“Honey, you don’t know a thing about my sins…”

Ashley was taken aback. That was definitely the up and down of it. Her brow stayed furrowed, and her eyes remained focused on the obviously broken boy in front of her.

Of just about anyone she’d ever encountered, she least expected Easy to be the one to suffer from secrets and angst.

Did he seriously think that he could say something like that and not elaborate? Obviously he did because he kept his eyes glued to the snow on the ground, his hand glued to his cigarette – the other glued to the carton – and the cigarette glued to his lips. Drag after drag. Giving Ashley nothing better to do but sit there and stare at him completely awestruck – and slightly scared.

Ashley stepped towards him cautiously. “Easy,” she said quietly as she reached out to touch him arm.

Easy looked up from the ground at her. “Huh.” He shook his head and looked back down. “No, no… It… it doesn’t matter. Disregard it. Sorry.”

Ashley’s brow furrowed. She dropped her hand from his arm and then brought it up to his face, turning it so he would look at her. His face was rough, like he hadn’t shaved in at least a day. “Easy,” she said, more firm this time.

His eyes were wide with knitted brows. He looked vulnerable. Ashley felt as though she had treaded into waters that would tell her something that she didn’t expect. Waters that would explain Easy. Why he was the way he was.

“Talk to me,” she finished.

“Not all stories are meant to be told.” He shook out of Ashley’s grasp and looked back at the ground, his cigarette back in his mouth.

Ashley was beginning to get agitated. She sighed heavily and grabbed his chin, forcing his gaze to her. With her other hand she reached up and snatched the cigarette from his mouth and threw it into the snow.

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” she spat, “if anyone knows anything about suck-fests it’s me. Don’t pull this mysterious, broken soul crap because it doesn’t work for you. It doesn’t work for anyone.” She let go of his chin roughly.

Easy’s eyes were narrowed; he looked down at Ashley fiercely. It wasn’t every day that he was intimidated.