Suga's heart immediately sank. His grip on the plastic bag filled with apples unconsciously tightened. Ashley avoided looking directly at him. He lowered his head, as if his bangs— which weren't even that long— could hide the bruises and swelling all over his face. Then he opened his mouth to speak.
"Why are you coming here yourself? You could've just left the apples with Martha."
"What happened to you?" Suga immediately cut him off.
Ashley's voice was low and hoarse. The man who usually spoke with sharp tones now seemed to struggle just to form words. Suga raised his hand, hovering it in front of Ashley's face, pointing at the cut on his lip. The bruises scattered across his face were clearly the result of being beaten.