twenty three
Luke and I decided to get dinner tonight, I had ditched him so much these last few weeks that I didn't want to waste anymore time away from him.
"You ready?" I heard Luke's soft voice call from the doorway.
"Yeah," I smiled painfully. I had told him about what happened as soon as I got home.
The two of us were both upset. Luke expected it from a guy like Ashton.
Although we weren't technically together, it wasn't like it didn't hurt seeing him with Amber like that.
"Are you okay?" Luke mumbled. He took a seat next to me on the bed and smiled. His icy blue eyes seemed to shimmer in the light.
"I'm fine, I don't know what I was thinking, it's my fault for assuming that he was actually serious about his feelings for me," I chuckled. He placed a hand on my knee and spoke up.
"You see the best in people, you thought that you might be able to change him, and within the couple months you have been friends, you ended up being able to see the real him for a few weeks, but he eventually cracked," he sighed and stood up.
"Let's go get some food."
---
"So are you gonna go to the art exhibit?"
"I don't know, I'm not sure I'm gonna want to see Ashton so soon," I sighed. Technically he didn't do anything wrong but it was still hurting.
"I think you should go, it's not like he would care enough to see it anyway." I nodded my head and took another bite of my salad.
"Yeah I suppose." He smiled at me from across the table. He dug his face into his hamburger and licked his lips once the monstrous bite was taken.
"I know it's hard now but I know Ashton, and he's protective of what's his. I am almost positive he'll be there for you when you need it." He said softly.
"He doesn't own me Luke?" I mumbled.
"I know that, but he doesn't, he probably sees you a his property, this is why I warned you about him." He answered slowly. I nodded my head in defeat.
Of coarse Luke was right, he's always right.
---
"How was dinner?" I jumped slightly when I was greeted by a familiar face.
Ashton.
"What are you doing here," I whispered angrily. I really didn't want Luke to know Ashton was here. I knew he'd loose his temper and the both of them would end up hurt.
"I came to make this right Shannon," he slurred. I watched him stand up from the bed and walk over to me. His breath smelt of whiskey and gin.
"You're drunk." I whispered.
He took his large hand and ran his fingers up and down my arm.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear as he pressed me up against the wall. I felt him grasp my arms lightly as I spoke up.
"Ashton you don't need to do this," I sighed. It was true, Jenna was coming home and the hospital wasn't willing to help her.
"Shannon you don't get it!" he whispered hysterically. I tried to shove him away but his grip got stronger and he shoved me against the wall even hard that before. I yelped in pain as I felt my arm tightening.
"Let go Ashton," I whispered calmly.
"Shannon, she means nothing to me, you aren't some stupid game!" He slurred. His grip tightened once again. I felt a tear slip down my cheek as the pain got worse.
"Don't do this again Ash, please let go," I said calmly. His grip tightened once again. I kept thinking back to the night he had pressed me up against the car a few months back.
"Ashton, please,!" I insisted. "You're hurting me!" I yelped.
I stared into his eyes for a few seconds.
His grip loosened.
He looked down at his hands as he trembled in fear.
Fear of himself.
"I-I," he stuttered. He looked back up and stared at me. "I-I'm just like him aren't I," he sighed in disappointment.
"Who the hell are you talking about?" I mumbled angrily as I rubbed my aching forearms.
"His father," I heard a voice call from the doorway. My eyes shot over to see Luke staring at the the two of us through the doorway.
"Shut the hell up!" I heard Ashton snap, he was clearly drunk, it was probably the worst I have ever seen him.
I watched Luke step into the room and planted himself right in front of Ashton.
"You're an abusive god damn drunk just like him aren't you!" Luke gritted through his teeth.
"W-What?" I interrupted. Ashton's dad was abusive?
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into!" Ashton yelled from beside me. His hazel eyes darted to meet Luke's.
"I suppose Lindsey didn't know what she was getting into when she decided falling in love with you would be a good idea! I was her shoulder to cry on for months until she finally decided I was the better option!"
Lindsey? Luke's dead girlfriend Lindsey?
"Don't do this!" Ashton warned as if he knew exactly what would happen next. He stumbled back a few steps and then caught his balance.
"Why not? What are you gonna do about it?" Luke smirked as he walked closer and closer to Ashton. "Oh that's right? Not shit,
because you know that Shannon would never forgive you and that would ruin your plan to fuck her over too."
"What the hell are you taking about?" Ashton scowled as he pushed his words out through his gritted teeth. I watched as anger filled his eyes.
"You and Lindsey were in love?" I interrupted quickly.
Ashton remained silent for a few seconds.
"Ashton?-" I was quickly cut off by his raspy voice.
"No, I never loved her the way she needed me to." He snapped.
"What the hell did you do to her Ashton?" I whispered softly. He glared at Luke who was now in the doorway of my bedroom.
"He tricked her into thinking he had feelings for her so he could get her into bed just like his father did his crack addict mother!" Luke chuckled before slamming my bedroom door shut and walking back to his room.
I felt my heart stop. My eyes shot in Ashton's direction to see every last drop of color from his face fade.
"So that's what I am to you?" I shrugged. "A game?"
"Shannon, you have never been a game-"
"You should go." I said quickly.
"Shannon I won't give up what we have-"
"Whatever the hell we had obviously wasn't important to you anyway!" I scowled. "You slept with Amber after you admitted your feelings towards me!
"You were never a game to me, I want you Shannon." His voice was slow and smooth.
He sat down at the foot of the bed and grasped my waist with his rough hands and slowly pulled me closer to him. He smelt of alcohal and cheap cologne.
I felt myself climbing onto his lamp with two thighs wrapped around his waist, straddling him.
His light hazel eyes met mine for a few seconds. His eyes flickered between my lips and my pupils. As he started to lean in.
Before our lips could touch I realized what I was doing and pulled away slowly. I tangled his hair between my fingers and pressed my lips to his ears.
"I think you should go."
---
little bit of background on why luke doesn't like ashton :)