"I can chase you, and I can catch you, but there is nothing I can do to make you mine." 

- Morrissey

Asher POV

"I love you s-so much."

Those three words, the words I wasn't even expecting to hear back, I just knew I had to tell her how I felt about her, seeing her next to that asshole put shit into perspective for me.

All I could think about was, this girl is mine, definitely not this 'Austins'.

Hearing her say the words back, left me completely speechless, I knew she liked me, she agreed to live with me after all, but I had no idea she would love me.

Looking over to my beautiful girl, I can't hold back the shit-eating grin, even with her crying face and bloodshot eats from crying, I'm so fucking happy she's mine and mine alone.

"Why are you laughing?" She sobs out, as I try and hold it back but fail to.

How could I not? We look like lunatics, she's crying and I'm laughing, seconds from crying myself with these newfound emotions, deciding to laugh was the better option for me.

Shrugging, I take left on the road. "I just love you." I say, meaning it.

I love her, everything about her I love.

As soon as I stop this car, I'm going to prove just how fucking much I love this girl, that's for damn fucking sure.

She begins to laugh as she wipes her tears away. "I can't believe you hit him." She says, amused.

I scoff. Knowing myself,  I wanted to do more than to punch him a few times in the face, looking at Hailey, I can't believe someone as beautiful, smart, and caring as her would even date a prick like that guy, fucking baffles me that he managed to even get close to Hailey, nevermind actually date her for three years. 

Seeing the house up ahead, I unlock the gate on my phone and drive the car up to the driveway, seeing as theirs a car I don't recognize already parked in front of the house.

I don't remember if I had something going on today? Definitely not something going on at the house.

Hailey looks at me confused as she notices the car, once I turn the car off and open the car door, I see the front door of the house open and see a face I didn't expect to see.

What the fuck is he doing here?

"Finally, I've been here for an hour mate." Shaun says, grinning as he comes down the steps to me.

Furrowing my brows I bro hug him back when he comes to hug me. "What are you doing here?" 

He smirks at me but his eyes shift to Hailey as she comes to stand near me. "I heard you moved here, and you didn't tell your best friend, I'm hurt Ash." He says dramatically, putting his hand over his heart.

I roll my eyes. "What is this lovely lady doing with you?" He asks, making me frown.

Sighing, I lace my hands with Hailey's, noticing the pink on her cheeks from the sudden attention on her. "This is Hailey, my girlfriend." I say. "Hailey this is Shaun Bradley. he's-"

She gasps. "Y-You're from dancing with L.A!" 

I can't roll my eyes hard enough. "You know him?"

"You know me?" Shaun says at the same time as me.

Hailey nods her head. "Ivan and I watch that show every year." She says shyly and I grumble out when I catch Shaun grin and check out Hailey.

"Lovely to meet you Hailey, I could show you the set sometime." He offers as he holds his hand out to shake, making me scoff.

I stop Hailey from touching him. "Stay away from her man, she's not like that." I warn him, seeing the amusement in his eyes.

I walk with Hailey into the house, making Shaun follow behind us as he owns the place. "Really? So you're actually dating?" He asks quizzingly.

Hailey gives me a look and I glare at Shaun to shut the fuck up. "How did you know I moved here?" I ask him, throwing my keys on the table.

Me and Shaun sit in the living room and I watch as Hailey takes her laptop out of her bag along with some paper and books, I didn't even realize Shaun said something.

"Sorry what?" I say, pulling my eyes from Hailey as she going into another room.

"You're like a fucking puppy in love, it's hilarious." Shaun says with humor in his voice. "I heard from your assistant, the annoying one." He tells me and I still.

"Lucy? She's not my assistant anymore." I state.

He seems surprised, yet hums. "Interesting."

I sigh out annoyed. "Look man, not to be an asshole but fuck off will you?" 

I heard Hailey go upstairs and I want nothing more than to get rid of this cockblock and put my cock somewhere upstairs, preferably inside a certain gorgeous woman who loves me.

He laughs out. "I came to support you of course, but it seems you don't know yet."

I snap my eyes to him, now confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You're a daddy! Congratulations?" He says awkwardly, handing me his phone.

What the fuck is he talking about? I'm not a fucking dad. 

I take his phone, completely pissed off, and stare at what's on the screen.

There's an article that was published today saying; 'One night with Asher Reed'

Someone I don't even recognize, face, or name is claiming she had slept with me four years ago and it resulted in the birth of her daughter, claiming that the child is mine..

I slept with people but I would've never fucked a groupie without a condom, no matter how drunk I was, I always put a rubber on, so whoever this fucking woman is, she is lying.

Something like this so early into my relationship with Hailey could destroy everything we have, and rumors like this have a nasty way of ruining more than relationships, but my image as well, I need to sort this out before Hailey see's this online.

"It's not true." I say, handing Shaun his phone back.

"Hmm, but she looks like you, are you sure man?" He pauses. "Four years was your second tour, things were wild-"

I stand up annoyed. "I am fucking positive, I wore protection." I state, again, raising my voice.

My phone starts to ring and I am seething angry seeing that it's my new manager calling, deciding to answer it, I put the phone to my ear and walk away.

"Asher? I don't know how this got out but have you seen it? It's everywhere." 

Sighing loudly I run my hands through my hair. "Get rid of it, now! It's all fucking false, I don't know who she is, look if this is about money-"

"She called my office, my assistant said all she wanted was to meet you, to meet her daughter, your daughter."

I scoff out and laugh. "I don't have one, are you fucking insane? Make it go away Dave." I snap out.

This is beyond annoying me now, I do not have a four-year-old daughter, I think I would've fucking known if I had, or else why would whoever this woman is be coming to me now with our supposed child we made four years ago? Such bullshit.

Before I could hang up he yells out and tells me to wait.

"She's got proof Asher, I'm sorry but I can't make this go away until you meet her, it's all she's asking for." Dave says nervously and I freeze.

"What proof?" I ask.

He hums. "I didn't ask, but a paternity test was done, that is all I know."

Jesus.

This can't be fucking happening to me right now.

How the fuck did this woman get any of my DNA for a fucking test? This doesn't make any sense whatsoever to me, theirs literally no way for that to happen unless whoever this woman is, planned this shit.

"I'm calling my lawyers Dave, whoever this woman is, has clearly planned this shit, I want my team to meet me tomorrow at the house." I instruct him, knowing that Hailey won't be here but at school.

I hang up and take a moment to myself in the kitchen, knowing Shaun is still out there and Hailey is upstairs, waiting for me.

How the fuck do I explain this to Hailey To my mother? 

Fucking hell, this is not going to go away and there's only a matter of time until Hailey finds out about this, and this has to come from me, if she finds out about this before I can explain the situation... I don't even know what she's going to think about this.

I don't even know how to feel about this.

What a mess.

The door to the kitchen opens and there stands Hailey, with a pained expression.

I lean off the counter and walk towards her, holding my hand out to touch her face as she looks pale. "Hey are you alright-"

"Don't touch me!" She whacks my hand away and steps back. "What the hell is this Asher?" She says, holding her phone to my face with the same article that Shaun had shown me.

Shit, fuck, we're doing this now? Alright then.

"I don't know, I just found out, I didn't know Hailey I swear to god." I say, completely defeated and stressed as I lean against the counter with my hands rubbing my face.

Hailey hasn't said anything and we're now stood in the kitchen in awkward silence.

After what seems like hours, she speaks. 

"I'm going to spend the night at Rafaels, I can't be here right now.." She says, turning around to leave and I take a second to process the words she just said.

What? "Why? Where is this coming from?" I walk after her, feeling my anger rise. "I didn't know anything about this, why are you leaving?" I yell to her as she walks into another room as I walk after her.

This can't be fucking happening.

She doesn't answer me, she hasn't even looked at me. I followed her into the door way and saw that she packed the bag she brought with her when she moved in with me, no matter how I look at it, it looks like she's leaving me.

My heart is fucking breaking in front of her and she's more concerned about putting her shoes on to walk out of my life. "Hailey please, stop and talk to me." I beg her, almost close enough to get on my knees and beg her.

She shakes her head and glances at me for a second before turning away, she looks how I feel, but I can't let her leave me like this, we need to talk.

I want to scream, to break or hit something, anything, just to get this feeling away from me. "Please." I say quietly, my voice breaking.

I watch as she stills then bends to pick up her bag and put it on her shoulder, she turns and that's when I see her crying face full of everything I feel right now.

What was a good day is ending is a complete nightmare, I can't believe this is happening to me right now.

I move forward and grab hold of her hand. "Are you leaving me?" I ask, the words making my chest clench painfully at the way her face falls and the way she moves her eyes away from me.

I see her nod her head painfully slow and then my world stops.

She's leaving me.

Hailey moves her hand from mine and opens the door and leaves through it, I watch completely frozen as I watch her put her bag into her car and open the front door of the car and get inside, watching as she doesn't even look back at me.

I move forward subconsciously to the car and watch as she doesn't spare me a second glance and starts the car and drives out of the driveway to the gate that opens, my heart is breaking watching her go and I don't even notice that I'm crying until I feel my tears hit my neck.

Watching Hailey drive away until I can't see her anymore, I completely break down on the floor where her car once was and clench my hair painfully with my fist, knowing that there's nothing I can do to make her stay with me if she doesn't want me anymore.

I just lost the first woman I ever loved on the same day I told her I loved her.

She left me, she's gone.

I lost her.