Regrets

Ashley’s head pounded as she slowly woke up, groaning at the heaviness in her body. Something wasn’t right. She blinked a few times, realizing her cheek was pressed against something warm and solid.

A man’s chest.

Her breath hitched as her eyes shot up, meeting Demitri’s peaceful, sleeping face. The events of the night before came crashing back like a tidal wave.

Oh, no.

Her heart raced as she scrambled out of the bed, yanking the covers off in her panic. She hastily gathered the scattered pieces of her clothing, her mind a chaotic mess.

What have I done?

As she reached the door, the sound of sheets rustling froze her in place.

“Ashley?” Demitri’s groggy voice filled the room, tinged with confusion. She turned slightly, catching his disheveled figure sitting up, his brows furrowed. “Where are you going?”

She avoided his gaze, focusing on slipping into her clothes. “I need to leave,” she mumbled, her voice tight.

Demitri swung his legs over the side of the bed, reaching for his pants. “Wait, Ashley, can we talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she snapped, her fingers trembling as she zipped her dress. “It shouldn’t have happened. I just need to go.”

“Ashley—”

But she didn’t let him finish. She grabbed her shoes and bolted out the door, leaving him sitting there in stunned silence.

Demitri cursed under his breath, quickly pulling on his clothes. He stuffed their belongings into their bags and rushed out after her.

The elevator ride felt like an eternity, his thoughts racing.

What the hell is she running from?

When he reached the lobby, she was gone.

He scanned the area frantically, his pulse hammering in his ears. “Damn it, Ashley,” he muttered, gripping the strap of her bag tightly.

****

Ashley sat in the back of a cab, her arms folded tightly around herself. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. She had slept with Demitri—her ex-husband.

Her fingers brushed over her lips, recalling the way he had kissed her so fiercely, so tenderly. Her cheeks flushed at the memory of his hands, his touch, his whispered name on her lips. She shook her head, trying to banish the thoughts.

“This is a mistake. A terrible mistake,” she whispered to herself, pressing her fingers against her temple.

The cab driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “You okay, miss?”

She forced a smile. “Yes. Just take me to the airport, please.”

As the car sped through the streets, she leaned her head against the window, her mind drifting to memories she had tried so hard to bury.

She had fallen for Demitri long before their marriage fell apart. She had watched him from a distance, envying how deeply he cared for Elena.

She had often wondered what it would feel like to be the woman he looked at with such devotion.

And now, after all this time, she had let her guard down. She had let him in—literally and figuratively. And worse, she had liked it.

Her phone buzzed in her lap, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced down, seeing Demitri’s name flash across the screen. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the decline button.

The cab screeched to a halt at the airport, and Ashley stepped out, leaving the call unanswered.

She walked into the building, rummaging through her bag as she approached the check-in counter. Her heart sank.

Her passport wasn’t there.

“No, no, no,” she muttered, digging through her bag with increasing urgency. Her mind raced as she realized she had left it back at the hotel.

Cursing under her breath, she dashed back outside and was fortunate to see the cab still outside. She climbed into the cab. “Back to the hotel. Quickly, please!”

As the car weaved through traffic, her phone buzzed again. It was Demitri.

“Persistent, aren’t you?” she mumbled, swiping to answer.

She said before he could speak. “I left my passport at the hotel. I’m coming back to get it, and then I’ll be out of your way.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Before she could say something else, a piercing sound interrupted her_ siren. Ashley’s stomach twisted as she heard the unmistakable wail of an ambulance in the background.

“Hello?” she said, her voice trembling.

A sharp voice boomed into the phone. “Is this the victim’s wife? He just had an accident. Come to Gareth Hospital immediately.”

Ashley’s mind went blank. The phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor of the cab with a hollow thud.

“Miss? Are you okay?” the driver asked, glancing at her in the mirror.

But Ashley didn’t respond.