A/N: It's finally here! The final chapter of Never Let You Go! It's time to say goodbye to Ash and Clayton :( I'm sorry if any of you don't like the ending or anything, I've tried my best to end this story in the best possible way. 

Aaaanyway, I'll start writing Dan and Ryan's story after this. So keep watching for an update guys ;)  

Oh and lastly, I don't dedicate this last chapter to a person specifically, but to all of you who faithfully reads this story. Thank you thank you thank you! I got more than 30 thousands reads and it is amazing! I never thought that there would be that much of people who are actually interested with my story. I love you guys! You are all awesome!

Ashton's POV'

"Is your friend not coming in, Ash?" 

"He won't. He's very shy." I snort inwardly. Dan is everything but shy. He would die in laughter if he heard me right now describing him as shy. 

I look around the Donahue Mansion as I follow Clayton's mom to the living room, awed by the luxury that the mansion offers. My parents are pretty wealthy themselves, and I grew up surrounded by expensive things. But the Donahue is in another level of rich. The first time Clayton brought me to his childhood home, my jaw dropped in amazement. I got uncomfortable when I stepped into the mansion for the first time. Even though my parents are rich, I don't really like the lifestyle of the rich. I learned the hard way that great amount of wealth usually comes with great amount of arrogance too. That's why I prefer befriending those who come from the middle class. Well, except for Dan. But he's a special case. He comes from a rich family too, thanks to his very successful brothers, but he never flaunts his wealth.  

Clayton's family turned out to be a very humble. They don't see their wealth as something that needs to be shown off. His mother, Isabel Donahue, is a very kind woman. She welcomed me with a warm hug the first time we met. His father, Gage, is a good man, if not a little bit too ambitious. Clayton's brother, Adam, is very different with him. He's friendly and funny. Overall, it seems that Clayton is the only family member who acts like a stuck-up jerk. A hot stuck-up jerk. 

"Why do you come here, Ash? Not that I don't like a surprise visit," Isabel asks me once we're seated in the living room.  

I'm fidgeting nervously before I blurt out the question that has been haunting me. "Who is Lily?" 

I cringe inwardly after those words come out of my mouth. Once again my non-existent mouth filter fails me. Isabel looks at me like a deer caught in the headlights.  

"Which Lily are you talking about?" she asks me carefully. Based from the reluctance that is clearly written in Isabel's face, I know that we're in a dangerous territory. It's clear that she really doesn't want to talk about this. 

"Clayton's Lily," I answer meekly, "I know that this might be a sensitive topic that we're talking about, and I understand if you don't want to talk about it. It's just that Clayton mentioned her name last night when we were... fighting. And she might be the root of our marriage problems all this time." 

Isabel looks surprised when I say the words fighting and marriage problem. Guess I'm not the only son who has been keeping our disastrous marriage as a secret. 

"Fighting? Marriage problems? Ashton, what are you talking about?" 

I take a deep breath before I tell her everything. The cold-shoulder that Clayton gives me, Clara, the avoiding game that we've been doing, me running away to my parents' home, and lastly the divorce that I ask him for. Isabel's face grows paler and paler as my story continues, until a sharp gasp escapes from her mouth when I mention the divorce part. 

"Oh God," her hand clutches the armrest so tight her knuckles turn white, "why any of you didn't tell me about this sooner?"  

I hang my head in shame. "I don't want to run to you or my parents like a child whenever I'm facing a trouble." 

"I-I'm lost at words right now. I need to process all of this information first. Please give me a minute," she gets up and walks to the window, her back facing me. I remain quiet as she looks outside the window. It must be shocking for her to know that her son's marriage is in danger.  

"I'm sorry," my whisper is barely audible. 

Isabel sighs before she sits beside me and takes my hand into hers. "Don't apologize, please. It's not your fault," she looks at me sadly, "and now that you've explained it all to me, I can see the relation between Lily and all of these bad things." 

"So are you going to tell me who Lily is?"  

"This is actually not my secret to tell, but now that I know you two are having difficulties with your marriage, I have to tell you this since Clayton won't tell you this himself." She looks really guilty when she tells me this, like she's betraying Clayton by revealing his secret.  

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" I ask her curiously. Being his wife for three months, I know that Clayton doesn't talk that much. But it doesn't mean that he won't give you a little piece of his mind when he wants to. I've seen him many times almost made someone cry when he spoke to them harshly.  

Isabel looks unsure for a few seconds before she finally answers me. "You have to understand that this incident has left big impacts on him. Clayton has always been a quiet person, but after what Lily did to him, he got even more closed and aloof from other people." 

Isabel starts telling me Clayton's sad past after that. How he met a woman and loved her deeply only to get cheated on after that. I don't know how many times my heart breaks when I hear Clayton's story. At some parts, I'm so tempted to go find this Lily and give her a bitch slap myself. How could she do something as horrible as that to Clayton who was sincerely in love with her? I can't lie though that when Isabel tells me how much Clayton loved Lily in the past, I got so jealous. Does he love me now like he loved Lily back then? 

"He's never the same after that," Isabel looks so exhausted after she finishes telling me the story. I know how heartbreaking it must be for her to see her son being played by other woman and turn into another person after that, "Lily's words had affected him so much. He believes her every word, that he's an overbearing boyfriend who is too possessive. Being betrayed by his girlfriend and one of his friends had changed him for good. Imagine how ecstatic I was when he told me that he was going to get married. I thought that he finally could move on and learn to love again. That's why I'm so sad right now to know that you guys are actually..." she bursts out crying, unable to finish her sentence. The idea of divorce must be really horrible for her. I hug her tight, feeling bad that somehow I've made her cry. 

"Oh God. I had no idea that he experienced something that horrible in the past," I whisper. If I had known, I would have been more patient. No wonder he's been so guarded and distant. He must be scared that I'm just another Lily that's going to hurt him again.  

I slap myself inwardly when I remember how I rejected him yesterday after he confessed his feelings for me. I thought that he was lying and only saying things to get me home, but now I realize that he might be telling the truth. And I rejected him. Geez. I'm such a heartless bitch. After all that he has gone through, I can't blame him if he doesn't want to love again. And once he has the gut to try once again, I let him down. 

"Please forgive him for all the bad things that he has done to you, Ash. Please understand that it's hard for him to learn to love all over again, to give his trust to someone else again." 

I avoid her eyes, afraid that if she looks into my eyes, she'll find out somehow how I treated Clayton badly yesterday.  

"But I don't understand. Clayton is a very good-looking man. An opinion of someone like Lily must not be that important for him. I mean, he can get any girl that he wants. Lily would be replaced in a minute." 

Isabel smiles sadly at my question. "Yes. Lily was replaced in a day. That's the problem. Clayton didn't show his true feelings. He kept it to himself. But he destroyed himself by doing so. He didn't let anyone else to get close to him. Except you," her sad smile turns into a genuine smile when she says that, "I saw how he acted around you, and believe me Ash, he's completely in love with you. He's never acted that way to anyone, not even Lily." 

I look at her in shock. What makes her think that he loves me? I myself feel like he always acts like a jerk whenever he's around me.  

"What do you mean? He treats me just like he treats anyone else." 

"Oh sweetie, I may be never sure when it comes to Clayton's unpredictable nature, but I've never been this sure when I say that you have him wrapped around your finger." 

***

"Are you sure you want me to drive you back to your and Clayton's apartment?" I groan as Dan asks me the same question for the thousandth time after I tell him that we're not going back to my parents'. 

"Yes I'm very sure, Dan."  

I can see that he's still hesitant to drive me there. He must be scared that Clayton and I are going to have another fight again. Dan can be really protective when it comes to those that he loves. I smile inwardly when I remember how he once locked his brother Brock in his bedroom when he insisted on going to work when he was sick. 

"Do you want me to accompany you there?"  

I ruffle his hair fondly, making him screech in horror. Dan hates it when someone touches his perfectly styled hair. "You look so cute when you get all mother hen mode like that, but I can do this myself." 

He pouts and huffs in disappointment when I tell him no. "I just want to be there if he decides to be a class A jerk," muttering under his breath, Dan honks a poor guy who is unfortunate enough to cross the street while he's ranting in annoyance. 

"There are things that we need to do by ourselves, Dan. Besides, you've helped me enough. Maybe it's time for you to find the perfect guy," I smirk teasingly, "do you want me to introduce you to Adam?"  

Bubbles of laughter come out of my mouth when I see Dan's face turns red. After we talked for quite long time, Isabel felt bad that we let Dan out by himself for an hour. Poor Dan couldn't do anything when she forced him to come out of the car and dragged him to the mansion. We finally ended up eating brownies that she just baked before we drove back home. Meeting him for the first time, Isabel was totally hooked by Dan's charm. 

"Are you still single, Dan?" Dan almost choked to death on the brownies when Isabel asked him that out of the blue. 

"Wh-what?" his face went red when he looked at her in disbelief. 

"Oh come on, don't act like it's the first time you're being asked that question," Isabel chuckled softly, "with a face like that, you must have broken many men's heart." 

I laughed in glee when as I watched both of them. "Dan is single and ready to mingle, mom," I answered her question since it seemed that Dan was too shock to answer it himself. 

"You are?" Isabel looked genuinely surprised. There was a glint of hope when she continued "well, I know a perfect man for you." 

"A perfect man? Who?" I asked curiously while Dan squawked in embarrassment. 

"My other son, Adam, of course! I would love to have another beautiful son-in-law!" she clapped her hands enthusiastically while probably imagining the prospect of her son marrying Dan. She was deeply disappointed when Dan stammered out that he was not going to get married anytime soon. 

"Shut up!" Dan pinches my thigh while I let out a cackle of laughter, "Besides, I already have someone in mind," he mumbles shyly. 

My laughter stops instantly. I know who he refers to, and I'm not exactly happy with his choice of man. 

"You mean Ryan?" 

Dan's silence answers my question. I haven't told him the incident in the classroom where Ryan told me his perverted intention towards Dan. I just don't have the heart to ruin his heart. 

"I like Adam better than that stupid Jock," I cross my arms, still feeling that Ryan doesn't deserve someone like Dan. 

"Don't be like that, Ash. You're the one who teaches me not to judge someone so easily," he sighs. I'll probably tell him the truth one day if Ryan doesn't change himself for the better. But until then, let's just hope that there'll be a miracle that turns him into a proper gentleman. 

When we finally arrive at Clayton's and my apartment, it's already 12 PM. I wave Dan goodbye after I get out of the car. 

"Hi Mark! Is Clayton home?" I ask the doorman when he greets me.  

"He hasn't come back since he went to work this morning, Mrs." 

I feel disappointed and relieved at the same time. Right now, I really want to hug and comfort him and tell him that I won't hurt him like Lily did. But on the other hand, I'm not really sure whether I'm completely ready or not to face him. After all it was only yesterday when we had a big fight and I asked him to get divorced. 

Just like Mark said, the apartment is empty when I get there. There's no sign of Clayton anywhere. There are hours to go before Clayton gets back home. I go to the walk-in closet to change into a more comfortable outfit. I curse like a madman when I realize that I took my favorite pajama to my parents' house when I left the apartment few days ago. An old tshirt catches my eyes while I go through my closet to find something to wear. It's Clayton's old Harvard t shirt that doesn't fit him anymore. As I predict, the t shirt is one of those worn clothes that are so comfy to wear. I put it on and it envelops me instantly. Embarrassing really how the t shirt that doesn't fit Clayton anymore is still too big for me. 

I turn on the TV and wait patiently for Clayton. Seven hours more to go and God know what will happen by then.

Clayton's POV

I watch one of my employees literally run from my office in fear. I know that I've been acting like a dick today. Don't blame me. Any men would act the same way if their wife runs away and asks for a divorce instead when they come to pick them up. 

The memory of yesterday keeps playing in my head no matter how much I try to forget it. I still remember Ash's determined face as he asked me to divorce him. I got so angry the first time I hear that d word came out from his mouth. There was nothing that I wanted to do more than take him home and lock him in our bedroom forever. I even went as far as blackmailing him just to get him back.  

But then he cried. And he asked me that question with tears in his eyes. Why are you doing this to me? He even had the guts to accuse me of ignoring him and hating him intentionally just to torture him. I snapped.  

After I stormed out of his parents' house, I drove back right into our apartment in alarming speed. It was a miracle that I wasn't stopped by the police. After I calmed down a little bit, the better side of me started to think. As Ashton's crying face playing in my mind, I asked myself whether forcing him to be my wife would only hurt him further. Would it be better if I just let him go? And until now, the same question keeps popping in my head; do I love him enough to let him go? Ash is the kindest and purest human being that I've ever known, and he deserves all the happiness in the world. Being married with a possessive and obsessive bastard like me will only cause him more pain. He deserves someone much better than me as a husband. But once again, am I strong enough to let him go? 

With these questions in my mind, I know that there'll be no chance for me to get works done today. Looking at the clock, I sigh when I see that it's 5 PM already. I don't look forward to going home with no one there to welcome me. But since there's no other choice, I turn off my computer and grab my keys. I'm so tempted to spend the night in Clara's apartment for at least I wouldn't spend my night completely alone. But then I'd better make myself get used to being alone. If I decide to grant Ash's wish to get divorced, I'd be all alone again in few days.  

Walking to the parking lot, I notice that almost everyone avoids my eyes. It seems like the news about my bad mood has already spread around the office. As I drive back to my apartment, my wedding ring reflects the light from a street light. My already bad mood worsens immediately when I realize that I might have to take off my wedding ring soon. 

When I arrive at my apartment, I look at the building with a numb feeling. I'll move from this place if I get divorced with Ash since I won't be able to live in the same place without him there. I take the lift without enthusiasm to the top floor. I insert my key and open the front door. I furrow my brow in confusion when I see that the lights are already on. Did I forget to turn off the lights when I left this morning? 

I got alarmed when I hear a sound from the kitchen. There's no one except for me and Ash that has the key to the apartment. I walk quietly to the kitchen, ready to surprise the intruder who gets into my apartment. 

My body freezes when I see the person in my kitchen. Wearing my old Harvard t shirt, Ashton is chopping carrots clumsily. Am I dreaming? 

"Ashton?" 

He looks up in shock when he hears my voice. The knife that he's holding barely misses his hand when he drops it. It feels like hours when we only stare at each other without saying anything. It's not like I don't want to speak, it's just that my brain is still processing the fact that my wife is in the kitchen preparing food. 

I finally come out of my trance and the first thing that comes to my mind is how this is the time for me to beg for his forgiveness for the last time. If his feelings are still the same and he still wants to get divorced, then I guess I will grant his wish... 

"Ash, I'm so-"  

I don't have the chance to finish my apology before he runs to me and wraps his arms around me.  

I stand still as he buries his head on my chest. My mind refuses to accept that my wife is currently hugging me willingly, and it feels good. I hear faintly that he's repeating the same sentence again and again, but I can't hear what's exactly he's talking about. Then he lifts his head from my chest and speaks the words clearly to me. 

"I won't hurt you I promise."

Ashton's POV 

Bored of waiting, I decide to start making dinner although it's barely 5 PM. I open the fridge and of course there's almost nothing in there. There are some carrots, eggs, and chicken breast though. Having no idea what to make from these ingredients, I just take the carrots and chop them. I'll get the inspiration later.  

I saw once on TV a chef cutting carrots in the shapes of flowers, and I found it really cute. I decide to let my inner Gordon Ramsay come out and play, so I start to cut the carrots in cute shapes. I'm so into cutting the carrots that I don't realize Clayton is already home.  

"Ashton?" 

His deep voice startles the hell out of me. I look at him and as usual the view takes my breath away. He is still in his suit, and damn doesn't he look good in it. 

We stare at each other in silence. It seems that both of us is still too shock to utter even a single word. 

Clayton says something at the same time I run into him. I don't know what gets into me but I suddenly forget all the words