Chapter 100
I reconsidered the situation and told myself it might not be possible.
While I was lost in thought, my phone buzzed, and Ashton’s familiar, pleasant voice came through.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?” I asked immediately. I wasn’t referring to the amusement park; I was asking about his location.
Because deep down, I felt certain I hadn’t been mistaken.
The person I saw on the balcony earlier–it had to be him.
“What’s up?” he countered, avoiding my question.
I hesitated for a moment, then walked briskly from the balcony through my apartment to the door across the hall. Holding my phone tightly, I said, “Open the door.”
There was a pause on the other end of the call, followed by the sound of the line disconnecting.
The door in front of me remained closed, but I knew I was right.
Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing Ashton standing there in gray loungewear.
So it was him.
He wasn’t just nearby–he was my new neighbor.
He hadn’t stopped visiting me; he had moved in right across the hall.
He wasn’t skipping night shifts at the amusement park; he had simply come early to ensure he could stay close and protect me.
But even though he lived just a few steps away, he hadn’t told me.
It all started to make sense. He must have decided to rent the apartment across from mine when he helped fix my plumbing that day.
As I stared at him, the pieces clicked together.
“Come in,” Ashton said calmly, completely unbothered by being caught.
He hadn’t done anything wrong by renting the apartment, so I was the one overreacting. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to greet him calmly.
Standing in the doorway, I looked at him with frustration. “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation for what’s going on?”
“Come in, and I’ll explain,” he said, stepping aside.
I bit my lip and walked inside.
Although I was fairly certain he had moved in for my sake, I was still annoyed that he had kept me in the dark.
As soon as I stepped into his apartment, I froze.
The space was unrecognizable.
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I had seen this apartment before, and I knew what it looked like. But now, it was completely bare.
Gone were the old furnishings–it was as if the place had been ransacked. The living room had nothing but a couch, making it feel stark and empty.
“Where is everything?” I asked instinctively.
Ashton’s gaze shifted to me. “Have you been here before?”
He always answered questions with questions, which only fueled my irritation.
I glared at him, and under my intense stare, he finally pointed toward a nearby room. “I stored everything in there.”
So he’d packed up the entire apartment and shoved it into one room? And all he needed here was a couch?
Usually, people would at least have a coffee table or something to place a phone or a drink on. Yet, he didn’t seem to mind the clutter in my parents‘ room when he stayed there.
I didn’t ask about that, but I did address the obvious. “Why did you rent the apartment across from mine?”
Ashton replied simply, “The rent is cheap.”
That was true–rent in this complex wasn’t high.
“But there are plenty of apartments here. Why rent the one directly across from me?” I asked, thinking back to that day when he took a mysterious phone call in my apartment.
Now, in hindsight, I realized just how clueless I had been. He must have thought I was utterly naive. Ashton met my gaze directly. “Because you’re across from me.”
His bluntness left me momentarily speechless.
I scoffed. “You’re scarier than the guy from that night. You’ve moved in right next to me without telling
me.”
Ashton frowned slightly. “I’m different from him. I’m here to protect you. He’s not.”
I couldn’t argue with that, but I was still irritated. “You have ulterior motives.”
Ashton paused for a moment before answering, “Yes.”
He admitted it without hesitation.
Bold and unapologetic, he owned up to his actions.
I was stunned and even angrier. “What does “yes” mean?”
“I’m trying to get close to you,” Ashton said, his words as direct as ever.
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Chapter 101
