Everything Was Genuine

Just as Amber was about to finish cooking, she heard the doorbell rang.

She left it to Ashton to entertain his guest as she complete all her dishes.

"I miss you," Carla smiled sweetly as she looked at Ashton who opened the door.

She has this shoulder length bouncy hair that makes her already small face look even smaller and making her look purer.

Her light brown eyes were shinning and it shone even more upon seeing Ashton who has a poker face on.

With a 'hmmm', Ashton turned and entered the house.

"How are you? I have heard what had happened. I was really really worried about you," she followed and said, with her voice full of concern.

*CLANG*

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Amber apologized with a smile.

Carla's eyes shifted upon seeing Amber.

"You're done?" Ashton asked looking at Amber.

She nodded and returned to the kitchen to get the dishes out.

"I'll go and help her, since I came here for lunch as well," Carla returned her sweet smile and followed Amber in.

Ashton didn't bother, he knows whatever Carla has on mind, Amber would just let her be.

"Can I help? I'm really sorry for the bother," Carla sweetly said.

"Of course," Amber smiled even sweeter that surpassed what Carla have shown.

Despite wearing a mask, Carla felt inferior somehow.

She walked over and reached for the other utensils.

"I've heard you two were engaged, I just didn't expect that you would actually be living with him."

'While not yet being married. Yup that's definitely how she wants to continue.'

Amber thought as she placed the first bowl of soup in the counter.

"Well he didn't want me to be placed in danger so he had someone take my things from my apartment and made me live here."

Carla's brows twitched as she heard the hint of mock in Amber's voice.

She didn't reply and walked out to place the utensils on the dining table.

Upon returning, Amber had just carried the first bowl of soup.

"Here let me."

*CRASH*

Upon passing it to her, the bowl slipped from Carla's hands and went crashing down the floor.

Most of the hot soup were splashed on Amber's leg. She was wearing a three forths jeans.

And somehow the soup barely splashed on Carla.

"Oh my gosh I am so sorry," Carla instantly squatted down, ready to pick up the pieces.

'Surely this one would get wounded,' Amber thought as she just watch her.

The moment she thought of this, Carla gasped and blood dripped down on the floor.

'Nailed it.'

Amber's eyes were full of mock as she look down at Carla who was holding unto her finger.

"What happened?"

Both of them looked at the door and saw Ashton standing there.

"I'm so sorry, I just wanted to help but the bowl slipped from my hands and it broke. I wanted to clean it up but instead..."

She looked pitiful as she look down at her own wound.

Ashton looked at Amber who was once again looking at Carla. A smile was visible in her eyes.

Seeing this, he knew she's currently mocking Carla in her mind.

'Me, myself and I. Quite narcissistic aren't we?'

She wanted to voice that out but chose not to. She wanted to see more of the things this woman who was two years older than her, can do.

"Can't you feel the pain? Are you stupid or what?"

Amber snapped out of her thought upon hearing this and a slight smile appeared on Carla's lips.

She was certain Ashton was referring to her as he said this when she was about to pick up the shattered pieces.

"Woah," instead she heard the shocked voice of Amber.

Upon looking up, she saw Ashton carrying Amber making her sit on the counter.

She blinked a few times, didn't understand why was it that her, who was bleeding, was left squatting there while Amber was carried to the counter.

Ashton didn't even look at her as he lifted Amber's left leg that welcomed most of the soup that spilled.

Seeing that her white skin was red, he frowned as he looked at her eyes.

"You indeed... have high pain tolerance but can't you see this? It's completely red."

He wanted to say "a little bit numb to pain" but remembering that an outsider was around, he chose to change it.

"Let's go."

After saying this, he carried her princess style as he headed to the bathroom at the first floor.

But before going out of the kitchen he spoke to Carla, "Go ahead and wash your wound as well. Do you expect it to heal on its own?"

He didn't even bother waiting for a reply and just left.

Carla was completely shock, she didn't expect this reaction.

Back with Madison, he still spared attention to her. Her being his childhood friend.

But why was it that with this girl, he didn't even bother with her who was bleeding and even carried Amber because of her feet.

As Carla was left all alone in the kitchen trying to understand what had just happened, Ashton was now applying some medication on Amber's leg.

"That was so cold you know," Amber commented as she watch Ashton doing what he was doing.

"What part of it?"

"Hmmm, well she was bleeding."

Ashton looked up at her face and raised an eyebrow, "So are you telling me to help her since her finger was bleeding? Is she disabled? She can't even mend that little wound?"

Amber couldn't help but to laugh at the way he said those words.

"Wow, that would have been painful if she heard it," mockery swam in her eyes as she replied.

"How about you? Why did you end up with this burn?"

He asked as he fixed the medicine box he just used.

"Well, I didn't expect that she was that... how should I put it? Severe?"

She can feel the slight pain in her leg but it was so slight that for her it was negligible.

Yet she also know that if it was someone else they would have yelped and teared up after being splashed by such amount of hot soup.

"I really am weird," she smiled bitterly as she swing both her legs, she was currently sitting by the sink.

Ashton who just placed the box on the overhead cabinet looked down at her.

"Since when have you been not?"

He knew she was referring to her physical matter but still chose to say otherwise.

"You really are not supportive, can't I be sentimental for a bit?" Amber retorted.

"For a bit? Since you started living here you have been sentimental," Ashton didn't back down either.

"Yeah, yeah."

She jumped down and started walking out.

"Go and change into a dress instead, with your jeans rubbing on the burn, it would still leave some marks and might become worse," he called out.

"I got it."

He heard her say back as he shook his head. He knew despite her nonchalant attitude over so many things, she still have her own insecurities.

But he won't let her think too much of it. Every part of her, that was her.

Her flaws and strengths are parts of her.

Even the way she easily changes her mood was also a part of her.

His brow slightly raised upon realizing that for the second time of the day, he was complimenting her in his mind.

With a defeated shake of his head, he went out of the bathroom, only to see Carla looking up the stairs.

"What are you doing?"

Carla was slightly shock but smiled instantly as she looked at him, "I was just worried about her."

"Well I have already applied some medication, she just went up to get change. You don't expect her to still wear her already wet jeans after what had happened."

"Say Ashton, I really was worried about you. I tried to call a few times but it always won't connect, so now that I have the time I have decided to come and check on you."

A sudden realization hit him as he listened to her.

'I tried to call a few times.'

'So now that I have the time...'

"So that's how it was," he blurted out.

Amber never said anything about being worried about him or calling him to check on him.

The moment she heard of what had happened she booked the earliest flight to come here, she didn't wait for herself to have time.

The moment she arrived she didn't check on him, instead she started planning on getting back at them for him.

Everything she did was not empty words alone, everything was genuine and she did them whole heartedly.

She didn't need excuses to not check on him earlier.

Carla was looking at him curiously upon hearing him say those words.

"What do you mean?" she asked seeing as he was in his own thoughts when she was right in front of him, as if her existence was nothing to him at all.

"Your worry is not needed."