Finding Ashlynn by Zoe Lynne Page A

her—truth because Jenna would always be honest with her, sincerity because Jenna wouldn’t judge her and would do anything she could to be there for Ash no matter what.
    “I want you to go with me,” Ash finally said, nodding a few times. “I want Daddy to know who I’m seeing. He’ll approve of you. I know he will.”
    Jenna gave her a soft smile. “Then I’ll put some clothes on and we can go.”
    “Thanks.”
    Ash sat down on the edge of the bed and waited as Jenna changed clothes. Her girlfriend wore a pair of plain jeans and a plain orange top, nothing compared to the normal high-end fashions she always chose before going out. Ash wondered for a moment if Jenna did that for her benefit, or if she’d grabbed the first thing she found.
    “Are you ready?” Jenna asked as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.
    “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
    “Okay, let’s go then, I guess. I’ll drive.”
    “You don’t have to.”
    “You have a lot on your mind. No offense, but I think we would be safer.”
    “True,” Ash said with a sigh as she pushed up from Jenna’s bed.
    They headed downstairs, past the living room where Jenna’s parents were both reading the Sunday paper. They must’ve heard the footsteps because as soon as the girls crossed the arched opening, her parents raised their heads.
    “We’re going to Ash’s house,” Jenna said.
    Her mother stood up and crossed the room, joining the girls in the arched entryway. She reached out and hugged Jenna first, then pulled Ash into her arms. Monica pressed her cheek to Ash’s and said a soft “Good luck, and remember, we’re here for you.”
    For the first time in ten years, Ash knew what motherly love really felt like, and she seemed to be getting it in spades from her girlfriend’s mom. She’d always missed her mom, but never as much as she did right now. It almost brought a tear to her eye.
    “Thank you,” Ash said. “I won’t forget.” And she truly meant that.
    “Good luck, kids,” Jenna’s dad said from the couch before going back to his paper.
    They headed out to Jenna’s car. Ash climbed into the passenger side, and Jenna joined her behind the wheel. No words were spoken and they left the music off. Unfortunately, the silence didn’t give Ash’s mind a break, and she only had the feel of Jenna’s warm hand to comfort her.
    The drive over to her side of town lasted about twenty minutes but felt like an eternity. Ash only spoke up long enough to give Jenna directions, and she kept her stare trained on the grimy façade of the life she really lived.
    Buildings were vacant and graffitied. Vagabonds occupied street corners and overpasses. Litter lined the sidewalks and streets. In that neighborhood, people didn’t have shiny new cars or suburban palaces. In that neighborhood, most people were lucky to afford a hot meal.
    Ash glanced over to gauge Jenna’s expression, half-fearing she would find the flared nostrils and curled lips of disgust. Much to her surprise, nothing about Jenna had changed, not the look on her face, not the way she held herself as she drove. She didn’t look frightened or put-off, didn’t look disgusted in the least, and now that Ash had seen her reaction—or lack thereof—she wished she’d let Jenna come over all those nights ago when she had needed someone to be there with her. She wished she hadn’t been too embarrassed to let the girl who just wanted to care for her in.
    “It’s right there,” Ash said softly, pointing to a single row of dilapidated apartments. Ironically, it was probably the nicest of all the buildings in the neighborhood, and yet it was still falling apart. “My dad’s truck is the blue Toyota. Park next to it.”
    Jenna did as she was told, and once the car came to a complete stop, she killed the engine and sat back in the seat. She looked over at Ash and asked, “Are you ready?”
    “Not really,” Ash said. “But I need to get it over with.”
    “You don’t have to