If you don't count the lack of sleep from the nagging fear that Colin is still out there to get me, the thought of spending some time with Ash won't leave my mind. Something about his house is just so inviting and comforting that I find it impossible to dislike it in any shape or form. 

And spending time with his sisters is also an added bonus, since they're both so awesome. But, getting to have fun before I go to work is also an added bonus. Because hanging out with your friends is always something that's needed to keep your sanity in check. It also distracts me from a few things, one way or another.

"Wow, you love their house, don't you?" Dom tells me, as I close the laptop. I look at him, with a raised eyebrow, because his sarcasm isn't something that I'm used to unless it's directed towards Elena.

 "What? It's the second time I'm going. Chill. I'm not going to enter a portal that will transport me to Norway," I tell him, which leads to a chuckle. "I do want to go though. Dad said that it's beautiful." 

Dom gives me a slight smile, and says, "Hey, have you gotten your annulment done yet?" I scrunch up a little bit tighter in a ball because it's one of the most random questions that Dom could ask me at this moment. 

I pull my coat tighter over my body and say, "I went with Elena to the courthouse a few days ago. A divorce is going to be too messy, and plus an annulment is more appropriate because of the lack of consent. Why do you ask?" 

Dom gives me a solemn look. "Because the thought of you married to that piece of crap makes me nauseous. Thinking about everything you went through breaks my heart, Nicole, and I'm sorry that I couldn't get you out of it." 

Sadness starts to stab at my heart like someone is throwing darts at it. I get up in an attempt to prepare myself for Dom to start an emotional tirade. I shake my head and say, "Dom, there was nothing you could've done. She would've killed you if I said no. You're my brother. I don't care if I die in the process of protecting you. I would've taken Colin killing me over the witch torturing you guys." 

Dom lets out a huge sigh, and I can see the pain reflecting in his gentle eyes. Without another thought of hesitation, I take a few steps closer to him and wrap my arms around him in the warmest of hugs in a while. 

"I'm one lucky girl for being your sister, huh?" I ask him, and he chuckles. 

"I'm luckier," he says. 

I chuckle a little bit more, as Roy says, "Awwww." We let go of each other, and we see Roy with his hand over his heart. Admiration is glistening in his eyes, as he sees us embracing each other. 

"You two are so cute together. The only time my brothers would hug me would be when they tried to search my pockets for something," he says. The facial expression that's plastered on his face is straighter than a ruler. 

My eyebrow raises at his memory. "That's alarming. How did your parents react?" I ask. 

He just smiles, with a little bit of nostalgia dripping from it. "Oh, my mom chewed my brothers out in Persian and then chased them around the house with a slipper in hand. My dad then chewed them out another time, but this time in a weird mixture of Hindi and Kashmiri. Ah, good memories," he says and we all burst in a fit of giggles. 

"I like your parents though. They're pretty awesome," I say. He smiles. "Thanks, Nicole. They're chill, and they LOVE to remind me of the fact that I said I wouldn't be living the Indian and Iranian engineer doctor/lawyer/engineer stereotype, and here we are! Ah, their favorite inside joke," he says, and I shake my head and roll my eyes. 

I then glance at the time on the clock, and it reads "4:50." My head whips to face Dom, and I say, "Wanna leave? I should be there in ten minutes." 

Dom's hand flies to get the keys on the table, and he nods. "Let's go," he says, as I adjust my clothing. 

"See you later, Roy," I tell him, as I follow Dom to the car.

"How nervous are you?" he asks. 

I shrug a little bit, as I drum my fingers on the dashboard. "Not too nervous, to be honest. As long as I don't get much reminders of Colin that will trigger my PTSD, then I think I'm good," I tell him. 

He lets out a sigh, and says, "Don't worry. Ash wouldn't do anything like that on purpose. He's a sweet and respecting guy, who's also very sensitive about certain topics, including abuse. So, he'll treat you well when it comes to that," he says. 

I smile to myself as I think about Ash's personality that can light up a gloomy room. With his sisters next to him, the room is going to explode with positivity if it allows. Dom looks at me for a little bit, and sees me in a dreamy trance. That causes a smile to break out across his face. 

"Ah, dreaming about Ash. I'm glad. He's an amazing guy," Dom tells me. 

I smile. "He's so amazing, Dom. I'm luck to have him as a friend," I say, but the word "friend" is like a needle on my tongue. Deep down, I want something more than just being friends. Being friends with Ash is something that is just not enough for me. However, I'm scared. I'm so scared. Considering how my last "relationship" was, then I don't know how long it will take for me to be ready to enter a new relationship. 

On top of that, how is Ash going to deal with my PTSD and panic attacks? If I do decide Ash, I know I'm going to be a burden on him because of my mental health. I don't want that. I want him to be free and not to worry about me 24/7. Causing my loved ones stress is the last thing that I want or need in my life. 

"I am too. I'm a lucky idiot," he says, as he pulls up to Ash's house. I open the car door and unbuckle my seat belt, ready to have a fun night. "Have fun, and call me, okay?" he tells me. 

I nod. "I will. Bye, Dom," I say, and with that, I leap out of the car and walk towards Ash's house to have some fun time. Before I get a chance to ring the doorbell, the door swings open, with Emily's toned body and cheerful demeanor standing at the door frame. 

"NICOLE, YOU'RE HERE!" she squeals, as she runs out of the door frame. Her positivity makes its way to my face, and my arms spread out slightly in preparation for a hug. 

"Hey, Emily!" I cheerfully greet, as she runs into my arms. I nearly fall backwards onto the pavement, but I balance myself, and hug her back as tightly as I can manage. 

Isa comes out of the house, and she joins in on the hug as well. "My last day with Nicole. Best day ever," she says, and I chuckle. Almost immediately after that, Ash comes out of the house, looking as attractive as ever. His usually messy brown hair is still as messy, but in a different way, which only adds to his attractiveness. He's got comfortable, but with a pinch of formal, clothes on, and the smile on his face only indicates that he's as excited for this as I am. 

Emily and Isa let go of me, and my gaze is directed almost completely towards Ash. I walk towards him subtly and engulf him in a softer hug. 

Once we let go of each other, he just gives me another smile and says, "We made hot chocolate. Do you want some?" 

I raise an eyebrow at him, and say, "It's hot chocolate. The answer is yes, Ash." A chuckle escapes his thin lips, and with that, we all walk inside to have some comforting food and to enjoy ourselves.

********

"So, Isa, I never asked you this. What's your major?" I ask, as I sip my hot chocolate. She comes back, with a plate of Oreos, and says, "Accounting. I've always been the money girl in the family, and we have a family friend who's a bank manager. She introduced me to the world of accounting, and I fell in love with it, so I majored in it!" 

I smile a little bit more, and say, "That's great! I actually took some financial classes at the community college back in high school. Got a few credits, which is always great. But overall, I was definitely going to major in finance in college." 

I take another sip of my hot chocolate, while Isa smiles and says, "Ah, very cool! We've got some pretty diverse majors, huh?" 

A smile breaks out on my face as Ash adjusts himself a little bit on the couch. "One sec, I have to check on something," Isa says, as she walks into the kitchen. 

Right then and there, the phone rings, and Emily says, "I got it, Ash, don't worry." She takes the handheld phone from the charger, and answers the call. I look back at Ash, who's just sitting back and enjoying his drink. 

"So, Nicole, I wanted to know if this is okay with you. I feel like you don't know me on a personal level when it comes to hobbies and interests, personality, et cetera. When we met up at my dad's house, we just talked about our life experiences, but we didn't get to know each other at that level. I want to get to know you, if that's okay with you. You can ask me whatever you want," he says. 

I raise an eyebrow at his request. To be fair, he's got a very valid point. I didn't have a chance to get to know some of his likes and dislikes back when I was married to Colin. Now is the perfect chance. "I'd love that," I say, with a smile. 

Ash returns it fondly, and says, "Okay, you go first." I press my lips together, and try to think of things to ask. There's a million possibilities. I can ask about his personality, his past experiences, or just his preferences, but there's one thing that intrigues me. 

On Ash's face, there is a long, somewhat faint scar, running across the side of his face and to his chin. I examine it a little bit, and say, "Ash, what happened on your face? There's a scar." 

Ash's finger flies up to his cheek, and he says, "Oh, this? I got it a few years ago after I scratched myself. Yeah, that wasn't fun. I remember Emily running with the antiseptic and the cream, and she was screaming bloody murder. Ah, good times." 

I can't help but smile at his sarcasm, and I go to sip my drink a bit more, but I realize that it's done. Ash looks in, and says, "Leave it on the table. I'll take care of it." 

I lean over, put it on the table, and Ash asks, "Cats or dogs? If so, favorite breed?" 

I lean back, and say, "Dogs, and huskies are my favorite. They're just so sweet." 

Ash smiles, and says, "I love huskies too! We once had a neighbor who had a husky, and she was such a sweetie, so Isa and I would always go and pet her. Emily would stay back, because she's a cat person, but Isa loved that dog to death. She's begging me for a husky, but I keep on saying no." 

I smile, and reminisce on how fluffy and cute huskies are. My gaze is directed back at Ash. "How many languages can you speak? I speak English, Spanish, and German." 

Ash sets down his cup, and on his fingers, counts, "English, Spanish, Russian, Italian, and a little bit of Armenian, since my dad has some Armenian in him. It's not great, but know some phrases here and there. I learned Russian and Italian back in college. Italian wasn't bad, because I'm fluent in Spanish due to my Latino heritage, but Russian was a bit more challenging." 

I nod. "I can imagine." 

Ash leans back a little bit more. "Best habit? Mine is I'm very punctual." 

I lean back, and review all my habits. I have so many that can be classified as good or bad, and it's honestly a subjective question. "I'm insanely clean and organized. My dad is a very organized and clean person, so I got it from him. He always taught me to be organized and it will pay off in the future. What's your worst habit?" 

Ash nods, and without a second's hesitation, he says, "Oh, man, I hate to scare you, but when I get mad, I'm MAD. Like there's no stopping me. Thankfully, it takes a lot for me to get mad, so you don't have to worry. I also get super vengeful at points. Like, if someone screwed me over, I often times vow to get revenge, and I never really let it go. That's a pretty bad habit of mine. Okay, how about what you look for in a partner? I look for someone who's loyal, kind, modest, honest, and just a great person overall. You?" 

I smile a little bit, and say, "So, you just defined me, huh?" 

Ash breaks out into a fit of giggles, and I say, "Nah, I'm joking. I'm not that great. But, anyways, in a partner, I want them to be honest with me, to have my back no matter what, and to just treat me nicely overall. Because with Colin, he was none of those things, and that's really what was such a deal breaker for me." 

Ash nods a little bit, and says, "Ah, okay. Nicole, I have another question, and I really want you to answer this one."

 I tilt my head a little bit to the side, and say, "Yeah, sure, why not?" 

Ash's eyes close, he lets out a slight exhale, and says, "Why didn't you tell me that Colin was abusing you?" My eyes widen at his question, and my jaw drops a little bit. Ash looks at me with a serious look on his face. 

I swallow back the lump that's forming in the back of my throat, and say, "Ash, I couldn't. He hated you. He was going to kill you if I even tried. I can't let that happen to you. You don't deserve that." 

I can see tears starting to glisten Ash's wondrous eyes, and he says, "I don't care if I would've died, Nicole. The thought of him hurting you is unimaginable." 

When I see Ash so heartbroken over my marriage, my heart starts to shatter as well. The last thing I want is for people to be affected by the negativities in my marriage, and look what's happened. Ash's heart is being ripped into shreds because of me. It's all because of me that he's upset. And it only makes me feel like cow manure. 

Ash blinks back his tears, and says, "Nicole. Tell me everything. Tell me how you're feeling. I... I need to know how you feel, because I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. At all. Tell me, I won't judge," he begs. 

I take a deep breath, and say, "I'm scared. I'm so scared, Ash. I-I know you'd never hurt me, but the fact that Colin is your blood is so scary. I'm so scared that if I try to open up again, then I'm going to get broken all over again." 

Ash raises an eyebrow, in slight surprise, and then places his hands on my shoulders. "I'm never going to hurt you ever, Nicole. I am never going to lay a finger on you. Ever. I cross my heart on that. You don't deserve to be treated the way he treated you. You're-you're so strong, and so precious. I'm going to make sure that you feel that way." 

Tears start to glisten his warm brown eyes again, which drives yet another nail in my heart. I lean in and wrap my arms around him, with tears starting to fill my eyes. "Don't cry, Ash. You're going to make me cry," I whisper, with my voice breaking by the second. 

Ash's arms wrap themselves around me, and I continually sob, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should've told you. I shouldn't have lied to you. I'm horrible." 

Ash rubs my back and says, "Don't be. I know how hard it is to go through something so horrible. But, just know this. We're here for you. We're going to help you get through this. You're not alone, Nicole. Not this time." 

All I can do is just hug him tighter and whisper-cry, "Thank you. Thank you so much." Ash does nothing more than just hug me a little bit more and comfort me as we both somewhat cry in each other's arms. His heartfelt sobs trigger mine to become worse, as we melt into each others' embraces. My heart, although it's breaking and part of it is disintegrating, I feel like the part that's not destroyed yet is connecting with Ash's. 

I feel a connection to him that I've never felt before. I feel like we're fusing together in a way that seems to be beneficial for me as a whole. I feel like I can trust him with my life, and somehow, I know that part is going to be true. 

Overall, despite the fact that we're crying in each other arms, something prevents my heart from dissolving into nothing. The thought of Emily, Ash, and Isa on my side is something that just brings me joy as a whole. I thought, outside of my family, that I had nobody else on my side. I felt like everyone was going to judge me because my mental health isn't in the best condition. 

However, knowing that Ash himself was somewhat affected by Colin's treatment of me makes me feel like I'm more connected to him on a certain level. It's just a good feeling to know that I have more people on my side. 

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Aw, I'm glad too. I feel like Nicole and Ash can kind of relate to each other since they both suffered some pretty nasty abuse. Oh, also, I'm not intending to romanticize abuse, at all. I just want to  show that even though you may not feel like it, there's always going to be people that will be there for you and will support you. In this case, Ash will be there for Nicole. Do you guys think that Nicole should've told Ash about the abuse, whether or not Colin was going to "kill" them? Let me know. 

Hello everyone! How are you all? So, I've had a few of you all ask me whether we'll go deeper into Ash. We absolutely will. Little spoiler: the next chapter is going to be more oriented towards their family. Oh, and there's gonna be a lot of Emily in the next chapter. So if you like her, then you're in luck. 

Oh yeah, my birthday is this Wednesday. I'm getting old, haha. I like my birthday, because it's right at the beginning of the year, but I hate that it's right before finals. What's one thing that you like about your birthday, but also don't like about it? Let me know. 

That's all I got. I hope you guys liked this chapter!

Please vote/comment/share/follow/message if you like my work! See you all next Saturday with a new chapter of Phoenix! Have a great week!

Love you guys, 

Shree.