24 Living But Not Actually Living

Amber picked up her phone to check the time. It was just 2:30 in the morning.

'I just slept thirty minutes ago, who would come and want to destroy my door bell and the door this early in the morning?' she couldn't help but to complain in her mind.

She was not fond of night gowns and so what she was wearing was a light blue silk satin short sleeve pajama and pants. She yawned as she walk out of her bedroom and to the living room.

Her brows were furrowed after hearing the doorbell none stop and the person outside started banging on her door.

'Was it that urgent?' after opening the lights inside she finally check the screen to see who was outside and was shock to see Ashton outside.

He was still wearing his blue shirt, whose sleeve was folded to his elbow. His hair was in a bit of a mess but it gave him a new charm instead of diminishing his look. And in his arms...

Amber's eyes grew wide and hurriedly opened the door.

"What's going on now?" she said as she step aside to let him in.

"She had her attack thirty minutes ago and all her medicine were destroyed," Ashton replied bringing Ashley inside and layed her in the sofa.

His eyes were full of worry and his calm look was no longer there.

Amber understood why he brought Ashley to her, she walked to the cabinet enclosing the dress. Below was a little drawer, she specifically searched for such a design. She took out a black box almost of the same size as what Ashley had.

"Is she allergic to any kind of medicine?" she asked as she approach Ashton.

"..."

She look up from opening the box only to see him watching silently Ashley's face. She walked closer and flicked her finger in his forehead.

Ashton was startled before looking at her.

"Is she allergic to any medicine?" she asked once again as she brought out one vial.

"N- No," he replied as he held his forehead.

"Well that's good. We may have the same illness but our pain reliever might be made with different chemicals."

She pushed Ashley's sleeve and injected the vial in her upper arm. Her eyes never left Ashley's face until it was no longer contorted and she had finally fallen into a peaceful sleep.

With a sigh she looked at Ashton, "Go on and put her to the guest room. It might not be in use but I always cleaned it up so the beddings and everything were clean."

Ashton just stared at her. Amber shook her head and flicked her finger in his forehead all over again.

This time he finally had a reaction as he furrowed his brows and looked at her sharply. To which she just raised her brows, "I said, bring your sister to the guest room and that you don't have to worry for I always clean it."

"I could-"

"Don't tell me that you could just bring her back. You run out of there carrying an unconscious girl and came here, are you telling me that you would do it again? During this time of the day? I think, despite your look, people would still think that you did something."

"Wha- She's my sister for pitsake!!"

"Duh, of course I know. But does everyone know? All the employees of fire empire hotel? Not everyone was present when you checked her in, right?"

He had no rebuke, she had her point.

"Anyway, just go and bring her to her room. I say, your brain would actually short circuit when it comes to her. You even forget such things, tsk, tsk," she even teased as she watch him carry Ashley, he could only glare at her.

To which Amber shrugged and returned the box to the cabinet before going to the kitchen.

As she watches the brewing coffee, two other faces came to her mind, 'Will there come a time that we would meet again? It would be nice if you no longer hate me by then.'

"Aw..."

She was brought back to reality when she felt pain in her forehead. Looking up, it was actually Ashton, he had already came out after putting Ashley to bed. He had actually flicked his finger on her forehead.

"You hold grudges don't you? I think you hit me stronger than I did," she complained as she massaged her forehead.

"I called your name two times," was his only reply as he sat down in the high chair, where he sat down yesterday morning.

Without speaking she made two cups of coffee before sitting down beside him. The two of them were silent for a while drinking their coffee and having their own thoughts.

"Thank you..."

Amber looked at him after hearing him thank her.

"Well, I suppose you are lucky, I had been healed more than three years ago but I still kept my pain reliever. And that it has a life span of five years," she replied as she supported her head with her hand.

Ashton could only hmmm in response. It was a gamble for him, what happened today obviously ticked her off, he knew whenever his sister tries her best to defend him, she would start talking down at people despite some of them being older than her.

That is why he also knew that Ashley talked down at Amber and must have said words disrespectful enough for someone older than her.

*BLAG*

"Ouch..."

His thoughts were reined in when a loud sound came beside him, followed by her pained voice. When he looked at her she was massaging her forehead that turned red.

"What? Can't I fall asleep? I only went to bed thirty minutes prior your arrival, obviously I'm still sleepy," she pouted as she explained.

He could only stare at her, he never really did look at her closely. But now that he is, he can see just how cute and beautiful could actually be blended in one face without one outshining the other.

She had snow white skin, her cherry colored lips with her little nose. Her amber eyes with her chest nut colored hair. All of which complimented each other and accentuated her little face.

He too remembered how Blake and Devon complimented her beauty when they were left in the office the day she made a contract with him. He shrugged it off but today he found out that everything they said were actually true.

He chuckled, she was already dowsing off as her hand dropped to the kitchen counter, 'She must really be sleepy.'

He moved his hand to support her head that was about to fall once again. He then made her lean on him as he carried her, princess style, to her room. After putting her to bed, "I really am grateful to you."

When he brought Ashley awhile ago, she let him in without much thought, she only asked a question and after him, replying that his sister had an attack, she didn't ask anything more and instead brought out her own medicine.

She only asked if she was allergic to any type of medicine before administering it herself.

He saw how she seriously waited for Ashley's complexion to be better before she too heaved a sigh of relief.

All her movements were genuine and purely due to kindness. Then he remembered her cold look as she reprimanded Ashley for her mistakes, even that was for Ashley to learn.

She was so sure when she told him that she can just find another way to protect herself but he clearly saw how relieved she was when his grandfather said that everything will still push through.

If it was anyone from their family, this age is surely the age where they are still too naive and arrogant with their prestige.

"Have you gone through so many trials that you ended up maturing so much despite your age?" he asked the sleeping her as he fixed her hair that fell to her face.

He then stood up and made sure she was sleeping comfortably before walking out of the room with a thought, 'I wonder how high you can fly with all your aspirations? How tough you can be to get revenge to the people you wanted to take revenge to?'

She had something he had lost when he uttered the phrase, 'An eye for an eye.'

He had lost the goodness that could also accompany this phrase, he only related it to the bad side. Maybe...

He looked back at her sleeping figure before closing the door, 'Maybe I can witness how you can stand up for the words you uttered.'

After coming out, he picked up his unfinished coffee and went in front of her dress display.

~"My anchor..."~

He then opened his phone and went to gallery to once again open the picture of another girl.

"This was my anchor as well. Too bad, it didn't last long and I was left with a wandering life."

He always followed whatever his grandfather told him to, his grandfather told him to do what he wants but he just didn't know what else it is that he wants. He was living but not actually living.