hurts Chloe, I can't bear the way he looks at me now, it breaks my heart."

      "I know Ashley, I know," Chloe said rubbing her arm soothingly. "Why do I feel you have something else to say?" Chloe asked with a wary look.

     "He plans on visiting the family of the deceased girl, to clear her name and compensate them."

     "And..." Chloe asked, now very impatient.

    "I'm leaving Chloe," she blurted out, and looked away from Chloe.

     "You're going to leave, just like that, how long do you want to keep running Ashley." Chloe's voice sounded hurt, broken.

      "Until the day I'm able to get rid of this miserable feeling within me."

     "And running away will do so." Chloe yelled.

        "Chloe, try to understand, I just can't, I know I'm a coward, and all. But I can't."

      "I'm guessing your mind is made up then," she said in a gentler voice now.

    "Yes."

     "When do you leave?"

     "Two days time," she answered. She hadn't wasted time in procuring a ticket when she had made her decision this afternoon, she just needed to get away from everything, and get this burdensome feeling off her chest.

      "So soon," Chloe said gravely, her face was paler by the minute, and Ashley almost didn't want to go. "I will come join you there when you're settled, and well."

       "No, you won't." She watched as Chloe's face got even more paler as she said this, "Chloe, you have a life here, your parents whom you seriously need to reconcile with are here. And you have a nice job and friends."

     "But we have always been together Ashley."

     "Then I guess its time we learnt to be apart," she said. She wished so much that she didn't have to leave, but things were now too hard for her to bear. She didn't know how she would live in New York without thinking of Greg, or feeling guilty at what she had done. And she needed to find a way to get rid of that heavy weight that had been on her chest, since two years ago.

  
  Chapter fifty four.
Lots of love from Mary Aden.