Page 2 of A Bridge Through Time (The Bridge Through Time #1)
A shley pulled into her friend Jenna’s driveway. Tears filled her beautiful amber eyes, as she rested her head on the steering wheel, her dark auburn curls falling in disarray around her face and shoulders. She needed to get this sorted out and fast—or she might find herself in the loony bin.
“Why, why, why?” she asked no one in particular.
She had been dealing with anxiety issues for years, but they were spiking now and seeing things that weren’t there wasn’t helping at all.
“Get it together, Ashley. Great, now I’m talking to myself. Jenna’s got to help me figure out what’s going on.” She walked to the door and while ringing the doorbell she chanted to herself. “Please be home, please be home.”
Jenna opened the door, and in the background, Ashley observed her deadbeat husband, Jonathan.
“Ashley, are you okay? You look terrible,” Jenna said.
“Thanks,” Ashley replied sarcastically. “And no, I’m not okay.”
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? You didn’t run into Dax, did you?”
“I really need to talk to you…alone.” Ashley eyed Jonathan, who had plopped himself down on the sofa with a sandwich and a beer.
“I’m not moving, so you ladies will have to take it somewhere else.”
Jenna rolled her eyes, and taking Ashley by the arm, guided her towards the backyard. Ashley made sure she gave Jonathan the evil eye before she turned away.
“Jonathan, don’t get food on my new sofa,” Jenna called, as they walked out through the French doors.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the orange blossoms smelled amazing on this beautiful Northern California day. Ashley and Jenna sat side-by-side in the Adirondack chairs, tucked into a cozy corner of the back patio.
“So, spill it. Why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?” Jenna asked, concern for her friend evident on her face.
“I think I did…see a ghost.”
“Wait a minute. What?”
“I feel like I’m losing my mind and I think I might have actually just seen a ghost.” Ashley proceeded to tell Jenna about her visions over the last month, and Jenna, being the good friend she was, quietly listened.
“Does he ever talk to you?” she asked, when Ashley finished.
“No. He just stands in front of me, looking incredibly hot.”
“Hmmm. Well, if you’re going to see ghosts, then my vote would definitely be for incredibly hot.” Jenna laughed.
Ashley was not amused.
Jenna sobered, trying to reassure her friend. “I’m sure it’s just a reaction to the stress you’ve been under.”
“Do you really think so? I don’t want to be crazy, Jenna,” Ashley moaned.
“You’re not crazy. Believe me. I mean, think about it. You’re still getting over the breakup with Dax; you’re getting kicked out of your apartment, and to top it all off, you lost your job. Anyone under that much stress is bound to have physical and psychological reactions.”
“I hope you’re right, but what should I do? Do you think I need therapy? I think I need therapy.”
“Let me help to relieve some of the stress. Come live with us for a while, and if you still think you need therapy after you’ve had a chance to relax, you can make an appointment to talk to someone.”
Ashley was a bit skeptical. “What about Jonathan? Won’t he mind? I’m not his favorite person.”
“Look, I don’t know what the deal is between you two, but he doesn’t get a say. This is my house and I pay all the bills, so he’ll just have to deal. Come on, do it,” Jenna urged.
Ashley thought about her situation and realized what a relief it would be, not to think about housing while she searched for a new job. She had never been the helpless type, but right now, she could use all the help she could get. “Okay, I will. Thanks, Jenna, you’re the best.”
“I know,” Jenna laughed.
“My luck has been pretty horrendous lately. I can’t believe my boss decided to just up and close the business. I really needed that job – not for the money, of course, but it kept me busy, so I wouldn’t sit around thinking about Dax all day.”
“Dax is an ass. He doesn’t deserve to have you, or to have you wasting your time thinking about him. I know you’ll be mad at me for saying this, but he did you a big favor by breaking up with you.”
Ashley ignored Jenna’s comment and focused on her unemployment instead. Her parents had set up a trust fund for her and so she really didn’t need a job, but she liked to be productive and having a career gave her a sense of self-worth.
“I might go back to teaching, but that probably wouldn’t be until the fall, if I can even find a position.”
“Don’t think about it right now, take some time to relax. Once you’re settled in here, maybe you should go on a vacation. Do a little travelling.”
Ashley smiled for the first time in days. “That sounds like an excellent idea. A change of scenery might be nice and besides I’m not lacking for cash, so spending a little on retaining my sanity seems like a sound investment.”
“It’s settled, then. Let’s concentrate on getting you packed up and moved in here, as soon as possible.” Jenna gave Ashley a big hug and they walked arm-in-arm into the house, to share the good news with Jonathan.