I was standing there but I had no idea what to do. They don't teach you how to act in a prison in school or college. I had never felt more out of place in my entire life.

I saw Ashley go in somewhere inside with her lawyer. I didn't know who she could possibly be meeting but she asked for trust so I'll have to trust her.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked me.

"What do you think?"

"This can't be easy. I'm so sorry, man."

"Could you please tell me what is going on here?"

He didn't say anything. He lowered her head to avoid eye contact.

"Look, I understand why you can't explain but think about it, I'm stand in a prison and my girlfriend just went inside with her lawyer to meet somebody. I'm crazy about her and I wanna trust her, I do trust her but seriously. I want to say whatever it is its not going to effect our relationship but I don't even know what it actually is."

Liam looked at me for a while and then finally spoke up "I don't know whether I should be telling you this. It isn't my story to share."

"Don't share the story but just give some kind of clarity. Crux of the situation if you may"

Liam sighed "she's meeting her ex husband."

"He's in prison?"

"Yeah, it's been five years"

"What is he in for?"

"Money laundering.." he trailed and I nodded. It can be understood. "And domestic assault."

"Domestic assault as in domestic violence?" He nodded "as in hitting your wife" he nodded again but slowly. "So you're telling me that my girlfriend just went in to meet her ex husband who is in their for physically abusing her?"

"Guards and the lawyer are in there. He's not going to hurt her"

I scoffed "because that makes it alright."

I sat down on the nearby chair. There was nothing I could do except worry and process this huge news. My brain was shutting down and my impluse was screaming me to leave. I didn't know what to do, what would be the right thing to do.

I was always aware that Ashley didn't have a nice marriage. She had a messy divorce and her ex husband was a jerk but this is so much more. He hurt her in ways I can't begin to fathom.

"Why is she meeting him now?" I asked Liam. It was bugging me.

"Umhm. He's up for parole. He requested to meet Ashley before his parole hearing"

"Parole? Oh, this tree just keeps giving. For how long was in for originally?"

"Ten years. It was fifteen but he cut a deal."

I nodded. Ten years, I kept thinking what are lives could've been in ten years. We were probably married and had kids but now I keep picturing this inconvenient person, her ex-husband in our lives.

She's already afraid and now I know why. She's running away from her horrible past and it makes so much more sense as to why she is so closed off.

The trauma of something can completely shut off a person. You marry someone because you love them so much but you never expect that person to hurt you physically. It is sick. I keep picturing her in pain and it breaks my heart that she was all alone.

I didn't realise I was just sitting, staring into the void when Ashley returned. I got up immediately and my eyes searched for evidence if he hurt her. It was instinct I couldn't control. I didn't want her to know that I know but I was worried.

Her beautiful eyes met mine and she nodded, giving me some sense of relief. I saw some stray tears in her eyes. I knew she had cried but I didn't want to question her. I can understand why she would want to cry.

I keep asking myself how can I not let her know how much proud I'm of her? How can she not know her worth as a person? She deserves to know that she deserves every happiness in this world no matter whosoever gives her. She's more worthy then what she's been in the past.

I put my arms around her and held her close to me. Even though I was confused and had about million things to ask, in that moment, both of us needed to hold each other. We can discuss everything later, I just wanted her to know she's safe with me.

"Let's go home" I whispered.

I didn't let her go. I couldn't. I was afraid to let her go. I felt that if I leave her she would crumble. Her eyes were so far away, lost. I was terrified of losing her to her awful past.

She has come along way. I know how strong and independent she is. It took a lot of courage to come up here and confront the man she once loved and married.

Even though I had no idea how our relationship is going to turn out, I didn't want her to lose what she has worked for so hard. She was happy, hopeful and above all free from the shadows of her past. I didn't want her to give up all of that.

"Can we make a quick stop on the way home?" She asked. I blinked, lost in my own thoughts. She asked again if we stop by before going home and I nodded. I just want her to be okay even if it means stopping somewhere, anywhere.