What time again?
6:30.
It was almost six right now. Her gym bag was in the trunk of her car, but she’d still need time to change once she got there.
I’ll be a few mins late. Sorry.
Paige would get over it. Especially when Ashley explained that Chase was the guy who watched out for her at work, who walked her to her car every night.
It had taken Paige a long time to stop worrying. She’d been there to pick up the pieces in the days and weeks after the breakup with Reid, afraid he might come back and do something to Ashley, afraid Ashley would miss him too much and take him back. People who had never been in an abusive relationship didn’t understand what it was like. He hadn’t started out that way. But little by little, Reid messed with her mind, making her believe she was the one changing, that she was the one not measuring up.
Ashley blew out a breath and pushed those thoughts away. She’d gone to therapy a few times, but it wasn’t for her. One thing had stuck though. Blaming herself or wallowing in regret and self-loathing would only continue to bind her to her past.
***
Chase had a cart full of clothes. He didn’t even know they had shopping carts at places like this. Ashley stood next to him, staring at the line ahead of them and then sneaking another glance at her phone. He’d taken up too much of her time already.
“If you need to go, it’s fine.”
She glanced up and smiled. “Is it that obvious? I forgot about exercise class. But it’s not a big deal if I miss it. I just hate waiting in these lines. Why do they only have one register open?”
He took her by the shoulders, making her beautiful dark brown eyes focus on him. “Ashley, I may be clueless about clothes, but I know how to pay for them. Go to exercise class.”
She bit her lip. “You promise you’ll use all these coupons?”
“Um, sure.” He took them from her, feeling terrible that she was so concerned about him affording things.
“Chase. You told me two hundred dollars. I want to make sure they take all these and don’t charge you extra. Sometimes things ring up wrong, and you have to make them price-check it.”
Oh, help him, she was one of those price-check ladies. “You mean, hold up everyone else in line for another fifteen minutes? No way.”
She laughed. “See, this is why I can’t leave. Men are so tough, except when it comes to price confrontation. I’ve yet to meet one that’s willing to embarrass themselves in order to save money.”
“So you admit it’s embarrassing.”
She gave a little pout. “Whatever.”
He’d never enjoyed an argument before, and it made him want to try it again sometime. “I do appreciate your help, Ashley.”
“It’s not like you haven’t ever helped me before.” She seemed embarrassed, and he realized she was referring to him walking her out every night.
A second employee jogged up and opened a register, waiving over the two people in front of them. That meant they were next. Ashley began pulling out each item from the basket and laying it on the counter in a neat stack. She handled everything, the coupons, some barcode on her phone, and yes, one price check on an item she swore was supposed to be forty percent off. The total came to just under two hundred dollars.
***
“A few minutes late, huh?” Paige’s dark ponytail swayed from side to side as she sashayed to the music.
Ashley did her best to follow along, though jumping into a high-intensity routine without the warmup wasn’t exactly easy. “Why can’t you two ever stand in back?”
“We saved you a spot,” Lina said with a shrug.
They sure did. Right in front between the two of them, making Ashley front and center for everyone behind them to not want to follow. Her salsa steps always looked like she was stumbling off a curb. She had no delusions of grandeur when it came to how bad her dancing was. But, running and doing planks sounded worse, so here she was, dancing her way to a tighter waistline.
The song ended, signaling a water break—Ashley’s favorite part of the night.
“I told you she’d be here,” Lina said, elbowing Paige. “Paige didn’t think you’d make it.”
Ashley marched in a circle as she took small sips of water. She was already getting a side cramp. “I wasn’t ditching out. I was helping a guy from work.”
