I know I'm not the one, but I still can't help but call you.

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence Morgan would have never considered herself to be an early-riser. Although she had always been the type to make the most of her day, awaking before ten was never an option. Whether due to the comfortability of her pillows or the arms of a man whom she allowed to share her bed for the evening, she enjoyed the extra hours of being able to do absolutely nothing. They served even more purpose in her last weeks in Austria eight years ago. The depression had hit and it had hit her hard. She remembered how she could barely pull herself from her former lover’s bed each morning, even after he had allowed her the extra time he deemed appropriate for her sulking. Kaydence would remember him yelling at her but she was unable to get out of her cloud to argue back. Even the times he had pulled back the bedcover from his four post, she had remained staring at the wall, a vacant expression in her eyes that deeply concerned him. Eventually, he had gotten to the point where he had left after another episode, stormed out the door and apparated to work another late night shift he wouldn’t be coming back home from until early morning. If he had only an inkling of why she had been so miserable. If only Kaydence could have forced herself out of bed long enough to sit him and down and tell him exactly why she was feeling the way that she did. Perhaps that could have saved her…could have saved them.

Although any memories of her former life were kept at bay, there was no denying the impact it had made on her future life. Kaydence chose now to awake when her eyes first fluttered open in the morning, stretching slowly to awaken her limbs and get the blood flowing back to her muscles. Staying in bed a second longer than she needed had the potential to be very detrimental in her quests to start her day on the wrong note instead of the right. Given how much social interaction she lacked, every second in the morning was vital to her personal happiness and making the best out of a day yet again stuck in their mansion or its hills stretching around the lake. Fortunately, the males in her life’s natural ability to do the same made it just that much easier. If it wasn’t Noah stirring next to her or Lukas running in to jump on the edge of their bed, Kaydence wasn’t sure of how long her commitment to waking up early would have lasted. It came natural to Noah due to his numerous business dealings that required him to start his days at approximately 7 am. He would always wake up for a breakfast prepared by the house-elves and typically take his meal and coffee to the breakfast veranda. He stayed outdoors for at least an hour as morning time provided the only spot in his daily schedule dedicated to himself and his thoughts. She would awake as well, pressing herself up to him for a minute or two before he pushed himself out of the bed. For the longest time, Kaydence refused to join him. He was a busy man who devoted himself to his work. She felt he deserved some time to enjoy his solitude, carefree of any dealings or eight year old sneak attacks.

As time went on, however, Kaydence began to join him. Although she knew she was invading on his time, Noah never said anything in protest. Instead, he opted for a warm smile as she would join him on the veranda with her own cup of coffee and food. It became routine as Lukas had gotten older as well. He would either run to their room or meet them at the stairway and they would all walk together to the kitchen, grab their breakfast plates and appropriate drinks and retreat to the chairs overlooking the vast lake of their property. Lukas wouldn’t always take heed to the silence they were used to but they would entertain him nonetheless. They loved that little boy very much. A few months after that, Noah awoke Kaydence one morning an hour earlier. He had pushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes before lowering his lips down to hers and kissing them. “Come on. Just you and me.” She had yawned, turning her head to look at the clock and observing the 6 o’clock flashing back at them. They slid from the bed, grabbing their respective bathrobes and walked hand in hand down to their favorite spot. Moving towards a couch that was more reminiscent of a bed, Noah sat and pulled her to his lap. Then, placing another kiss on her cheeks, lowered his chin to her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Just you and me,” he repeated. Kaydence smiled, responding by running her hands softly through his hair before kissing the top of his head and leaning the side of her face against it. That very moment would always stick with her. She could only assume that this is what normal lives of normal couples felt like.

Their 6am wakeup calls had been disrupted the minute they stepped foot in Austria. Already it had been a week and Kaydence had only seen Noah for a few minutes at a time. By the time she would awake, her fiancé was already gone for business for the day or rousing just to leave her as soon as he had dressed. She attempted to try and get him to stay the first two or three days, but his resilience had been strong even with her hand grasped around his dick. “Later,” he had mumbled, rubbing her back quickly before pulling himself carefully out of her hold and moving his feet to the side of his. “I promise. I love you. I’ve got to get my affairs completely in order before we leave. The earlier I can start, the sooner we are to getting out of here my kärlak.” However, those promises went broken as he’d return at all hours of the night, exhausted from whatever work the day had produced and usually with a quick kiss before retiring to their rented bedroom for the remainder of the night. Kaydence understood business. She was no stranger to being in relationships with men who dedicated themselves to their work. This time was much different then the other ones though. She didn’t quite know what Noah had gotten himself into but this behavior was strange of him. He hated nothing more than disruptions to his daily routine. She was worried for him, which did nothing but only exacerbate her own for their current situation. He was distracted but refused to divulge why. It was best she probably didn’t know. Truthfully, she really didn’t know much about his business dealings other than a sneaking suspicion that they had a lot more to do with then just antiques. Kaydence never pressed him though. Asking questions would only allow the same to be done to her. The charade had worked well for them so far.

This particular morning had started off the same as the day before. Kaydence had awoken at 6, turning to see that Noah was already gone. She briefly remembered feeling a kiss to her temple as she had drifted out of sleep but no recollection of the time that had been. She had been sad, doing her usual morning stretch and rolling to her side to stare at the door for a few moments. She missed him. Even the sheets lacked his usual cologne as a reminder of how little he had been in their bed. Pushing herself from the pillows, she eased herself off of the edge and yawned as she slowly moved towards the door. Kaydence had slept in one of Noah’s old shirts and a pair of her own distressed shorts. Her hand latched onto the doorknob and turned it, stepping through the frame as soon as it had opened. Quietly, she slinked down the hallway as to not to disturb Lukas or any unnecessary help for the morning. She continued her silent trek down the stairs, finding herself in the kitchen not too long after reaching the bottom step. She walked over to a cabinet containing coffee grounds and pulled the opened bag from its shelf. Next, she grabbed a small ceramic pot of sugar that had been resting beside it and placed both items on the counter. Kaydence then bounced to the cabinet containing coffee mugs and grabbed one for herself. As the mug joined its counterparts, she then moved towards the sink to grab the coffeepot still air drying from the prior mornings’ use. She opened the lid, shifting to the sink spigot to turn on the cold water. The water began to run and she placed the mug underneath it, allowing it to fill for just enough for two cups of brewed bliss before turning off the nozzle. Taking her pot of water to the machine, she began to pour the liquid into the sides. Once it was drained, she placed the empty pot on the warming plate and pressed the button to begin the brewing process.

While she waited, Kaydence walked over to the windows and pressed her forehead against the glass. She sighed, taking in the dark sky that was starting to show glimpses of the sun off into the distance. What a sight for sore eyes. She eagerly waited for her coffee to finish so she could quickly join Mother Nature outside in its morning unveil. Watching the sunrise had become a particularly favorite habit of hers."

---

--Closed:Ashton--
--Music: 'Hate Being Alone' - Slander

[Ashton Wentworth]

“Ahah!”

Ashton slammed his hand of cards down onto the table triumphantly. It was the very first time that he had managed to win a game against this prick since they had met. Gentlemans fucking wager indeed. Ashton’s arms lifted in celebration as he beamed over at that other body across from him. “Take that! Fucker.” Smoke blowing out in a cloud around his own face with each word that left his mouth. Greedy and blissful in the way that he pulled his chips toward his person. They had yet to play for any real money - and if Ashton was being completely honest he wasn’t even sure how it was that they had come to be playing this game in the first place. One moment they had been going over paperwork, debating back and forth the various schematics over drinks - and then the next moment they were arguing over cards. He was willing to bet that Noah had a whole extra deck on his person for how often he had won before now.

The issue had been whether or not Ashton wanted Noah to go and physically retrieve the item, or if it was that they wanted to go and retrieve the things together, and Noah said that of course, he was going to go and retrieve it. After all, that was what Ashton had hired him for. Which was truth - but while it was being played off as nothing more than Ashton wanting adventure with a side of heavy trust issues - it was so much more than that. Ashton couldn’t allow for the man to cross country lines without authorization, he was supposed to be monitoring him. As of yet there wasn’t hardly enough information left to take back to the office. They would want some sort of report sooner or later. All of Ashton’s methods aside, they weren’t going to keep footing the bill for nothing at all. It was just - growing slightly more difficult for the fact that Noah didn’t seem to be a terrible guy. Rather, just somebody that had a large list of really terrible things tied to his name. Ashton couldn’t pretend to say that he didn’t have just as many tied to him as well. Over the years he had been reckless to the point ot blind stupidity most of the time - to the point that most of this assignment didn’t even have to be an act. He knew the people - he knew the world, this time he was just moving inside of it rather than arresting people from it.

”Cheating Wentworth?! I would have thought that would be above you,” Noah threw his cards down onto the table, taking off into a tangent that he was sure was his native tongue’s rather brutal insults. “Four a.m. Eklund - you just can’t get enough of me can you?” Ashton was still in full gloating mode as he picked up those cards that Noah had just placed on the table for him. Watching the movements of his fingers carefully to ensure that there could be absolutely no chance of cheating. Pushing that half of a bottle closer to the already inebriated man next to him - they had outplaced the rest of those lots….a good long while ago. Those who had been seated with them either passed out drunk on the ground around them, or off taking less painstaking bets to fill their night..er, early morning.

”Merlin’s beard is that the time?” Noah looked down to that fancy ass watch on his wrist and stood - staying on the spot with a bonafid, genuine little man giggle. Ashton couldn’t help but to stand - hands lifted in case the apparent lightweight was going to fall over. (Nevermind that Noah had been matching Ashton nearly drink for drink the entire evening, Ashton just drank like it was a sport.) ”Supposed ta - hic- leave them wanting more-” A wink and a bright smile in Ashton’s direction preceded the blowing of what would have no doubt been a very sloppy kiss. Moving to put himself up and under Noah’s arm he started to help lead them out into the cool early morning air - even with the sun not being anywhere near it would be in the sky - it was still too bright. The mix of orange and purple starting to push upward to light those clouds from within - Ashton almost physically hissed in protest. The drive to where Noah was staying passed so swiftly that Ashton didn’t even realize where it was that they were going until they had arrived under that car pass. Familiar lettering triggering something in his gut. Ashton’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he put the car into park. “Now go, before you turn into a frog and I don’t want you anymore.” ”You know, I would invite you up but ah - I just don’t -hic- do one night stands” Ashton shook his head, laughing out “Like I would want you anyway.” ”Oh but in case you change your mind! I do two night stands!” Noah nearly fell out of Ashton’s car about the time as those security guards and what Ashton was assuming to be an assistant came rushing out of the building to pick him up, asking them hushed questions under their breath and staring at Ashton like he was the devil. ”See! Look at this handsome man, waiting up for me like a good wife should.” Ashton couldn’t gage the man’s reaction because he didn’t know him - he was assuming the stern expression meant that these comments were something that he was used to. ”Now, go and fetch my slippers darling.” Last thing that Ashton heard as those doors closed behind the lot of them.

It had been - more years than he could currently count since he had been in this part of town. Refused assignments here - refused to walk here, refused to have anything to do with it. For the reason of this building in particular. Had some...real bad memories tied to this place. That one building that Noah was heading toward in particular. Of course he was staying here - renting out a flat for a month or two, no doubt had his family up inside of it. No doubt was so totally ignorant that this building had almost been entirely sectioned off four years ago. The owners had had trouble securing tenants after the last Dark Magic outburst - Stavros and family had stayed with him for an entire, annoying week while they found a new place to live. Since then - the place had been fully renovated and redone in some fancy ass style so that it would attract people with wallets the size of Noah and his family. No doubt if he were to have gone inside with Noah - he wouldn’t have even recognized the place. It was such a distant memory for him, arriving back in Austria after basic Auror training, but this was where he had stayed too. Fresh off of constant ego boosts and adrenaline rushes. A bad attitude, a broken heart and money to burn. This building - was nothing but evil. Even just starting out - even all of the memories that had followed before he had decided that this place was a literal hell for him - culminating in the events where he had been forced to break in through a balcony window to save the girl who he - well. To save a person that had gotten in way over their head. To say the least.

Had stepped in here for one day, one time after that - and that was to move couches and other boxy furniture so that Stavros could high tail it out of this place as quickly as he could. Which, had ended with Ashton stomping one of his expensive couches into bits and furling all of those pieces down the stairs and putting his boot through a wall. After which, he had not been invited to come back. Which was better, all things considered. Now - looking up at those glass doors, intoxicated or not he could feel his skin starting to crawl. Bad memories threatening to ruin the comfortable buzz that he had just started to surrender to. Rolling his eyes - he pulled away, speeding back to the room he was staying in without thinking twice about it.

The following morning.

Alarms were going off - from his phone, from the tiny little clock beside the bed - from the pounding inside his own head they were going off everywhere. Needed water - and he needed it badly. Ashton rolled out of his bed, moving awkwardly to the tiny bathroom and putting himself into the shower fully clothed. Laundry and hygiene all in one. Peeling off those soiled layers one piece at a time. Every part of him stunk like smoke and stale beer. He didn’t even drink beer - he should have gone to get Noah no doubt...right about now. Given their night before he was fairly certain that he would get at least one pass for this little...lapse in punctuality. Ashton included shampoo in there somewhere - or soap of some kind - sitting until he was confident in standing - and then again until he was actually clean. Showered, dressed in clothes that looked very similar to the things that he almost always wore but without the stains or the smell - and he was on his way. Probably should have called and warned them, or said something - in any capacity to excuse himself - but he chose to stop for pastries and coffee instead. Of course, adding a little nip from his flask into his own and leaving the rest in the seat that Noah would be soon taking.

Pulling up that drive to the resort he had dropped Noah off in only about four hours ago - his car slowed down despite himself. He didn’t want to be slowing - but he couldn’t stop it...that tightening in his gut was so much stronger than it had been last night because of the lack of intoxication. He just couldn’t bring himself to pull all the way up into the car pass. He was going to choose to explain it as not wanting to be so close to such a public place during the hours when his face was as wanted as it was. Not that Noah seemed bothered by it in the slightest. Those annoying little shoes that Ashton just couldn’t imagine as comfortable trekking the way down here without comment.

“It’s a car.” Ashton explained - feeling rather insane that he had to mention it in the first place. It was something so obvious to him - and even if it were obvious to Noah as well, he was speaking in very drawn out sounds, making sure to pretend like he was speaking to a toddler. Palm hitting the top of the car enthusiastically - twice, and then changing his mind the moment that Noah lifted a finger - motioning for Ashton to wait. Putting his lit cigarette between his teeth and holding it between his lips - he started to pound a drumroll down into the roof until Noah’s body disappeared inside of that doorway. Wouldn’t go inside last night - absolutely wasn’t going to go inside today now that he was sober. Besides - they had a good lot of work to get finished before tomorrow. In truth it was a little bit more time than Ashton liked spending with any one person, but with how quickly the two of them were working together - they were going to find the Babi within the week. Getting himself out of the country was going to prove an issue - but he just supposed he was waiting for motivation to cause those last moment ideas to pop into his head. Tended to be better when he was flying by the seat of his pants anyway.

Ducking into the drivers seat whenever Noah came bounding out of the building again Ashton brought that old muscle car roaring to life. He couldn’t wait to get as absolutely as far away from this cursed as hell building, as fast as humanly possible - which is exactly what he did the moment that Noah’s door closed on the other side of the car. Ashton moving that gas pedal down so swiftly that his tires squealed in protest before the beast went hauling down those curved roads.

[Kaydence Morgan]

How quickly she could get lost gazing out over the horizon. Things had never been easy for Kaydence. Granted, she, and she alone, had usually been the reason for why she had found herself in the predicaments she did. Sure, her upbringing had been different. She had never been used to being told no. Her parents had been strict when they had paid attention to her. As she aged and Darren rose more to power, her indiscretions rarely came to light. Nearing the end of her years at Galaxia things had begun to change. Her carelessness at being a young, overconfident and undeniably naïve girl who relied on her looks and family name to make her way in the world had been her downfall. Bad decision after bad decision. Over and over. They weren’t the normal growing pains of a young adult trying to find their way in this wizarding world. Everything she did, everything she said came with drama. So much fucking drama. If only then what she would have known now…how Kaydence Morgan’s life would have been so different.

Surely she would have been married for a few years by now. Perhaps another child or two. Kaydence didn’t have much interest in having many kids but she had always wanted at least two. A house that had been custom built for her and her family. Hidden, but only due to WANTING privacy not needing it. She’d be able to go out in public and not fear for her life or that of her family. They’d go on regular vacations. There wouldn’t be a need for guards to be hidden around, carefully observing any suspicious behavior and pulling them immediately at the first sign of trouble. She’d be able to send them off to public school if she wanted though knowing damn well her children were too good for anything but private or highly ranked. The thoughts of what could have been were ones she would disappear in easily for hours. They used to plague her mind so often while she was pregnant with Lukas as well as during his early years. However, as Lukas aged and so did she, the thoughts became less frequent until she had forced herself to disregard them all together. Nothing would change the reality that was life now. She had done the best she could to adapt to her new normal. Hell, she even had a few things she may have had back then. A rich fiancée who doted on her endlessly, a child, their own island soon enough. For someone who was as fucked up as her, Kaydence had still managed to come out on top. She wasn’t sure how it had happened. Maybe it was her natural ability to find herself in extraordinary circumstances. Or perhaps life had always happened the way it was simply supposed to.

It had been difficult being here. A week had gone by and Kaydence had made not an itch outside of the patio overlooking the hills and waterfront. Lukas had pleaded with her for a trip to the beach but she had been stern in her resolution to say no. He had grown tired of her constantly telling him it wasn’t safe for him to do things and had gotten to the age where he began questioning why. She hadn’t prepared herself for that. Instead, she’d demand he drop the subject and respect her wishes. The last time he had asked, yesterday, she had given the same answer but this time, he had gotten mad. He had never gotten upset with her. His irritation was warranted. He was an eight year old boy trapped indoors with a rotating group of friends brought to him. “You never let me do anything!” he had yelled. “If Dad were here he would take me!” The latter comment alone had been enough to trigger her. “IF he were here Lukas but he’s not.” It was unfair to mention his father’s absence knowing damn well how much the little boy had missed his father reading him to bed at the end of the night. Lukas had responded by running up the stairs to his room and slamming his door very loudly. Rolling her eyes, Kaydence felt tears well up as she moved her fingers to her temple. How could she make him understand that this was for his own good? They were protecting him. The mere fact that he was born had put a target on his back. Of course, very few even knew of his existence but it would only take one person for everything to change. She would never allow him to be used as a tool for bargaining. Not to mention, whatever Noah had gotten himself involved with could have jeopardized them as well.

A beeping sound went off from behind her. Turning back to look at the coffee machine, Kaydence began to shift her body towards the spot on the counter but stopped when she heard a strange sound from below. Her gaze moved back to the windows, observing the road that led up to their condo. It was long and winding, and they were high up enough that objects were certainly not as close as they appeared. She could distinctly see a car though. It was hard to see the color or the model but it was there and it was coming towards the driveway. Puzzled, she pressed her forehead against the glass again to try and get the best glimpse she could without stepping onto the patio. The car stopped several feet away from the driveway. Within seconds, the driver’s side door opened and a man emerged. He was so far away as she couldn’t see the face but that did nothing to avert her gaze. She couldn’t hear a word he was saying but it was obvious some sort of conversation was happening due to the man’s hand movements alongside the exterior of the car. Not too shortly, her beloved Noah emerged and entered the passenger door. She thought he had left already. The silhouette of the mystery man disappeared into the car. Kaydence heard the car engine start and slowly disappear into the sunrise. Confusion spread across her features. Who was that man? Why had he driven to their rental? Why had Noah ALLOWED him to pick him up? So many questions…too many questions this early.

Turning back towards the coffee machine, Kaydence walked over and set about making her first cup of coffee for the day. Whatever had just transpired below made her feel incredibly uneasy. With difficulty focusing, she had almost poured an entire cup of sugar into the cup. She caught herself before it was too late though. Cursing, she fixed what she could before moving towards the patio. Her hand grasped the handle of the sliding door and pulled it to her right. She stepped through, closed it behind her and took a seat. Her legs curled up underneath her body, Kaydence placed both hands around the mug and slowly brought the cup to her lips, blowing softly before taking the first sip.

It had only been a few minutes of solitude before Mikkhal’s reflection appeared at a window beside her. Turning, Kaydence stared at the real man and beckoned him to come out. He obliged, joining her on the patio. “Ma’am?” She always liked Noah’s assistant. He was so polite. “Mikkhal, who was that who came to pick up Noah?” The assistant moved uncomfortably. “A business associate Miss. Nash. I’m sorry I’m not at liberty to say.” Although she knew Mikkhal was only doing his job, and deep down she knew he wouldn’t have revealed the man’s identity, she found herself extremely annoyed at his answer. “A business associate,” she repeated slowly, moving her eyes back towards the water. “And I’m supposed to be okay with this business associate being brought here? I thought Noah doesn’t bring his work home…physically anyway.” Mikkhal had no response. Not that she expected him too. The man had sworn to take her fiancé’s secrets and dealings to the grave. She didn’t think Noah trusted anyone in this life as much as he did his assistant. Perhaps even her. “I thought he had gone.” Mikkhal shifted his feet nervously. “Mr. Eklund came in late last night after meetings. He was unaware you were awake and would have surely said goodbye to you if he had ma’am. He informed me to tell you that he anticipated being back for dinner tonight. He also informed Miss. Breylin to meet you down at the Boardwalk for a late lunch around 2. She has some books and color palettes she wants you to see.” Kaydence’s brow raised. “The planner? She’s coming here?” Mikkhal nodded. “Yes ma’am. Mr. Eklund was very insistent on you meeting her this afternoon.” She chuckled. “Oh really? Insistent on me meeting who he chooses for me to meet.” The poor man looked very uncomfortable. “Miss. Nash I am not at all comfortable speaking for Mr. Eklund.” Scoffing, she rolled her eyes and motioned Noah’s assistant away with her hand.

She stewed for a good couple of hours afterwards. Even when Lukas had awoken and joined her for breakfast, even her son’s presence hadn’t alleviated things. He was still very upset with her. He had only spoken enough to greet her good morning and agree to meeting his friends Henry and Wilhelm, the two boys of Noah’s head of security. Maybe it had been the cold shoulder her son had given her. Maybe it had been the cabin fever. Or maybe she was just so fucking bored. As Lukas excused himself from the table and made his way back to his room, Kaydence sighed, shook her head and closed her eyes in annoyance. She would go. She needed to get out. Lukas probably wouldn’t speak to her for the rest of the day but with any luck he and the boys would keep to themselves and not even notice if she dipped out for an hour or two…

A few hours later, Kaydence quietly slipped out of the condo. The boys had been playing for about half an hour now. One of the members of the security team had followed behind her but she had stopped him in his tracks. “No,” she demanded. “Stay here. Everyone stay here. Do not let Lukas out of Mikkhal’s sight. Do not let him out of your sight. The other two I don’t give a shit about. Keep him here and keep him safe.” She stepped towards the man and jabbed her nail into his chest. “So help me Merlin if anything happens to that little boy you won’t have to worry about how Mr. Eklund is going to respond. You’ll be dead before he even gets back.” The guard quickly nodded. Kaydence pulled back from him and adjusted the strap from her purse that had been knocked loose from the sudden jabbing. “I’ll be back as soon as my lunch is over with. Keep them entertained by any means necessary.” With that, she turned on her heel and walked towards the end of the driveway. Noah had told her the condo had strict anti-Apparating methods in to place to keep out unwanted visitors. As she neared the end, she stopped, closed her eyes and imagined the beginning of the Ilfracombe boardwalk in her mind.

[Ashton Wentworth]

It had been a sick sort of thrill whipping around corners like he had - slamming on the brakes and moving that car around in ways that people didn’t normally risk when they had such a ‘fancy’ passenger in the car. However - Ashton had been insistent that should Noah not spill his coffee through all of his driving that Ashton would buy lunch. Which - Ashton had done everything in his damned power to force that man to spill his coffee - even a single drop but Noah had held onto the ‘oh shit’ bar and kept his damned balance well enough - cheating by drinking the damned coffee given to him at least down to a point where Ashton would have had to flip the whole fucking car over in order to have spilled that drink. Didn’t slow his driving through until he had gotten back into a place where speed monitors were once again a real thing - opting for speed limits and reaching behind the passenger seat for those folders and documents. They both had their own meetings to attend to over the course of the day that wasn’t going to involve the pair of them just aimlessly hanging out for the rest of the damned day. Tapping his fingers to one manilla folder in particular, dropping ashes from his cigarette onto the top, “Sorry buttercup,” he muttered with a wink and brushed them away. “That one in particular - has those codes that we had referenced between shots ...six and seven I believe.” Fully expecting for Noah to remember the exact part of conversation that they had been having, intoxicated as they had been or not.

It was still a long way off - the maps that Noah had asked for had been lifted straight from the department of mysteries - granted highly redacted but it was unlikely that anything would be thought about that. Would be returned in the same conditions but if Noah needed them in order to do his work, then he needed them. Ashton was getting to a point where he felt that this was a genuine job for Noah - and that he wasn’t planning on fully dicking Ashton over in the process. He didn’t trust him, not yet - but he might get there if things kept going on the way that they were.

Despite the fact that Ashton really couldn’t afford to get personally invested.

Despite the fact that Ashton had zero idea of what was going to become of Noah and his little family after this assignment was over. Ashton hadn’t even asked.

That just wasn’t today’s problem. It wasn’t something that he could afford to think about, get all wrapped up in the moral low ground of it all and everything was going to fall right the fuck apart. The whole success of this thing hinged on Ashton’s ability to live within the moment. Which, was the easiest thing for him to do. It was hard for him to look too far forward, or too far backward. Living in those past heartbreaks or the things that he might have changed should he have been given an opportunity to do things over again. Regrets or the lack there of. A heavy drinking problem and only enough friends to count on one hand. More people that he had personally hurt in the quest of doing the right damn thing than he could count. It was all going to catch up to him eventually. The only thing that pushed those bad little interruptive thoughts away, was that that day wasn’t today.

“If you find that you need something else -” Ashton’s hand lifted, waving off the rest of the words with the implied ‘just ask’. Respected that Noah wasn’t questioning just how it was that Ashton had produced these documents. “Don’t suppose that you brought that tome with you?” Not that he was much of a reader - but he wanted to be on the same page. “No? Useless.” Chuffed as they pulled into that small diner. All blacked out windows and no doubt more health code violations than a person could read in one sitting but the food was too damned good for Ashton to give a fuck. Now, whether Noah was going to sit inside of it - then again, Ashton might get a kick out of him refusing to eat while standing there like a sissy boy.

Business was business. Always finished too quickly because Ashton refused to pussyfoot around with topics that he didn’t like to talk about at length. This was why he had people do his paperwork for him. This was why he preferred to be the one kicking ass - let other people take the names as needed. At least the conversation was easy - and before he knew it they were on the road again, Ashton moving to deposit Noah at the location of whatever secret phone conversation that he had had. A building that looked like it had cost more than Ashton’s house times three. Practically kicking Noah out of the car via his boot in the direction of Noah’s ass - he moved back to the road with time to kill.

Sleep was the main objective on his mind as he pulled back in the direction of his old apartment. Ashton wasn’t aware of the way that his mind had started to wander until he was crossing that bridge back in the direction of Ilfacrombe. A place - he simply didn’t want to be for longer than he had to. He wasn’t into shopping, didn’t need to spend money that he didn’t have to burn. Wasn’t the point of this little mission. He could always eat but just didn’t need to. The longer he spent here on this Island the more that his gut started to wrench up into knots. Pulling into the first gas station that he could find - he ducked inside to grab soda and cigarettes, at least he was being good about waiting until at least afternoon to start with his drinking. Today anyway.

Ashton’s boots felt too heavy to carry him back to his car - was only a few feet away from him but he just couldn’t make that walk. Lighting the cigarette and stuffing the pack down into his jeans pocket her stood there - staring blankly out into the skyline and blocking to door. Didn’t move until a man bodily shoved him to the side. He shouldn’t have even been out in public like this in the first place. Given the elitist nature of the residents of this place, and the high dollar shopping available the likelihood of anybody looking at anything other than themselves long enough to notice him was a good might smaller. However it was still a risk.

[Kaydence Morgan]

Her feet hit the ground suddenly but it was much easier for Kaydence to balance herself as opposed to Portkey travel from last week. As her hand released from the death grip on her expensive white bolero, she opened her eyes and let out a small gasp. Even through the gray lenses of her round Cartier glasses…oh how Ilfracombe had changed. Although her memory had brought her to the right place, everything apart from the Waterfront was different. The Boardwalk had been redone with a reflective wood that was breathtaking. As the sunlight hit it, it almost appeared as if millions of tiny diamonds were softly glistening up and down the strip. The exterior of the shops themselves were also quite different. Instead of chipped old plywood and signs hung crudely with nails sticking out, the shops all matched with a clean tan color. The signs were etched in similar fonts. Everything matched, very reminiscent of a muggle outlet center. Even the food and cheap souvenir carts looked like they were worth a few hundred galleons themselves. Had she of kept up-to-date with the happenings of the Austrian wizarding world after she left, Kaydence would have known that after a lengthy investigation into Dark Magic going-ons around the island a decision had been made to completely revamp it.

A press conference had been held and the mayor of Ilfracombe had announced that a budget had been approved for a very pricey renovation in order to get its reputation back. Everything including the shops, resort and housing would get a makeover. At first glance, Kaydence would have assumed the ultimate goal would be to make the place so goddamn expensive it would make any class lower than the upper unable to afford vacationing or living here. Their condominium was so far tucked away near the edge of the island though that this was all a complete and unexpected surprise. Merlin knew it was right up her alley though. Everything within her line of vision screamed money. Off to her left, a new beach club with rows of cabanas and lounge chairs. Kaydence could hear the faint tune of tropical drums coming from somewhere within it. She wished Noah could have arranged her meeting there. The beach was one of her favorite places in the world. Water had always been strangely soothing to her. Had her situation been different, she could have absolutely seen herself daily in one of the cabanas closest to the waters edge with a margarita in hand. She knew Lukas would have enjoyed it. Noah as well. They could have been posted up for hours. She and Noah sharing drinks while she looked over wedding stuff and he went over contracts for whatever dealings were on his agenda for the day. They would look on lovingly as their son made sandcastles and ran into waves with friends. Kaydence smiled to herself at the thought. Although it wouldn’t be here, it would be on their own island soon enough.

Pulling the strap of her bag up on her shoulder, Kaydence began to slowly walk down the strip. Merlin the vibes were so much different here now. It only took a few feet of strolling to realize it. The environment was different. The people were different. She felt like she was in the middle of an advertisement for a dream vacation in a magazine. The smiling faces, the name brand decals, the overall clean feeling. This was paradise. It had to be. The smile never left her face as she continued peering all around, wanting to take in everything and not miss a single second. To be honest, for much longer than she cared to admit, Kaydence truly forgot where she was. She had been unable to have time in the outside world like this to herself in years. It had just always been safer that way. Yet here…here it felt like she was part of a new beginning. A place where others like her had come to hide and forget the troubles of the outside world. Unfortunately for her, the bliss would be short-lived. Lying dormant were the memories of years past where this island had played host to some of the most painful times of Kaydence’s life.

While she would admit that there were good times, including the rescue of her beloved dog Oli, the others were much more unpleasant. Even the reminder of a near death experience couldn’t hold a candle to the agonizing heartbreak Kaydence had dealt with for months after leaving. That had all started here. To be precise, just a couple of blocks away from where she stood now. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger that had turned her world completely upside down. A decision she would regret for the rest of her life had she chosen to dwell on it. Not the time spent with the man but all the ups and downs that came with it. The same handsome stranger who had been a very big reason why Kaydence refused any contact with the country. Too many opportunities for his name to be mentioned. She assumed he still worked at the Ministry. A place where any government official worth knowing was. She had no doubt he was higher ranking then when she had left him. Considering all the bad press the agency had received in the years after her departure, his name would have had to have been one involved. His very department had taken quite the beating after Darren’s attack on Gringotts. Kaydence hadn’t even left yet when that had started. She would remember how he would come home after work almost nightly, silent, refusing to talk about the events of the day although she had secretly read the headlines from the Timestopper. Despite how much he had changed towards her, she had always had problems getting him to fully open up. He simply didn’t talk about things. He kept it bottled up inside until an opportune moment arose and he raged out, more often than not at her since she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time or she had done something to provoke him. Of course, he would always apologize, in some form or another but it was a vicious cycle that was incredibly toxic. Not healthy for either one of them.

He was a distant memory, but as much as Kaydence would like, one that still remained. Had the island been in the same exact condition that she had left it, the minute her eyes took in the formerly rundown Boardwalk he would have very likely be at the forefront. All the new beginnings had started here. The fact that it wasn’t helped greatly. In fact, her anxiety was almost nonexistent as she continued moving down the strip. The sensory overload took precedence over the panic attacks that threatened her daily. She was grateful for it. For years, Kaydence yearned to just feel normal. This feeling used to be her normal. Bright-eyed, excited and dare she say, relaxed. The thought of being alone at this exact moment wasn’t frightening. It was welcomed. A temporary blind eye to the daily stressors of her new and old identity. She regretted not seeking out the solitude of the island earlier. Perhaps she wouldn’t have snapped at Lukas when he begged to go to the beach. A frown briefly crossed her lips as she thought about her son. He would be furious at her if he knew where she was. She couldn’t even bring him back a souvenir as it would only remind him of the fun she was able to have and not him. Sighing, she did her best to push away the image of him slamming his bedroom door in her face. Perhaps if this venture went well Kaydence could consider bringing him another day. She would have security of course but at least Lukas would be able to experience the beach for the first time as every child should. She had no doubt he would love it as much as she did, just like she knew he was going to adore the island Noah was preparing for them.

Kaydence had been so lost in her thoughts that she nearly passed by the small café her meeting Noah had arranged for was taking place. In fact, she probably would have continued walking had she not heard her other name. “Miss. Nash! Miss. Nash!” Stopping, she turned in the direction of the voice and her eyes landed on a petite brunette eagerly waving at her. She smiled, grasping her bag as she maneuvered through the tables on the patio adjacent to the entrance. “Hello Miss. Breylin,” Kaydence said as she approached. “I’m extremely grateful my fiancé was able to coax you into coming all this way to meet with me.” The woman laughed as she took a seat. “No, Miss. Nash. The pleasure is all mine. I wish that all of my client meetings could take place in paradise. It would make the job so much less stressful I think.” Kaydence chuckled, placing her bag in the empty seat next to her. “I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of ordering us a bottle of their finest sauvignon blanc. I think you deserve a few glasses to celebrate your upcoming nuptials and move.” It was then that she took notice of the empty wine glasses in front of them. Although she was sure the woman couldn’t see it, the idea of alcohol was not at all tempting. Any place outside of their condo was suspect. She needed to keep her wits about her. Especially if she needed to quickly apparate back to her son. Before she could protest, a waiter appeared with a beautiful dark green bottle of the varietal from New Zealand, her favorite region. Her eyes widened, sure that Miss. Breylin could see her arched eyebrows from behind her frames. “Did Noah tell you?” The woman nodded and smiled. “Of course he did. If I can tell you anything about your future husband Miss. Nash, its that he loves you very much and is very particular in making sure others are aware of the little details that make you happy.”

She smiled, biting on her lip as the waiter poured the first sip for her to take. “That he does,” Kaydence quietly mumbled, instinctively reaching for the glass as the man stepped back to allow her to sample. Bringing the glass to her lips, she raised it just enough to inhale the intoxicating aroma of crisp, freshly cut grass before allowing it to run atop her tongue. Instantly, the taste of green apple and peach hit her tastebuds. Her eyes closed as she swallowed. It was a beautiful glass of wine. Secretly, it only added to the sense of relaxation slowly coursing through her body. Nodding to the waiter, the man poured her a glass before doing to the same to Miss. Breylin. The woman raised her glass. “To you and your beautiful family Miss. Nash. I am so excited to begin helping you plan the next stage in your life.” Doing the same, Kaydence clinked her glass along the side of the woman’s before taking another sip. “As I am, Miss. Breylin. Now where do we even start?”

[Ashton Wentworth]

This was the sort of place that Ashton stuck out like a sore thumb. Once upon a time - it was comfortable. Before all of the renovations and the garbage. Before everything was so clean all of the time. Of course it had been good for the economy in the long run. Not because anybody with a mind could actually afford this place - but because of the many jobs that it had created. Demeaning, low paying jobs when compared to not only the clientele but the amount of money that places like this tended to rake in. Everything was supposed to be faced with a never ending smile. Ashton couldn’t of done it. He didn’t think he could think of a single person who would have been able to to it on a daily basis. It didn’t matter what his pay grade was now - back then even with his stipend it had been a pretty penny. Didn’t think that anybody with a single income worth a damn would have been able to step foot here. Not if they wanted anything more than water. Felt like the sun was shining brighter here even. It would have been a great day to break out his bike and go for a ride. If it wouldn’t have been nearly impossible for him to get back into his house as well as access that damned garage to find the fucking thing - then that is exactly what he would have been doing. As it was - that salty air was washing over his skin...and the curiosity of just how far it was that this place had changed was going to get the better of him.

Ashing all over their clean streets was another added bonus.

Ashton never would have been able to imagine a life like this for himself. He wasn’t the person who paid attention to labels or how much things cost. He wasn’t the sort of person that took any personal pleasure in shopping, he didn’t like to spend money that he didn’t absolutely have to - and just about the only thing he would have outsourced if he had to. Shopping. Everything about shopping ever he wanted nothing to do with it unless it was for whiskey. Groceries, clothing, shoes, even pens he was happy to leave to somebody else. Someday he wanted to live in a house where things would just automatically refill for him and he never had to be missing toothpaste and then being without. This whole setup here - despite the way that his feet were slowly dragging them over toward the boardwalk - was his personal idea of hell. Made fun of Noah all the time for how impractical his clothing choices were just because of their flashy name brand. Wasn’t the life that he had lived, wasn’t something that he even understood. All of those social politics and ways that people were and were not supposed to act. He had more than enough politics in his personal life - he wasn’t going to add anything extra if he could help it.

Part of Ashton wondered if that seedy underbelly was still here at all. Hidden in those shadowy corners where the dumpsters lay or if this really...was all that was left. A strange metaphor for his life as this place was. Torn down and rebuilt over time. Places changed and moved - people came and went. Parts of him refinished and all that dark, and bitterness and anger about his life buried underneath one shiny exterior or another. Whether it was the life that he was living when he was around Noah, that life he lived at work - or the one that he liked to playact during his regular life when he was alone. Which one was actually, more real? Thinking too heavily on things like that was going to put him even further into a place that he really, couldn’t afford to be in.

Ashton’s cigarette had burned so low that the filter had started to burn and singed his fingers. He had been walking in a trance that he was hardly even aware of. So distracted by taking in the sights around him and just thinking about how much things had changed. Which, was what he had been doing since last night. Since he had seen that building that Noah had ducked into the night before. Ashton should have been anywhere else, working on his leads, forming reports - attempting to find a way to contact his children - hell, even sleeping would have been a lot more productive than this was. Walking around aimlessly and refusing to live in those memories that were attempting to push their way to the forefront of his mind despite his better judgement. Stubbornly he wanted to ignore that anything happened. Things that had happened here - along this very strip and also further down all of those sideroads. Things tied to a body that he would rather not remember. A certain point in his life where he was still open to things. When he had been so consumed with women and their relationship with himself. So consumed in the possibility of having that thing he had never seem in real life before. Functional relationship, a stable family, the ability to be surrounded by people that one was actually comfortable with - take your pick. He had spent - so very long attempting to find that, and to force it to happen for himself that he had lost sight entirely of what and who he was. Among large, large amounts of dignity.

It wasn’t to say that Ashton had learned too much about self control over the years that he had become what most would call an adult. He couldn’t pretend to be calm, or even good natured. He was still very much the same taciturn, surly bastard that he had always been. At least he had a good handful of years of trial and error to know what sorts of things absolutely wouldn’t work. Standing near this strip though - he was fairly certain that he was regressing in age. One of those mental triggers that had him thinking about those handful of times he had been here before...and not a single one of them was tied to anything even remotely happy anymore. He had no idea how much time had passed, or how many cigarettes he had burned through by the time that he realized with any semblance of cognizance that he was moving in and out through small crowds of people. Those stalled and window shopping, moving in and out of restaurants or adjusting swimwear as they moved toward those half sand covered paths leading down to the waterfront.

[Kaydence Morgan]

Had Kaydence been a little more observant, she would have realized that the café her meeting had been arranged in had a great deal of significance. It had actually been a frequent haunt of hers for the short time she had lived on the island. It hadn’t been visited daily but at least two or three times a week. Their BLT had always been to die for; particularly with a side of kettle chips. Light, crisp and nothing she felt terribly guilty about after eating. The item was her typical go-to. Kaydence had been here so often that the staff knew her order before she even had the chance to situate herself. A small detail to some but to her, meaningful…though she would never admit it. They even knew exactly where she liked to sit. Anytime it was available, they always brought her to the table for two off in the corner. She would sit there, engaged with whatever business it was she needed to take care of for the day, and reminisce on the time she had first been brought to the table with an extremely handsome man. It had been strange. An unexpected lunch date that had turned awkward and then sexual in a short time span. It was hard for Kaydence to ever look at this place with a head shake and a sly smile.

The fact was though that she hadn’t. Kaydence had been so lost in the fantasy of a life lost in paradise that she had paid no mind to the sign out front. Plus, she had never chosen to sit outside so this was new ground for her. To be fair, the café itself had undergone extensive renovation so she would have really had to have been taking a walk down memory lane to have noticed. For now, it was just another small eatery on the strip that had been randomly selected to play host to a meeting between a bride and her wedding planner. Yet another example of normalcy. At least Kaydence could assume it was. Although she had been terribly upset with Noah earlier for planning something without her permission, she had to admit to herself…this was actually pretty exciting. Given how her former life was just one big rollercoaster of life and death, she would never assumed that one day she would actually get to plan a wedding. Kaydence had always wanted to get married. Always wanted a family. It just never seemed that those two things were going to be in the cards for her. Too much of her life had been spent running away from problems that made actually partaking in those two things unsafe. Even if they had worked out earlier, Kaydence guaranteed neither would have lasted. The odds had always been stacked against her. Something would have happened to cause problems in her marriage or jeopardize her loved ones safety. That was still very much a possibility but this time things felt more stable then they had been ever. She was a whole new identity with a man who would go to the ends of the Earth to keep her safe.

How she loved Noah. A deep, passionate and emotional love that she had only briefly felt once before. Noah was her person. He was kind, loving and protective. He would move mountains for her if he could. He wanted nothing more than to make sure that she and their son knew how much he adored them. Not to forget he was fantastic in bed. Whenever business drew him away from her, Noah always made up for the lost time. Kaydence knew deep down in her heart that she didn’t deserve him. It was difficult for her to show him how she felt. No fault of his own but one of her own that she had always struggled with. Physical affection excluded. It was hard for her to reciprocate the small details. Kaydence had forever been a selfish woman. It was painful allowing others wants and needs to come before her own. She had never asked Noah where he wanted to go on a date or where he wanted to vacation. She had never picked at his brain wanting to know his goals in life, his fears or the things that made him happy. Perhaps part of her was still scared to get too close. Kaydence had an irrational fear of rejection. She couldn’t stomach the idea of truly getting to know someone and making an effort to do something for them only to get hurt somehow. Again, undoubtedly selfish. Noah had never done anything to make her feel that way. He also never questioned the effort she put into their relationship. He somehow accepted her for exactly who he thought she was. As long as she cared and prioritized their son, he would take whatever Kaydence would give him.

Her fingers wrapped around the bottom of her wine glass. Her first drink was already almost gone. It went down far easier than she liked. “There’s a few things we will need to address to get started.” Miss. Breylin answered. Kaydence watched as the woman leaned over to her side and came back with a huge binder labelled Eklund Wedding. She put it down and opened the front cover to the first page. “Alright. So I know you want a small wedding. However, even with a small one, there’s still quite a few things we need to take into consideration.” Kaydence leaned forward and placed her hands on her elbows. “I’m going to need you to tell me your budget for starters. I also would like to know if you have any inspiration on what you want your wedding to look and feel like. We’re going to need to do a guest list and also pick your wedding party from that. Once we finalize that, we need to send out save the dates and eventually invitations. Do you have any dates in mind? We’ll need to make sure they can accommodate all of the services you will need provided on your big day. We won’t need to select a venue since we already know about the island.” The woman took a quick breath. “I will also need to see what colors you have in mind so we can make sure the wedding attire matches appropriately. We need to make your registry. Do you want to have any pre-wedding events that people can bring gifts to from the registry? You need to give me honeymoon plans as well so I can help make those travel arrangements. Have you and Noah bought your wedding bands yet? If not, I’ll need ideas of what style you want them to be in. Once we get invitations back, we’ll make a seating chart. Near the end, we’ll make sure you two have your wedding license, finalize the vendors and then…get married!”

All of the steps ran together. Kaydence stared through her dark lenses at the woman, her mouth slightly agape. Were there really that many parts to a wedding? She could feel her anxiety slowly growing, the excitement disappearing. Finances weren’t an issue. Her fiancé was about to own his own island for Merlin’s sake. She didn’t care about picking colors or a theme. Creating a guest list would be complex. Who would they even invite? Kaydence and Noah didn’t have very many friends. Sadly, most of them worked for Noah. She knew some of the wives when they came around for their children’s playdates with Lukas. She supposed she could invite them. Maybe she could also invite Bria. She hadn’t kept contact with the girl since she moved in with Noah but she had no doubt she would eagerly accept the invitation when it came through the post.

The commitment. That was fucking terrifying. Doing all these things to throw a ceremony and a reception celebrating committing to an individual for the rest of her life. The realization had quietly been surfacing as the woman across from her kept speaking. Kaydence was getting ready to marry someone. She was going to be a bride. Her gaze shifted to the huge rock on her left ring finger. She was going to be a wife. Noah’s wife, to be precise. Things shouldn’t have felt any different. They had already been together for a little over eight years as it was. They were only adding a piece of paper and a ring into the mix. If that’s all that were to be added though, then why did Kaydence suddenly feel a deep pit in her stomach? It was a very similar feeling to when Noah had first asked her only a few months ago now. She was scared to say no but utterly frightened to say yes. A strange mixture of fright and guilt. Though she had an immense amount of difficulty deciding whether the guilt came from saying yes to a man who didn’t even know who she truly was or from replacing the man who could have very well been her one and only soulmate. Clearing her throat, she nervously shifted her position and accidentally hit her wine glass in the process. A small gasp left her lips as the glass fell from the table and shattered on the ground next to them. Embarrassed, Kaydence leaned over in a feeble attempt to collect the pieces. Instead, her frames fell from her face conveniently in a pile of sharp pieces.

“Miss. Nash. Are you alright?” Kaydence’s eyes darted to the woman in front of her. She stared at her silently for a moment before looking back down to the pile. It only took a few seconds before their waiter reappeared with a small broom and dustpan. “Please miss don’t cut yourself. I’ll take care of it.” The man carefully picked up her glasses and inspected them. Grabbing the end of his apron, he wiped at them, ensuring any small shards had fallen to the ground. “Here.” As he extended them to her, Kaydence quickly took them from his hand and placed them back upon the bridge of her nose. Her anxiety heightened, paranoid, she had been exposed. The breaking of the glass had made a scene and even though only a few pairs of eyes from tables around her were looking, they were too many indeed. “Miss. Nash? Miss. Nash?” She looked to the woman while the waiter finished cleaning up the mess. “We’ll get you another glass. Are you alright?” Kaydence had yet to say a word throughout the course of the accident. The look on Miss. Breylin’s face was of concern and worry. “I know all that sounds like a lot Miss. Nash and it is, but I assure you we’ll get through it together. I’m here to take as much pressure off of your shoulders as I can.” She laughed nervously. Another glass appeared to the side of her. She hadn’t even realized the waiter had left and come back with a new one. He said nothing as he poured more wine into the replacement and topped off Miss. Breylin. “Miss. Nash,” the woman started again. “I’m really not trying to be a bother but are you hearing me?” Hand trembling, Kaydence moved it towards her wine and carefully brought it to her lips. She need to take another drink before she even tried to answer.

[Ashton Wentworth]

There used to be nothing but carts at this part of the road. The last time that his feet had moved across this part of the strip it had been nothing but vendors selling cheap wares and here - where this high end clothing shop now stood used to be nothing but maps and cheap keyrings. All those that had to be bolted down in the rain storms were now tall standing. There were...Ashton didn’t even know the proper term for the bits strung between the buildings to shade those who were wanting to walk down the street without the sun damaging the fancy skin work done to half the clientele. Used to only have a couple of places to eat - and even less that people would risk the food poisoning for - all except one. There had been one place in particular that had always been worth the risk. Their food had been perfect for the day off of work where lunch had been spent. They had never cared whether people had been taking up their tables for more hours than practical. Didn’t care when Ashton left his flask out on the table - didn’t care whenever his paperwork and crime scene photos would have kept the tables near him were empty because he tipped well enough. It was mostly a positive place for him - and if memory served, it was coming right up on the corner.

Even more surprising that it was still there. Of course the exterior had changed, and no doubt if Ashton were to actually go inside then the whole staff would have long since been replaced. Ashton was willing to bet money that there wasn’t a single place here above ground where a face would have been familiar to him. There lacked the normal newsstands that would have had his face near them - or who knew what else horrible nonsense within those pages. It was a strange liberation, he couldn’t even remember the last time that he had walked on a street where other people were, let alone in daylight. For a moment, it was almost easy for Ashton to allow the last two years of his life to just...fade away. It didn’t matter the strange looks that he was getting from the people that he was walking past because that was all that they were. It was only looks because nobody knew who he was. It was easy just to be some strange man who didn’t fit in where he was standing. It shouldn’t have been relaxing - but it was.

On a whim - Ashton’s feet turned to carry him in that direction. It was just traveling further down that same road that he had already chosen. Shaded walkways and salty air - if he hadn’t already have eaten he might have decided to stop in for more than just coffee - but then again with the way this place seemed to just breathe money - he probably couldn’t afford it anyway. It didn’t even look the same from the outside - didn’t look...anything like that half run down place he had found so comforting before. He almost didn’t want to put his hand on the door for worry that ‘his type’ was just going to tarnish the whole vibe that it was clearly going for. Still - coffee was coffee. Honestly, he had been expecting a lot more nostalgia than what actually washed over him. The interior was just far too different for it to trigger too much on him. Those open doorways out to the patio. The soft sounds of people eating and enjoying themselves. Conversation and a rather loud, animated woman drawing his attention to the patio. Gushing over a binder in front of her and what seemed to be...color swatches? If he wasn’t mistaken it seemed to be some sort of business meeting...oh but those charts that she was pulling out. Like a blast from the past, he could remember those like a nightmare. There weren’t many other things that woman could be that wasn’t a wedding planner - and just when it was that he was about to turn away, her client’s laughter caught his attention.

Of course it was a coincidence.

The fact that anything sounded at all familiar was just the fact that this place was stirring up one too many memories as it was.

There was, absolutely no other explanation.

Not that it stopped the way that Ashton leaned backward from the counter that he had been standing at like a fool. Craning backward like some gossiping old woman, just the hints of a yellow sundress and a pair of slim legs under the table, curled all ladylike and off to the side. Could have been - absolutely anybody.

”Your coffee, sir?”

Ashton turned back to the counter with a weak attempt at a cordial smile as he nodded. Accepting the drink and passing a few sickles extra across the counter for her troubles before turning back to exit the shop. He needed to get the hell out of here if his memory was going to go to such insane lengths just because he had dared to step foot into somewhere familiar. That voice was almost too similar to the last familiar face that he had remembered being here with. More than once he had come into this place with her - but who knew where she was off to now...only he couldn’t go there either. Ashton had taken a very, very long time to keep from allowing himself to fly off into a rage each and every time the thought of...her, crossed his mind.

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[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence allowed herself to take a bigger sip then she expected. Her heart was racing and every part of her was beginning to feel all tingly. She needed to take the edge off just a little. If not, there’d not be a single doubt in her mind that a full-blown panic attack would rear its ugly head and she’d cause an even bigger scene then the one she just did with the wine glass. Granted, Kaydence would have attempted to excuse herself to the nearest ladies’ room, lock herself in one of the stalls and hide until she was able to compose herself again. No matter how long that may have been. Swallowing the wine was difficult. Her throat felt tight as if it were swelling up. Despite knowing that it was just her head playing tricks on her, it did nothing to ease the self-doubt of her vital organs seizing up and shutting down. As she removed the glass from her lips, Kaydence released a small sigh. She carefully set the glass at its proper place. She could feel Miss. Breylin’s eyes still staring in her direction. The poor woman. She could only imagine what was going through her mind. She hoped that she was only assuming the amount of information she had just piled on her had overwhelmed Kaydence. She did this for a living. Surely at some point or another she had dealt with a new bride who couldn’t process such tedious steps so quickly. Still, she owed the woman some sort of apology for the breaking of the glass and the abrupt silence that ensued.

Finally, Kaydence gave the woman a small smile and laughed weakly. “Yes. Yes,” she began, attempting to convince herself as well. “I’m fine. I’m terribly sorry about my glass. I just should have been a little more mindful of where it was.” Miss. Breylin quickly shook her head. “No, no Miss. Nash I’m not worried about that. I’m not sure if you’re aware but you look awfully white. I’m sorry if I sprung so much information on you at once. It’s just…part of my job. As I said though, I’m here to make this as painless as possible for you. Your stress is MY stress.” Kaydence offered her another smile. That woman really did not want her stress. Looking down at the table, she began to fidget with her engagement ring underneath the tablecloth. “Yes, well, I suppose I just wasn’t aware of everything that went into planning the perfect wedding. Don’t get me wrong…I’ve always understood there’s a lot of details but just hearing you lay them all out caught me off guard.” Her gaze turned back to the woman. “Actually planning a wedding is much different then dreaming about it as a young girl.” The woman politely smiled and extended her hand to the surface in front of Kaydence. “It is, but I promise you Miss. Nash, we’ll get through it together. I’m the one that’s supposed to endure all the bad stuff. Your job is just to tell me what to do.” She took a deep breath and stopped moving the band around her finger. Telling people what to do came easy to her. This was going to be easy. Nothing she needed to stress over. Noah had given her full control of how she wanted to plan things. Everything, as they had been for the past eight years, had been handed to her on a silver platter. She was panicking for no reason.

Or was she?

Very bad memories were starting at the forefront of her mind. Images of certain scenes. A dirty living room…a bed that hadn’t been made for days…a mess of crushed red fruit splattered around a white tile floor. Images that had nothing to do with Kaydence’s current situation. Her index and middle finger pressed against her right temple as if somehow it would magically stop whatever it was that was happening. No, this was not the time nor the place. “Purple and white,” she said suddenly, looking to Miss. Breylin. “Those are my favorite colors.” Red wine spilled on carpet. “I also wonder if we could incorporate re….I mean, dark green somehow? That’s Noah’s favorite color.” Her hand went again towards her glass of wine. The woman across from her took a sip from her own glass before responding. “Purple, white and dark green? Miss. Nash, I wouldn’t deny that your first two colors conflict with the dark green. Perhaps we can have the groom and his best man with a flowered lapel in the color?” Kaydence made a noise with her mouth in agreement mid-sip. “Great idea,” she responded, lowering the glass back down. She smiled nervously again looking off in the distance. Dark boots. No, that one was only because she had seen a pair of them walking by out of the corner of her eye. A strange choice of shoe wear for a beach town. It had probably just been an employee with appropriate work shoes. She supposed the decks and floors did tend to get a little slippery from time to time.

Merlin she really needed to focus on something. Her mind continued racing a mile a minute. It was difficult to hone in on something for longer than a second. A leather jacket. Kaydence shuffled in her seat. Needed to think of something else. Anything else. There was literally a binder full of things to think about staring her in the face. Exhaling deeply, she moved her right hand to the binder and began to shift through the pages. The two plates on her kitchen island where he had sat waiting for her. She could see the steam rising from the eggs as they had just come from the pan not too long before. She had told him the food was delicious and she could very clearly see the smile on his face as he continued eating. What was Kaydence even supposed to be looking at in this binder anyway? She shook her head and averted her gaze to the clearly labelled sections off to the side. Budget. Yes. Money. “No expense to be spared,” she said to Miss. Breylin, answering a question that had been asked earlier. “Anything that works, I must have it.” The replacement dress. She wondered if she looked crazy. Probably. Something had taken hold of Kaydence and was refusing to let go. It had been triggered and it would be safe to assume it wasn’t going anywhere. “Alright Miss. Nash. That takes a lot of potential financial strain off of this.” She laughed, a little too loudly. “Anything to make things easier.”

The sounds of heavy footsteps. She could always tell by the frequency of what kind of mood he was in. Kaydence swore like it was coming from around her. A quick check produced no culprit for the sounds. Whatever her brain was going, it was making things way too realistic for her. Things were beginning to close in and she felt an overwhelming need to leave. She couldn’t continue sitting here like this. “Miss. Breylin, please accept my sincerest apologies but I really need to step away for a moment and compose myself.” Kaydence pushed away from the table and grabbed the bag sitting next to her on the floor. “This is very embarrassing but I just need a few minutes to just get my head back to where it was before we sat down. I hope you can understand. I’ll be back shortly.” Her hand moved to the hat on her head, pushing it back down as it had come loose in her quick rise from the chair. “Only a moment,” she promised, giving the confused woman another weak smile. Without another word, she maneuvered herself through the tables to the outside of the restaurant. Kaydence walked quickly to the nearest part of the boardwalk railing and stopped. She looked towards the waves, inhaling and exhaling deeply as she did. Just a few minutes to focus on the ocean. Deep breaths. She needed to remember what had brought her here in the first place.

[Ashton Wentworth]

He was being paranoid. Expense of the job - he knew that. Dismissing it as such he turned to leave that building. Stopped only by a woman darting off of the patio only moments before he opened that front door. Would have knocked her flat on her ass if she had been only seconds later. Well excuse you too lady Thought rather than muttered. Any woman who ate here no doubt would have tried to sue the pants right off of him should he have actually hit her. More things that Ash certainly didn’t have the time for. He could just see it now, biggest undercover operation in this Ministry’s history blown because Ashton got sued for hitting some girl broadside with a door. Slender frame moved right across the road without stopping. There was no fucking point to that hat that she was wearing - none at all. Nice ass though. Didn’t see too many women built like that - narrow up top and then just - bam - hips for fucking years that wouldn’t stop. Thick thighs and little, tiny ankles. It was a weakness, it really was. Were he not set on getting the hell off this island again already, he might have actually taken a handful of minutes to go over there and play that nice civilian. Women in distress tended to be easy. Was just a fact. Moving more slowly, Ashton started down those steps. Couldn’t take his eyes from those hips - little yellow sundress blowing across the backs of her thighs. Just a touch more wind and he would have been provided a very nice little distraction from that trip his head kept trying to force him into. Ashton would have welcomed the distraction. With open damn arms.

Everything else here was insane. Like walking into a literal nightmare. Visions weren’t something uncommon to Ashton. As much as he liked to think that it was just something that happened whenever he was overly tired or had drank far too much. After his wife had passed - Ashton had seen her everywhere. Always just off the corner of his vision. He had tried to run from her - had left the country many times, had gone across the planet to get away from her but when he had come back - she had been there waiting for him. Like a ghost - something spectral meant to haunt him for the rest of his life. A plague. She wasn’t a good woman - had started to feel like he was teetering from the line of being half crazy, to entirely insane. She had been there - silent but always lurking for so, so many years. Only stopped after he had refused to acknowledge her. Whether it was because at the time - he had met somebody else, or if it was just that he had become so distracted that he couldn’t wallow in his grief anymore he wasn’t sure. Ashton never knew if it was her ghost that he was actually seeing, or just his own insane mind tormenting himself. Self sabotage on that level seemed rather par for the course, so he never had questioned it too much. Being in the profession that he had been in for so many years - the question of ghosts or any number of other paranormal things wasn’t even a question anymore. Of course he knew that they were real. He knew that it was something he had to deal with. He wasn’t afraid of the unexpected - he just didn’t want them fucking hanging around him.

Ashton had never once worried that any of his other old flames would show back up because one, he didn’t even know half of their names, and those that he did - were absolutely not dead. It was very possibly something stupid to assume that the one who had just - vanished into this air wasn’t dead. However, arrogantly he just assumed that he would just..know somehow. The sight that met him whenever he left that building, coffee in hand was something else entirely. A girl like Kaydence wouldn’t die, regardless of where she had gone and holed herself up in, without somebody noticing. A scandal - no matter where she was or how she was living, he was just certain of it. The fact that this woman’s similarities to that evil, heartless, bitch ended right there - was just further proof. Short hair - while that hat was an atrocity that he wouldn’t have put past her before, her build was still subtly different ...years or no years. No - either he was seeing things...or else.

Ashton’s fingers rubbed uncomfortably over the too warm surface of his coffee cup. Those little ridges around the middle meant to keep him from burning himself - when the heat would have been comforting despite how warm it was outside today. His teeth worried over the corner of his bottom lip - almost willing himself to find a way to turn the ghost around - if in fact it was a ghost. At least then he would know that he was just going crazy again. He should have expected as much, so many changes in such a short time. He was dealing with all sorts of magical artifacts lately, any one of them could have caused some moderate insanity. With shaking hands Ash lifted another cigarette to his lips. Of course it wouldn’t turn. She was just a woman - she was just standing, living her own life. Arrogant son of a bitch that he was. Swallowing hard against the smoke and burning his entire tongue with his coffee, Ashton turned to go back the way that he had come.

[Kaydence Morgan]

The sunshine that had been radiating brightly against the boardwalk had dimmed. It was unexpectedly overcast. Maybe it had been a bit cloudy since Kaydence had sat down at the café, but she just hadn’t noticed. She had been terribly preoccupied. It didn’t appear as if the sky was threatening to rain but it had certainly put a sombering mood on things. Perhaps, she was putting a sombering mood on things. Fuck. Sighing, she placed her elbows on the top of the railing she had propped her body against. Palms open, her hands found her cheeks as her eyes closed. How quickly things had taken a turn for the worst. Truthfully though, Kaydence shouldn’t have been surprised. This was why she never left their home. Too many simple excursions had ended exactly like this. With the exception of the random images that kept seemingly coming from the back of her eyelids. A simple, meaningless task such as going shopping for furniture or potion ingredients that required minimal contact with only shop employees. Somehow, it would take only one minuscule detail to trigger the paranoia. It happened with accidentally bumping into another shopper. It had happened when walking in a large crowd. The eyes that were on her. She didn’t know who they could have belonged to. Kaydence hadn’t been in the good graces of many people when she had left Austria for the final time. Surely, she couldn’t have just vanished and not expect the world to forget about her.

Why had she chosen to come out today? Kaydence could have easily refused the meeting Noah had set up. She had said no to him before. Plenty of times actually. Besides, he wasn’t even here to stop her. She doubted he’d even be able to confront her about missing it given he had only been home a few hours per day. She had willingly chosen to escape the safe confines of their condo to come here. Why? She had been pulled. Something had brought her down here, a realization that had yet to dawn on her until this very moment. Was it to prove to her once and for all that she would never be able to escape her past? That she needed to come to terms with the person she once was and accept that? The boat ride. Kaydence let out a small moan. She knew that coming here was no good. Why hadn’t she argued the matter further with Noah? Eventually she would have won. She always did. Deep down she knew that whatever the reason was that brought her down to the beach today was the same one that had made her agree to her fiancé’s wishes for her and Lukas to join him in Austria. How did this Merlin forsaken country constantly keep her in its grasp?

Her hands moved to uncover her eyes. How quickly this little bit of paradise had turned back into the place it had been trying to hide. Kaydence didn’t dare look in the direction she had apparated from. With the way the highlight reel in her mind kept playing, she wasn’t quite ready to add more pain into the mix. Then, as if on cue, she swore her shoulder started hurting. Instinctively, her hand moved to the spot where an oddly shaped scar was hidden. Yet another night things had almost ended. Another repercussion for the endless stream of bad decisions she had made here. Kaydence was getting deep in her head. It had been a very long time since this had happened. Probably since Lukas’ birth. She had suffered postpartum depression for months. The guilt over not feeling connected with her newborn seemed almost incomparable to the guilt she had from leaving here. For so quickly allowing everything to just…stop. For thinking that the only way she could save the man she…had extremely strong feelings for…was to just leave. Kaydence figured he had understood that. She cared for him immensely. She had showed him that in their short time together. He was better off without her. Truthfully. As much as she tried though, it was something she could never fully convince herself of. She had always been remorseful for forcing herself to move on. To love Noah. To have the family she had always wanted so soon after leaving him. To never give him the chance she had given them.

Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. Releasing another deep breath, Kaydence shook her head and looked up towards the sky, hoping the change in elevation would send them back to where they had once come. She stayed that way for a few seconds until movement from off to the side demanded her attention. Head still tilted back, she turned, not noticing anything in particular for a moment. Then she did. Her brow arched as her gaze landed on a man with dark clothing walking with his back turned towards her in the other direction. He stood out like a sore thumb. Compared to the smiling and bright faces of the families on the Boardwalk, his aura did not match theirs. Neither did his clothing. Kaydence righted herself and watched him as he continued to move further away. Without realizing what she was doing, her feet betrayed her and began following behind him while maintaining her distance. She didn’t know who he was but she felt compelled to find out. A pull. An uneasiness. She wasn’t sure for how long she had followed him until it registered in her brain what she was doing. Stopping in her tracks, she looked at the wooden planks holding her. Why was she following him? She was losing her fucking mind. Biting down on her bottom lip, she turned on her heel and began walking back to where she had came unbeknownst that he had also stopped not too shortly after she had spun around. Kaydence just needed to get back to her wedding planner and do what she had been sent to do then get the fuck out of here. She felt the strap of her bag fall off of her shoulder. Stopping to fix it, she suddenly felt a small body hit against her chest with enough momentum to temporarily lose her footing.

[Ashton Wentworth]

Ashton was being followed. What sort of no brained idiot would he have to be to not know that he was being followed. Didn’t know who or why - could imagine over a dozen things that he could have been followed for. Any number of security officers from any number of buildings that he had passed. He just needed to put himself into a position where he would have a decent reason to look behind him and see who the culprit was. It was really a good thing that he was being followed, no matter the reason, because it was keeping him from being distracted. Which, until he was off of this cursed damned island he needed to stay focused. Coffee had been stupid. Allowing his mind to wander when he was living in such a precarious position was stupid. He should have been paying better attention. Then he would have seen who he had caught the attention of - but as it stood - he was attempting to keep the same gait as he had the entire time so as not to alert whoever it was that was behind him that he was in fact, very aware of them. Slow footsteps - the fact that they were falling so quietly almost had him doubt whether or not he was the intended target. Didn’t turn until it was that the body stopped - until he was sure that they were moving away. Perhaps he had dropped something and then they had thought better about returning it to him? As crazy as that was, stranger things had happened. Turning to see out of curiosity who had followed it - nearly shocked to see that it was in fact that same woman with the sundress. That pale yellow starting to move away from him through the lightly populated street. That same yellow, swaying hips. The hell did she want? He could feel his heart bottom out in his stomach. The hell would she be following him for? Why did he have such a sinking, horrible feeling in his gut. He couldn’t explain it. It certainly didn’t make sense - but he found himself walking right into this little game of cat and mouse the mystery woman had started.

It was like it was right on the tip of his tongue. Something that he couldn’t place. A reason that he wanted to give himself and he couldn’t think of the words to put it in. It simply was irrational. Like nearly everything else that had happened so far this morning. The strap of the woman’s bag fell off the side of her shoulder, that large thing slipping and her hands going to catch it - just in time for another body to come and knock her sideways. It wasn’t a delicate thing - the way she got hip checked and sent off to the side, her body falling to the side and falling to the ground like she did. Normally, he would have been happy to see if her skirt was planning on coming up over her hips or not - but he couldn't even focus on that now. It was the way her hat fell off of her head. Floppy abomination falling to the ground and skittering off into the road. Head full of nearly blonde hair - toned arms moving to catch herself and Ashton couldn’t have stopped the way that he moved closer to her. The delicate slope of her shoulders...and his ice was running cold. The person who had knocked her off balance had stopped, was attempting to reach forward to help her up - and Ashton should have felt a lot more guilty for the fact that he placed on hand on the person’s shoulder and shoved them off kilter and out of the way. ”HEY ASSHOLE” Ashton’s cold stare could have killed - enough that the person dropped it and moved backward away from him. Guess sticking out was serving his purpose for once. He just...he had to know. Ashton’s hand extended to take the place of the other person’s and then retracted the moment after he could see her face.

Fucking impossible.

He couldn’t be...looking into the face that he thought that he was. He didn’t think after the way that things had been left - that she might have crawled into a hole and died. That she had just run away with the first man she had met. That she had only been using him in the first place to keep her safe from her brother until she realized that apparently that wasn’t something that he was capable of. The conglomeration of thoughts bouncing around in his head were too many to sort. There she was - literally on the ground and trying to pick herself back up from the ground where she had fallen. She had left him a note. Right there on the table waiting for him whenever he had gotten home from work. It hadn’t even been a special day. It had just been a day like any other - he had come home - dropped his keys, toed the boots off of his feet and had called up the stairs for her. The house was silent - too quiet. No music playing from upstairs, no treadmill running, nothing coming from the limited kitchen - nothing at all. Had walked in a circle, gathered whiskey and had come back to the door - assuming that she had just gone shopping against his better judgement - and there it had been. Sitting, only half folded on the side table that she had insisted that she buy. Sitting there - mocking him. He hadn’t even been able to open it at first. It wasn’t like he couldn’t guess as to that was in it. He had imagined that there were any number of excuses. Anything to explain how her family was a danger. How she just had to go. Bullshit words about how she wanted to save him - and that this was the only way. When he had actually been able to read the damned thing...it was so much worse. ”Ash….I’m sorry….” the words trailed off, placed on the page like she had meant to write something else - left room on the page for many other words...and then just hadn’t bothered to write them. Apparently, he didn’t deserve them. Apparently, she didn’t think that he deserved an explanation, or common decency, or absolutely anything at all. Didn’t think about him. Didn’t care about him - she was, just like absolutely everybody else.

He had considered looking for her. Over the various...eight or so years since she had up and vanished out of his life. He had wanted to at first. Saw that note and had almost grabbed keys and went off searching for her. Wanted to fly off in a fit of rage - but then he just...hadn’t. He had chosen to let her go. He hadn’t tried to fight for her. He had decided to not keep that cycle going to that he had fallen victim to over and over again - chasing after people who didn’t want to be chased. People that wanted to leave him...and he had chosen to let her. She wanted to go … so he had allowed for her to leave. Had thought - many times after that he should just take it back. With all of the countless resources at his constant disposal - he could have found her. He could have found a trail of some kind and gone to track it the hell down. Coming up with reason after reason until he had talked himself out of it. He had made another choice somewhere shortly after that he couldn’t think about her anymore until she shifted into being just a horrible, very bad memory. Then - just like that, it was staring him in the face.

“You.”


Every ... single part of him... wanted to leave her there. Had she thought of him? What was she doing here? She couldn't have known that he was going to be here - of course not. It wasn't like she had put herself here on this island just to fuck with him. Granted - it made a hell of a lot more sense now as to why she had been following him. Why had she stopped? She must have thought better of it. Ashton's eyes lifted to the skyline, the bits that he could see and those rapidly changing clouds just over their heads. He inhaled too swiftly, nearly a snuff as he ashed his cigarette on the ground and extended his free hand in her direction. Just long enough to help her to stand before shoving it right back into his pocket. Taking a drag that was going to end up hurting later, burning through far too quickly. That terrifying thought that maybe she had never left. He had just assumed that she had gone...and been somewhere else. If she had been here this entire time? Found herself a place - moved in and had been here the entire time. Thoughts like that were damned near enough to drive him flat out crazy. Ashton's chest hurt - and he would refuse to admit it to himself. He almost wished that he had pretended that he didn't even know who she was just so that he could avoid this conversation and the knowledge that was going to follow it. Anything she had - absolutely anything was going to hurt. it was risking his carefully caged temper as it was...what was he supposed to do here. One of the things that he had never allowed himself to even consider was the possibility of ever seeing her again. It hadn't been a possibility. Now she was here - bending to pick her bag from the ground and handing it back in her direction with a grasp of two pinched fingers like it was going to bite him. Wasn't until she accepted her purse back that the ring on her finger caught his eye. Ashton's glance shifted from her to the concerned looking witch back at the restaurant - who had left the balcony and started to make her way toward them before stopping herself. She was watching them - there was no doubt about it. no doubting that any more than the binder in her hand had to be the one belonging to the loud wedding planner. Which meant that the ring was in fact an engagement. Ashton quickly put two and two together and the barest corner of his lip tilted upward. Of course she was - why wouldn't she be? Words were failing him - there was nothing in his brain. Like the entire knowledge base of language had just evaporated at that moment. Hated the way that his tongue was pressing so firmly into the roof of his mouth. He hated even more the way that his hands were starting to shake and he couldn't seem to hold eye contact with the small woman in front of him. The years had been kind to her - didn't have to look too hard to see that. He was pulling at the inside of his pocket lining with one hand, thumb rubbing agianst the closed knuckles of the other as he refused to look at her. Scoffing - his foot shuffled and he took a half step away from her.

He wasn't going to make small talk. He wasn't going to comment about how she looked well - or ask how she had been. He wasn't going to ask where she was staying or what she had done with her life. He didn't want to know. Anything would have just been comment about how he had fallen so fucking short in her eyes and he couldn't stomach it. Wouldn't have been able to sit at his flat with that knowledge in his head. This was enough. No doubt she would have been here and never said a word to him. Nothing. She hadn't checked in once - and clearly, she was alive and well. His jaw was ticking as he tried to process so many things at once that his throat felt like it was starting to close up. "Right." He commented lamely, inhaling too deeply and exhaling just as quickly. "Well." All words were just pathetic excuses when all he wanted to do was take her by the shoulders and shake her. To shout in her face, to demand and answer - anything at all. Something. Words. An apology. An explanation. Anything. Anything at all.

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence had been hit with such momentum that she stood no chance of saving herself from the inevitable fall. Fortunately, whoever it was that had hit her had knocked her off the path where a great deal of the foot traffic had been. So instead of hitting yet another person as she tumbled to the ground, her hands braced for the impact against the wooden planks. As they finally made contact, she released a small yell, feeling a decent-sized splinter enter the bottom of her right palm. Her body stopped moving and she lay propped up at an awkward angle. Kaydence’s eyes moved towards her lower half. At least her skirt hadn’t hiked up anymore than it should have. Twice now, in the course of only thirty minutes, she had drawn unnecessary attention to herself. This time it hadn’t even been her fault. At least her glasses hadn’t been knocked off of her face again. Her hat had though. Kaydence glanced around and noticed her bolero only a few inches from where she had fallen. Using her good hand, she quickly grabbed the thing and shoved it back on her head.

Although the Boardwalk had a decent amount of bodies walking, Kaydence somehow felt less eyes on her then when she had at the café. Surprising considering how nosy rich people tended to be. Still, she felt humiliated. Her anxiety had temporarily drifted away as irritation replaced it. Who had run into her? “HEY ASSHOLE,” she started, not being able to help herself. She looked up, taking in the face of a mortified kid. The boy looked a little older than Lukas but not by much. Behind him, stood an older version. Perhaps his brother. Kaydence stared at both of them for a few seconds, completely unsure of what else to say. It was ridiculous that she was still on the ground but she was so fucking mad that she didn’t know what else to do. Huffing, she looked back down as she watched the older one attempt to make a movement towards her before stopping. She knew she had a right to be angry. The little boy hadn’t been paying attention while running on the Boardwalk when he should have been. Merlin knew how many times Lukas had run into her when playing tag on his playdates or when he had been searching for her to tell her about something he had just read. Those times, Kaydence had never been irritated. Annoyed, maybe, but he was her son and he was always so cute when he apologized. This kid, however, was not her son and Merlin knew she had a few more choice words for him about watching where the fuck he was going. She could yell at someone else’s kid. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

The boards in front of Kaydence creaked as if heavier weight were pushing into them. Sure enough, she looked up just enough to see a pair of dark boots blocking the way. The same boots that had been attached to the same dark jeans she had been following only minutes earlier. She cursed to herself. So much for keeping distance. She briefly wondered at what point he had seen her. Or had she just made so much noise in her fall he had come to investigate. He had been a good ways away from the crash site. Something told Kaydence that it was the former. Something also told her that if she continued to look up and see who the legs were attached to that she wasn’t going to like the identity. Her heart was beating with such force against her chest that she was sure whomever it was could hear it. Her anxiety was back. She could feel the eyes of the stranger staring down at her. Her own curiosity dying to know who they belonged to. She would, she wouldn’t…the back and forth for what seemed like ages until she decided enough was enough.

Pressing her lips tightly together, Kaydence lifted her gaze up, following the legs to the torso and then finally up the head. Whom it landed on was not at all who she had expected. “You.” Ashton. It couldn’t have been. She could feel her mouth fall slightly agape as she took in the man staring back at her. Even from this angle she could see how the years had aged him. Wrinkles were noticeable underneath his lower lids. His laugh lines a little more prominent. Those blue eyes of his were still piercing though. Kaydence felt like they were staring straight through her as if he were also processing what was sitting right below him. He still very much looked like the Ashton she had left so long ago, a beautiful man. Was that all that remained of him though? Did he still have that nasty temper? Maybe not considering he had let to kick her while she was down. Though he also looked just as much in shock as she did. His brain was probably still processing her sudden appearance after so much time. Fate had an unbelievably funny way of bringing people together. His hand moved down towards her yet Kaydence no move to accept it. Past memories flashed back of times when he had reached for her, only for her to accept and him pull her body close to his aggressively, causing both heightened sexual tension and pain as he would grab her wrist before belittling her for something or other. Surely, if she accepted though, he wouldn’t cause a scene in public. Ashton had to have known better than that. Actually, she knew very well that he didn’t but it was a risk that her hand was apparently taking as she grabbed for it.

She wondered if he could feel the same sparks as their skin made contact for the first time in years. Gripping his hand with her left, Kaydence carefully maneuvered her legs underneath as she allowed herself to be pulled up. She could feel the blood dripping from her right hand yet found it impossible to access the damage as her eyes refused to leave Ashton’s face. Once she was fully upright, he quickly released her hand and brought it to his pocket. So many emotions raced through her mind as the two stood in awkward silence. What could even be said? So much. Yet she was a coward. The conversation that hung heavily between the two was not one she was prepared for. Kaydence would never be prepared for it. It was one she had made a point to never have. Or at least tried her not to with every fiber of her being. He leaned over and proceeded to pick up her bag from the ground. She had truly forgotten that damn thing had started this chain of events in the first place. Half expecting him to chuck it over the side, Kaydence was surprised when he extended it to her. Without thinking, she grabbed it, still using her left hand as her right was slowly starting to throb from the piece of wood stick poking out from her flesh. Still looking at him, she saw a change in his facial expression. Her eyes, yet again, shifted downwards, taking in Noah’s ring sure that it was indeed what had caused it. She quickly brought the bag to her chest and hugged it tightly with her left arm. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was thinking, if he hurt. The latter being a subject Kaydence had absolutely no desire to visit.

She could fear the tears that had attempted to surface make themselves known again. Huffing, the last thing Kaydence needed was him to see her cry. He didn’t need to know any of the feelings that lingered. What she needed him to see was a different woman. The one she had forced herself to become when she left so long ago. “Right. Well.” He didn’t know what to say. Good. She didn’t either. Sorry…that was strangely at the forefront. That wouldn’t be good enough though. He wouldn’t let that be all she had to say for herself. Ashton was a vengeful man. If Kaydence made any attempt to explain things away he wouldn’t stand for it. He never had. Even in the way he spoke now, she could still hear what she’d go so far as to say was hurt. She couldn’t do this. Without saying a word, she pushed past him back in the direction of the café. Close enough to see Miss. Breylin. “I’ll post to reschedule,” was all she said, quickening her pace as she could hear his footsteps once again not too far behind her. This was not a meeting that woman in particular needed to see. There was no telling what she was going to report back to Noah or the story Kaydence was going to have to make up to explain this away. Her hand was warm with blood. Surely she could make it back to the condo before needing to tend to it. His footsteps were closer. She knew that pace. Now he was pissed. He never liked this game of running after her. Why was he choosing to do so now? Why couldn’t he just leave it be? That same feeling of resentment bubbled up to the top. Anxiety be damned, her temper was done being dormant.

Stopping suddenly, she breathed, praying yet another collision wasn’t about to take place. Turning around to him, Kaydence’s facial expression did nothing to hide the annoyance she felt. “WHAT?” she yelled as if she didn’t already know. “Leave it alone,” she threatened, her voice lowering. She had yet to take off her glasses but knew damn well Ashton would be able to feel the glare she was burning right through his eyes. Later on, she would think of all the ways she could have handled this differently but old habits died hard.

[Ashton Wentworth]

]

Of course she was going to give him nothing. At all. Nothing readable on her features - not that he could assume that he had ever understood what her faces had ever meant to him. Not whenever her leaving had been - so beyond out of the blue. Things back then had been hard, there was no denying that. At the time, as best as he could remember it, they had been looking for a place for her to live. She hadn’t wanted to live with him full time. He hadn’t wanted to have a roommate. Ashton had always liked to have his privacy, he liked being on his own. He had just...also liked being with her. They had been in the middle of shopping for her a place to be, somewhere safe...narrowing things down and then she had just...left. He should have known better - he needed to leave this horrible encounter. He was doing alright with her gone. He had moved up in his career. He had started a life that was only a small handful of jobs away from retirement. He was more than too young to stop working, but he would be financially stable and in a position to fund and be a part of his children’s lives. No doubt that was the same goal that Kaydence was after - securing her financial freedom. A ring like that she really couldn’t be doing anything else. That thing was huge, and more than flashy. It wasn’t about love, or a symbol to her - it was a hey, look at me and my money. Nothing would convince him otherwise. Ashton had moved into a lucrative department at work, one that technically he wasn’t even allowed to speak about with the mother of his children. He wasn’t supposed to discuss it - more red lines of tape than he knew what to do with himself, and they paid him damn good for it. Things that had she stayed, all of those years ago - he might not have ever had the chance to do. If she had stayed, his life would have been very different. He couldn’t even start to imagine all of the ways how - not to mention all of the things with her idiot ‘Lord’ brother and his garbage that Ashton would have had to deal with. On top of the fact that then again, perhaps it wouldn’t have been different at all.

Things might have fizzled right out. Had she not ended things exactly when she had - things might have ended anyway. Not then, but further on down the road. Knowing his own stubborn self there was a very real possibility that he would have tried to keep things. That he would have fought for them, and in result things would have dragged on into an even more painful ending. Not once had he discussed what had happened. The truth that she had simply - walked out on him. Not with a single soul. That wasn’t going to change just because she happened to be standing in front of her. It didn’t exist. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t allow for himself to be further hurt about it. He wasn’t going to think about the damage that had been done to his liver after her departure. He wasn’t going to acknowledge the way that he had spiraled for a good couple of weeks resulting in just a further black hole of alcoholism. He wasn’t going to admit that he had put more than one hole into the wall of his house - or that he had crashed his favorite car from a dramatic episode. He was going to file all of those things into a ‘young and stupid’ box inside of his head - and never look at them again.

She didn’t need to put hands on him - once had been enough. Turning his body away from the waterfront and pushing his body toward the direction of the cafe - spouting off some little instructions to the poor girl who was standing there. Oh Kaydence, what will your friends think? Running off with a strange, oddly looking man in the middle of broad daylight when one has a WEDDING to plan. Oh heavens the scandal. Could feel that sarcasm burning in the back of his throat as she moved them. Her hands dropping from his chest like he had burned her but the fire they left in her wake didn't want to fade. She moved like he was supposed to follow. What choice did he have? She was leaving him none - just like then. Always had to have her way. He should stop walking. She was wanting to move them somewhere private, no doubt she didn’t want to be seen in public with him, she never had. Never had been the right social standing, didn't dress the right way. Wouldn’t speak in a way that was proper. Things were doomed from the start, really, she had done him a favor. It was all coming back to him now. Like they had moved out of the direct sunlight of the strip and directly into the past where he was young again. Not so worn and battered by years of combat training and difficult missions and lack of sleep.

Those narrow hips of hers spun around a corner and out of sight. Naturally. He hated that he was following her. He hated this entire thing. Why couldn’t she have just nodded a hello - and then run away like the little baby mouse of a coward that she actually was. Why couldn’t that have been what happened? Would have been too easy. Nothing with Kaydence was ever easy. She stopped so damned suddenly he almost ran her over. She whipped around her face alight with fury. Like she just couldn't believe that he dared to be in the same space as her. That his presence somehow offended her. She had dragged him here. She had pushed him...and then walked off. She had wanted him to follow her and like a damned fool he had gone with it. He had fallen into the trap and he had done what it was that she had wanted. Wanted to kick his foot at something. Anything at all. Hadn’t missed that tension in his jaw. He hadn’t missed the way that his temper boiled so damned close to the surface so quickly. Like she held a personal trigger button that he hadn’t ever given her - stole the damn thing no doubt. “WHAT?” Annoyed? SHE was pissed? She had no right to have any such feelings on the matter - those were his and his alone. Could feel the surprising way that his brows lifted on his face. It made zero sense whatsoever. Not that she ever did. More things that he should have seen coming. “Leave it alone,” Leave WHAT alone? Clearly, all of her time away had made her even more bat shit crazy than she had been before. Ashton took a step backward, flicking the rest of his cigarette off to the side in frustration. His hands lifting to knit together behind his head, shaking it softly in disbelief. Tongue pressing into the roof of his mouth bitterly. He wanted to weigh his words. He wanted to say something level - he wanted to have the power to just up and walk away from her. However he possessed none of those things. “YOU LEAVE IT!” Spouted out with vitriol in spite of his better judgement. “That’s what you’re GOOD AT ISN’T IT!” His hands gesturing toward the alleyway that he had just come from moments ago. “NOBODY IS STOPPING YOU KAYDENCE!” Didn’t matter if he tried, she was just going to up and do whatever she felt like. Pissed, his body turned in a circle to keep distance from her. Walking with the hope of working off some of that nervous energy that was rapidly filling him. “For FUCKS SAKE Kaydence! YOU FOLLOWED ME!” Couldn’t stop saying her name. As if saying it over and over again was going to make what was happening in front of him real. That she was really standing here. That it was actually transpiring and that he wasn’t imagining the entire thing.

[Kaydence Morgan]

She had got him right where she wanted him, but now Kaydence had no idea what the fuck to do with him.

She’d be lying to herself if Kaydence said she hadn’t known what she was doing from the moment she had pushed past him back on the Boardwalk. Even if she may not have realized it, she knew that her abrupt departure would have caused the situation they currently found themselves in. There were simply too many unanswered questions for Ashton to have allowed her to just leave…again. So what she had really been thinking, that their reconnection on the Boardwalk would have just been the universe bringing them two together for that one single moment was foolish. They had far too much history for a casual run-in of two former lovers. No. This was a chapter that had never been fully closed. There was enough evidence in Kaydence’s life to prove that things left unwritten never stayed that way. Everything had to have its ending at some point in time. She should have not expected that being here, now, with Ashton was impossible. By coming to Austria, she had allowed this moment to happen. Never would have assumed that he would have just left because he couldn’t stand being here without her anymore. He was too prideful for that. Kaydence knew he would never allow her to impact a huge life decision such as moving. Austria was too small of a country for fate to never let them cross paths again.

As they stood there in the same awkward silence reminisce of their younger years, Kaydence’s chest was heaving. She was so angry. So fucking angry. Truthfully, it wasn’t all towards Ashton. He had inadvertently exacerbated things. This type of situation was exactly what she had been fearing when she agreed to come to Austria. Any sort of interaction with someone from her past. She knew something like this was going to happen. Her name lived in notoriety whether she cared for it or not. All because of her brother. Her family. Kaydence had stayed here for too long when she was younger. Made too many acquaintances and relationships with people whom she had no idea what had happened to. Not everyone left like her. Many years had past but there had not been a single doubt in the woman’s mind that there were still remnants of her old life here. She had been so stupid to think that even taking a few hours to herself on what Ilfracombe had become would keep those distant memories away, including the worst one only a few inches away from her. Kaydence would have been miserable, but had she just stayed in the fucking condo she would have been safe. It had worked for her for so long now, why had she found it necessary to disrupt the good thing she had going?

After what seemed like ages, Ashton finally moved. Kaydence remained still as she watched him toss his cigarette away. She had always hated that nasty habit of his. Noah smoked, but at least he did it in moderation and usually never around her or Lukas. She remembered how she would always throw away Ashton’s cigarettes whenever she stumbled upon a pack he thought he had hidden from her. An argument would then ensue. He’d yell at her for snooping. She’d yell at him stinking up his furniture with the smoke smell she could never clean away no matter how hard she tried. He’d yell at her to stop cleaning. She’d yell back that if he took better care of his surroundings then she wouldn’t need to. The latter, not even being Kaydence’s place due to the fact that his home was just that, his, not hers. She had just always tried so hard to emphasize how a good decluttering and organization could go a long way. The conversation was always pointless though. Although she knew she made good points, Ashton was a stubborn son of a bitch. He never liked being told what to do, same as her, especially if its something he knew would better himself in the long run. It had been a fight that Kaydence would have been grateful to ended when the time came for her to move. They had been so close near the end .

Kaydence watched as he stepped away from her. Hand instinctively curling up into a fist, he had given her no reason to assume he was about to attack but given how her day had already gone, she couldn’t have been too sure. “YOU LEAVE IT!” Scoffing, she rolled her eyes. Even aged hadn’t matured his comebacks. “That’s what you’re GOOD AT ISN’T IT?” And there was the start of that. “NOBODY IS STOPPING YOU KAYDENCE!” He was right. Nobody was stopping her from leaving this conversation. Nobody had stopped her from leaving him the minute he had helped her up from her nasty tumble, the painful reminder still throbbing in her right palm. Merlin she wondered how bad her wound looked now. It had been a few minutes since had checked in on it. “For FUCK’S SAKE Kaydence! YOU FOLLOWED ME!” She responded with a laugh. It hadn’t been on purpose, but the notion that Kaydence had taken the initiative to do what Ashton accused her was ridiculous. Yes, she had followed him, but she followed him not knowing who he actually was. HAD she known that the mysterious stranger in black had been him, she would have let him keep walking until his silhouette faded off into the distance. “Don’t just put this on me, Ashton!” How foreign his name sounded coming from her lips. “I SAW you at the restaurant,” Kaydence paused momentarily. “I HEARD you. I know those stupid fucking boots anywhere. You shuffle when you’re too lazy to pick your feet up off the ground.” Another bad habit of his that she had often scolded him for back in the day.

Taking her glasses off of her face with her good hand, Kaydence stepped closer to him and pointed the frames in his direction. “What the fuck are YOU doing here?” She copied the same motion he had done a few seconds earlier. “THIS is not your scene. You don’t belong here.” She closed the distance even further, staring straight into those imposing blue eyes of his. “So it makes a little more sense that YOU were following ME. How the FUCK did you find me?!” It was the only logical reason that his appearance here made sense to her. He probably still worked for the Ministry. Somebody had to have given him a heads up when their train had arrived earlier last week. She was so fucking stupid to think that a pair of sunglasses and a haircut would have kept her identity hidden to anyone around these parts. Turning around, Kaydence threw the extremely expensive glasses in her hand at the closest wall, feeling no sense of relief as she watched them shatter into a heap on the ground. Her left hand moved back to her temple as she closed her eyes in hopes her irritation would subside only a little.