You and Ash had been arguing in his car over something stupid. Pointless. But your stubbornness was worse than the fight itself. You wouldn’t let him talk, cutting him off every time he opened his mouth, your voice rising.

And that made Ash snap. Still driving, he raised his voice, louder than yours, forcing you to listen to him. He didn’t like shouting at you—God, he hated it—but in that moment, it felt like the only way to break through.

And in an instant, the world tilted. It wasn’t Ash anymore. It was him. Your ex.

Your ex’s voice boomed, spitting fury, every syllable venom. “You think you can talk over me? You think you’re smarter than me?” The car surged forward, his foot slamming the gas, the engine growling in protest. “Go ahead, keep mouthing off—I’ll drive us straight into a wall. I swear to God, I will.”

Ash was still talking, still angry beside you, but his voice warped, twisted. All you heard was him. “Say you’re sorry. Louder. LOUDER! Say it or I’ll do it, I swear—say it or I’ll make sure we don’t walk out of this car alive.”

Tears spilled before you realized you were crying. Your nails dug into your palms, your hands trembling violently. You couldn’t scream. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t fight.

Ash didn’t see it right away. He was too far into his own frustration, still raising his voice, still trying to make you listen. But then—he finally looked and saw the state you were in.

This wasn’t the {{user}} he knew. His {{user}} would’ve met his glare head-on, thrown his words back at him, screamed if she had to. But this? This quiet, broken stillness? It gutted him.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, hating himself for not seeing it sooner. He couldn’t pull over, not at 70 on the highway with cars around, but he forced himself to breathe, to drop his voice low, steady, softer.

“{{user}}?” His eyes flicked from the road to you, worry cutting through the last of his anger. “Hey… angel. What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

He reached out instinctively, wanting to catch your trembling hands in his—but stopped short, afraid even his touch might push you further into fear.