Two weeks later
Ashley's POV
I gripped the hand of my suitcase tightly as I slammed the car door shut.
"You sure about this, Ash?" Tolani asked standing beside my brother Justin.
"I can't...I can't deal with it anymore, Hailey's last wish was for me to be happy. And to find happiness, I need to get some help." I explained and they nodded hugging me.
I turned to the building, its glass windows pulling me in and I took a deep sigh.
This is the right thing to do.
As I walked to the building, flashes of Hailey on the ground in her own pool of blood ran through my head.
"Luna!" I stopped abruptly at the sound of my name. It couldn't be. He didn't.
I hesitantly turned to see the last person I expected.
Jace Overland.
"What are you doing here? You should be on a flight to your university. " I said making him scoff.
"You really are heartless." His words hit me like cold water, waking me up from a trance.
"I thought, I thought we were something.. Luna. I keep trying but you keep pushing me away. But now I know. That you were just using me." His eyes held hurt as he turned around, stomping away.
I wanted to. I wanted to call him back, I wanted to hug him.
I was so scared of letting him down, that I lost him.
"Jason...." I called out with a tiny voice as tears dropped from my eyes.
"I warned you, Luna." I turned to see Hailey standing beside me shaking her head in disappointment.
No. No. Stay away from me!
I ran to the building pushing the doors open as I felt everything leave me.
"You must be Miss Winters. Welcome, we are here to help you."
I hope so.
...
I was dressed in green overall, it was the uniform of the patients who stayed in the center.
"Hello, Miss Winters."
"You can just call me Ashley," I muttered pulling my legs to my body. The screeching noises in my head had seized.
I looked up to the doctor.
Dr.Rowland
He was young, like maybe a few years older than me. With broad shoulders and ocean eyes, with lush pink lips. I doubt he was a Nigerian, a half-caste at most.
"How old are you?" I asked and he adjusted his dark-rimmed glasses on his perfect nose.
"I'm sorry, Miss Winters. I am not to share informa-"
I adjusted myself on the chair facing him, "It's Ashley, and if you can't at least say some things about yourself why should I be comfortable with talking about myself? I feel that's hypocrisy honestly."
He stared at me, stunned. I couldn't care less, I was just trying to avoid talking about me.
"My name is Rowland Bakre but I prefer being called Rowland, I am twenty-five years old and I'll be your therapist during your stay here." I nodded my head in understanding.
Eight years older. Hm.
"And what if I don't like you? Can I change you?"
"Are you trying to avoid the real reason we are here, Ashley?" I caught a breath at the way he called my name.
I should have never come here, what was I thinking?
"Getting over a loved one and building your self-worth isn't an easy feat, but you have to try."
"Why? Why do I have to get over her? She's my twin sister!"
"Because she's gone, she's gone and she's not coming back." I scoffed at his words leaning back on the chair.
"She had cancer you know, and none of them told me. And the worst part? It wasn't the cancer that killed her. And she called me, but I didn't answer." Tears threatened to escape my eyes as I bit my lip hard drawing out blood.
Hailey, my baby sis.
One of the people who truly mattered to me. Whose words actually meant something to me, is gone.
"Do you want to paint?"
"Huh?"
Dera POV
"Welcome to our humble abode." I walked in as Damilare guided me into the house.
"Seriously? Mom? Dad?" I raised my head to see Tolani glaring at me and then looking at her parents.
"We've gone over this, OmoTolani. She will stay with us then after she birth, she and your brother will be married."
"No, I can never understand this. " She walked out, slamming the door.
I clenched my fists in anger. I was disappointed in myself.
My mom didn't want me anywhere near her, She practically disowned me. If not for Damilare's kindhearted parents, I don't know what I would have done.
This isn't how I wanted my life to go, I wouldn't even be able to attend university. I have to do online courses and nurse a baby.
"Don't beat yourself up about it, we all make mistakes and the best thing is to own up to them. We are here for you." Mrs Akinola said with a smile and I burst into tears hugging her tight as she patted my back.
I missed my gang.
Peace Akindele went to fashion school in the UK.
Fash Lois went to jail for murdering Hailey Winters.
Hailey Winters, may her soul rest in peace, has a fetus fighting for its life in the hospital.
Kimberly Snow went to university with Emeka Igbinoba.
Jace Overland and Sky Wayne went abroad for their university.
And Ashley Winters, our ever-strong headgirl with a bright future. I have never seen anyone so devastated by the death of a loved one. The hurt in her eyes and the way she kept clinging onto her twin sister's cold and bloody body while the doctor pronounced her dead. I heard she took herself to rehab.
Tolani and Damilare will be schooling in the country. Tolani wanted to because she wanted to be close to Ashley and Damilare because of me.
I clung onto my stomach gently as I sat on the balcony gazing at the night sky.
"Not asleep yet?" I turned to see Damilare shirtless in SpongeBob shorts making me laugh.
"I couldn't sleep. I never knew you were a fan of SpongeBob." He smiled sheepishly leaning onto the wall. "I'm not, these are just really comfy."
"Sure."
"Come on, I heard warm milk helps to fall asleep like a baby." He stretched out his hand and I held onto it following him inside the house.
"I can't walk, back me," I said jokingly, but he bent down waiting for me to climb onto his back.
"Oya, I'm waiting for you."
I smiled sheepishly climbing onto his back and he lifted us from the ground.
"You don't even have much weight."
"Ode."
I know I made a mistake, I know I shouldn't have had sex before marriage. But all in all, I'm relieved I'm here with Damilare.
A mistake that I don't totally regret.
My mother would kill me if she heard me right now.