Chapter 120
For a while, Ashley didn’t respond. Koi, desperate to know what expression he was making, held back and hugged him tighter.
It was the first time he had ever spoken about that day. A memory he had spent his whole life trying to forget. But now he dragged it back up, squeezing his eyes shut, willing himself not to lose his nerve—praying that, somehow, this wouldn’t make Ashley hate him.
“Our whole family was in the car... I was messing around with my brother... We were both in the backseat, strapped in...”
He drew in a trembling breath and forced himself to continue.
“I don’t remember exactly. I think I was just really excited, or maybe I was being a little shit. I was tugging at my brother’s seatbelt—we were playing, wrestling—and I unbuckled his seatbelt.”
The arms holding Ashley started to shake. But Koi didn’t let go. He clung tighter.
“I didn’t mean to do it, I think... I don’t know. My mom turned around to scold us—and then, out of nowhere, a truck hit us from behind...”
The memory hit him so vividly that he couldn’t speak. His mother’s scream and the sound of sobbing echoed right beside his ear like it was happening now.
“I hit my head... and I lost my sense of smell. My brother... he died.”
Koi opened his eyes, voice quivering. ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) After taking a long breath, he slowly let go of Ashley. Ashley sat up as well, looking at him. The sun had already set, and dusk had settled around them.
Under the early moonlight spilling through the window, Ashley’s face was lit with a hazy expression. Koi looked at him and pressed on, mustering his courage.
“After that, Mom and Dad fought all the time... Mom left. Dad’s been drinking ever since. And Mom, when she left, she told me...”