“Then how is that my fault?!  How can you blame me and not the guy who hit her?!”

“Because you persuaded her to think that you loved her.  Two girls can’t be like that though.  She knows it deep inside.  She’ll never love you back.”  That’s when I hear a slap and when I finally reach the bottom of the stairs.  I see Ashley holding the side of her face with tears running down her cheeks.  She runs out the door and I follow her not even looking at my mom who is running after me.  I pass my family who was outside, probably saying their goodbyes to Madison.  They had no idea what was going on.

“Spencer, you get back here this instant.”  I don’t pay any attention.  I just need to be with Ashley.  I get in her car and she starts it, peeling out down the street. 

The car ride was quiet.  I continually looked over at Ashley who just stared straight ahead of her.  I wanted to comfort her, I wanted her to talk to me and tell me what she was thinking, but I knew that she wasn’t ready.  I saw a tear escape her eye as she tried to push back her feelings.  It wasn’t soon after this that we pulled up to her beach house.  It was a beautiful two story building, literally steps from the beach.  We walked up the stairs quietly as she unlocked and pushed the door open.  She threw her keys on the table and sat down on the nearby couch.

“Is it true?”  I heard her say out of the silence.

“Is what true, Ash?”  I asked her worriedly.

“That you were on your way to see me when…when the accident happened?”  Her tears started to fall easily now.  I knew my mom had gotten to her and now she probably blames herself for everything.

“Yeah, it is…” I tell her sitting down.  She turns her head away from me dejectedly.  “but…”  I lift her head with my hands so that she is looking into my eyes “it wasn’t your fault Ash.  Don’t ever think that it was.”  Seeing her cry brought saline to my eyes and I tried my best to fight the stinging.